good careers for OCD people

I'm a computer science major and am pretty good at what I do, but the stress with OCD is way to much. anyone know of so decent paying careers? I am in a place in my life where I need to get a job to pay bills. But I have such severe OCD I never leave my house unless absolutely necessary now. My thoughts are really bad and really strong. I don't want to collect disability but careers require that I interact with people and and have set deadlines. I can't finish things I like to do sometimes because my thoughts mess me up so bad everyday.

I know it is very difficult to keep down a job. Check with your local disorder agency. In Canada, they have agencies that will help you find jobs based on your disorder and how bad it is.

I think any career can be a "good" career for a person with OCD as long as they manage their symptoms. I'm studying to become a respiratory therapist right now. A lot of my family members are horrified because I will be working in a hospital around super germs and sick/dead people with more germs. They think I'm crazy for choosing this career. But this is a career that I would have chosen if I didn't have OCD, and I'm not going to let my OCD stop me from getting it.

I have to be very diligent about taking my medications. I have to really watch my stress levels. I have to have a good support group. I have to take time out of each and every day to evaluate how i'm feeling and how my OCD is doing.

It sucks having to do all this stuff that people without OCD probably won't ever have to deal with or even think about, but this is my reality. I know a lawyer and a middle school math teacher that both have OCD. There are several celebrities with the disorder - Howie Mandel is an extreme germaphobe for example, yet he manages to have a lucrative career in spite of it.

You can have any kind of career that you want. You just have to manage your symptoms on a day-to-day level. And not give up.

I agree, symptoms must be manageable. It is difficult for people to understand this disorder.

I would say psychiatrist! That's my career goal and what better person to understand the mental anguish of others?

jrm said:

I would say psychiatrist! That's my career goal and what better person to understand the mental anguish of others?

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Yeah but is it just me or do Social Phobics also have too much empathy?

Suffer too much when they witness the suffering of others. Endanger themselves to help others in pain because they understand how bad
feeling pain is?