Use those benefits and get a therapistI'm looking at sometime around February or May to start looking. I have a few concerns. One is that I left, worked somewhere else for about 6 months and then came back, so I don't want to go somewhere else too soon and then find out I don't like that place. That's too much jumping around and I think I'll be stuck. The place I work pays above average. Not the absolute top for the field, but above average. Good benefits. I've been there long enough that I'm pretty good at what I do and I generally like doing it. I also really like working with one of the guys I work with. That's enough, honestly.
I'm very odd in that I do not alter my sleep schedule between the days I work and the days I'm off. I don't know anyone else who does that. But sleep experts absolutely advocate for the way I do it. 15 years ago I could flip my schedule and be okay (sort of). But about 8 or so years ago I started going completely crazy when I'd flip. I'm not talking about stupid posts on jazzfanz crazy, I'm talking I'd go into rages with my wife or my kid. Like uncontrollable rages. I'd wake up pissed and sit in bed telling myself to calm down, everything was okay, just relax, everything is fine, just take it easy. Then I'd get up, still feeling tense and angry and anxious. But I'd continue to tell myself to stay calm, stay under control, nothing is a big deal, everything is okay. Then I'd see someone moved my whatever to a spot I didn't want my whatever in and I'd lose my ****. Just go into a rage. It was scary. And I'm saying it was scary for me, but I'm not my wife and kid who had to deal with it. They didn't deserve that. Staying on the same sleep schedule sucks. Like it sucks really bad. I'm up right now on my day off and there's really nothing useful for me to do right now (I am going to do the dishes and a load of laundry as soon as I finish this, but you know) I'm in a mostly dark house, alone, my family is sleeping and I'm having a beer or 12 until I go to sleep "early" around 4 to 6am.
It isn't healthy. It is hard to be healthy when you work 12hr night shifts. The guys who flip on their days off, I can tell they are ****ed up. When I'm at work I'm the most alert and aware and mentally capable person on my shift. No question. Flipping causes ****ing alzheimer's, amongst other things. These people I work with are probably going to have dementia at some point. They aren't sleeping right. Their circadian rhythms are never "rhythms" because they are always throwing that into chaos. Their sleep is poor at least 3-4 days a week, and when I say poor I don't just mean less hours than recommended, I mean they never get into deep sleep 3-4 days out of the week, long term, years and years. That's how you invite dementia into your life.
So yeah, I'm crazy as **** right now. It sucks. But while I do stupid **** on Jazzfanz, I'm nice to my family. I'm not doing stupid or reckless things in my "real" life. I'm sorry that I'm using Jazzfanz as an outlet (I mean sorry, not sorry) but if it has to be somewhere it's probably better here.