Why Can’t I Keep A Job?

QUESTION:

Dear Dr. Heller,

I have job hopped as long as I can remember.  Is there something I can do to keep a job.  I have never really failed at any task I was given, nor have I had any co-worker problems.  I just can’t keep to one job after I get bored with it.  Is this a symptom of anything I should be aware of?

 

ANSWER:

The two most common mental health causes of inability to maintain a job are the BPD and attention deficit disorder.  Boredom is a common BPD symptom that goes away with SSRI medication, the most consistently successful one is Prozac.  The symptoms that go away with Prozac are the unprovoked mood swings, chronic anger, emptiness and boredom.  Dose increases can sometimes make the symptom go away in as little as a day.  The official criteria can be found at http://pks.947.myftpupload.com/DSM.htm. Attention deficit disorder causes an inability to stay focused and being easily distracted.  The official criteria can be found at http://pks.947.myftpupload.com/AD-H-Dcr.htm.