# Who else has a VERY stressful job?



## gisellemarx (Feb 1, 2010)

I'm a pharmacy technician, and pharmacies are kind of known as a chaotic and stressful place to work, so who the hell knows why I'm working there. I do love my job (most of the time) but I hate most of the people and I come home extremely stressed and wound up. There have been several occasions where I've come home and just cried for hours. I'm in a bit of a leadership position as the lead full-time technician, and of course that's stress on top of MORE stress.

I have anxiety attacks regularly but I've gotten so good and managing it that nobody notices. I also get extremely angry and irritable. I try so hard to be patient and keep my voice level and be understanding but...it is SO hard. Especially when the part-time less knowledgeable techs ask me questions. I try so hard to help and encourage them but sometimes I just want to snap.

I'm proud of myself, though, because I keep going and I have no intentions to quit and I've been there for a year.

Who else has a very stressful job? What are some techniques you use to handle it?


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## versikk (Nov 25, 2013)

this is semi-offtopic but how can it be stressful? When i'm at a pharmacy i only ever see like 3 other customers there and the people working there stand staring into their screens or looking at the floors or whatever.


ontopic: good on you for working there. i can barely work at a normal-paced job.


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## calichick (Jul 30, 2010)

Lol @ versik

That's like asking why doctors have a high rate of suicide.

Pharmacies are extremely stressful places to work these people are one wrong move away from being sued on liability if they mix the wrong ingredients or get one order wrong.

Their lives, their mental sanity, their careers, other people's lives depend on being the utmost careful and issuing correct dosages and whatnot.


My job sucks balls right now.

It's not a matter of life or death but I'm in a very stressful constantly changing environment and I actually had a meltdown today on the job, I started getting dizzy yesterday and had splitting migraines after doing 12 hour days and broke down in front of the boss 

Now Im feeling very tense and just....stressed.

Deep breaths reading exercising nothing has helped :/

Some weeks are more depressing than others.

I'm going to youtube to ASMR out. Usually it helps. Maria's been doing nothing for me lately though I think Im immune to her voice.


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## versikk (Nov 25, 2013)

calichick said:


> Lol @ versik
> 
> Pharmacies are extremely stressful places to work these people are one wrong move away from being sued on liability if they mix the wrong ingredients or get one order wrong.
> 
> Their lives, their mental sanity, their careers, other people's lives depend on being the utmost careful and issuing correct dosages and whatnot.


Mixing ingredients? Issuing dosages? In sweden they just read from the prescription (which has the medicine and dosage on it) and then pick up the medicine from a drawer and hand it to you. Or is there anything else going on behind the scenes that i'm not aware of? Of course they have knowledge of medicine contra-indications etc but I dont' see why it would be stressful because the pace (i.e flow of customers) is slow


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## calichick (Jul 30, 2010)

versikk said:


> Mixing ingredients? Issuing dosages? In sweden they just read from the prescription (which has the medicine and dosage on it) and then pick up the medicine from a drawer and hand it to you. Or is there anything else going on behind the scenes that i'm not aware of? Of course they have knowledge of medicine contra-indications etc but I dont' see why it would be stressful because the pace (i.e flow of customers) is slow


I don't think you realize that just because there aren't swarms of angry customers flooding the gates that they aren't only filling 2's at a time. They're probably fulfilling hundreds of orders a day and errors are not uncommon for pharmacies.

I mean you can just take a poll and ask how many people regularly go to a pharmacy and have complained more than once?

I've been going to pick up my meds since I was 17 and almost always find something wrong about my order.

Whether it's a generic that I didn't sign up for, or the price increase due to insurance conflicts or there being no more refills on my prescription and I need the meds NOW I've probably made my pharmacists life a living hell (and he remembers me as well)

I am one out of the whole city's patients.

I'm sure they get more angry customers than a doctor has ever seen. They're the ones who get to deal with patient outcare


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## versikk (Nov 25, 2013)

In Sweden prescriptions are digital so probably less stressful to deal with for pharmacies than paper prescriptions. When you get your meds they always ask if you want a generic or the one that was specifically prescribed to you. Outpatient care is at GP or clinics, our pharmacies handle none of that


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## thinkstoomuch101 (Jun 7, 2012)

oh just stop it, already Versikk. 


there's a contrasting difference between working in New York City and Sveden.. really? If you've never WORKED in New York, I think you should stop making the comparisons. It's the difference between a gerbil and Mastiff. 


New York: Mastiff
Sveden: Gerbil


Very basic. More simply put? there's no comparison here.


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## thinkstoomuch101 (Jun 7, 2012)

Hey OP,


Sorry for that. I can't even imagine how you deal in your line of work. 


when I was in college, I actually wanted to work in pharmacy because you don't have to "deal with patients" most of the time. That is what I ASSUMED, and I had an eye-opening experience when I talked with someone who works in that business.


How you handle it, is way beyond my comprehension - and on top of that? a leadership position..


Man, I'm sorry, I would have just OD'd on the "inventory" of narcotics and call it quits.


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## thinkstoomuch101 (Jun 7, 2012)

I have a stressful job as well.


I work in the medical field. Though I have several certifications, I specialize in Ultrasound.


Try dealing with pregnant mothers, the family members and family dysfunction.


We do all sorts of ultrasounds, but OB (obstetrics) is the hardest. There are several people I went to college with for the general program. Because of the stress of "missing pathology" - while dealing with family members,etc., Many of them have left the field all together.


People see ultrasound as "entertainment". It's a very serious field. And any misstep, you can lose your license. Or even worse, get "black-balled" in the field.


People want "results" after you've completed your exam, and it's against the law to tell them until you've officially read, and have a report sent to the physician requesting the exam right?


Well, when people can't get what they want? they file a complaint. Some of them have been known to throw a tantrum in the room - yes, I had a woman from Europe do this - because they didn't want to wait for the results.


Then there's being "on call" usually 72 hours for the weekend, and afterhours during the week.
there will be times where you don't get any sleep for 48 hours due to being on oncall for 12 + completing your 16 hour shifts.


If you miss something, you have to call the patient back. If you've been up for 48 hours? Yeah, you'll miss something. And of course, the patient panics and thinks "IT's CANCER!!" Nope, you were just tired.


And of course, there's the people who bring their kids in while you have to do an exam. Unfortunately, many of the parents have no idea of how to discipline their kids, or can afford a baby sitter - but there they are having more kids! and you have to put up with them, until the exam is over.


It's extremely stressful, and if it weren't for the gym? I'd literally go postal..


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

I don't think I've ever had a stressful job. I've had stressful situations at work but the jobs in itself have never been stressful.


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## versikk (Nov 25, 2013)

thinkstoomuch101 said:


> oh just stop it, already Versikk.
> 
> there's a contrasting difference between working in New York City and Sveden.. really? If you've never WORKED in New York, I think you should stop making the comparisons. It's the difference between a gerbil and Mastiff.
> 
> ...


If by gerbil you mean less stressful then yes, that's what i'm saying....


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## Shawn81 (Jul 9, 2014)

My job isn't usually very stressful. I work part-time for a behavioral health agency. I basically get to set my own hours and who I work with. The really bad days are when I have to take a really unstable person out into the community to a store or something, or do something with them around the office. I lose it. But that's rare.


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## peace_love (Oct 24, 2008)

My job isn't as stressful, but at times it is. Some days are crazy and I just want a break. What helps me is prioritizing!! Tackling one thing at a time. For instance, I say "Right now I will listen to my voicemails and call customers back." I don't do anything else in that moment unless I have to. If I do, then I write down where I left off, so I can go back to what I was doing before. I have like 5 notepads cause I write a TON. Also, take mini breaks in between (maybe even do something you enjoy in that moment if you can). Don't feel too bad, because everyone needs a break and just remember its necessary. If you do simple things like this it will make your life easier. Good Luck!


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## tortillachip (Dec 20, 2011)

I'm a pharmacist. It's been a torturous experience getting here and I feel constantly on edge that I'm going to lose my licence because of an error or not being confident around patients. The constant assessments of your practice, constant social interactions with doctors, nurses and patients, presentations to give, coping with *****y staff, being forced to study after work, the huge work load, comparing myself to my confident peers and trying to not make an career ending error or appear incompetent to my peers. STRESS TO THE MAX! Sometimes I feel like killing myself from the stress. It's like a living hell at times. Constant triggers for stress, anxiety, depression and self loathing. At times it can feel like it's one beating after another, especially when you make a mistake and there's an investigation or people moan about you behind your back. This job is one of the few good things I have, so I'm desperate to keep it though. I felt awful when I was unemployed, after spending so long (5 years) to get qualified. I feel like I could lose it all and be left to die on the dole. Can't sleep at night because it stresses me out so much. They're going to bring re-validation in the future. Even more stress to look forward too.


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## greyandgreenbean77 (Dec 23, 2013)

gisellemarx said:


> I'm a pharmacy technician, and pharmacies are kind of known as a chaotic and stressful place to work, so who the hell knows why I'm working there. I do love my job (most of the time) but I hate most of the people and I come home extremely stressed and wound up. There have been several occasions where I've come home and just cried for hours. I'm in a bit of a leadership position as the lead full-time technician, and of course that's stress on top of MORE stress.
> 
> I have anxiety attacks regularly but I've gotten so good and managing it that nobody notices. I also get extremely angry and irritable. I try so hard to be patient and keep my voice level and be understanding but...it is SO hard. Especially when the part-time less knowledgeable techs ask me questions. I try so hard to help and encourage them but sometimes I just want to snap.
> 
> ...


I'm a clinical lab assistant in a hospital laboratory and right now I work in the blood bank department. I've been there 6 months and I despise it. Everyday I plan my escape lol. I thought about being a pharmacy tech and I know that's stressful too. Honestly, coping maybe for some people but I've spent 23 years being unhappy and I have no intention in sticking with it for the sake of toughing it out. The pay is $13.75/hr and I deal with bossy coworkers and people with less education than myself ( I have a BS in biochemistry) acting superior because they make more money. If I got a 1 year certification instead of going to college I would have their job. I was going to try and be a Medical Lab Scientist by getting the certification, but I'm not sure if I want to put up with it. I use to like lab work, but the thought of infecting myself with diseases, dying early from stress, and or killing someone because of a simple mistake is not a plus. I made a bad decision picking biochemistry. We change policies everyday and get about 30 emails a day on new regulations and SOPs. I'm sure you get the point. I can relate to you a lot. Glad you like your job and are toughing it out. As long as you can deal with it and make a decent income then that's all that is important. As for coping, on days off I would just go out and do fun stuff as much as possible if you have a car. On days that you work plan what you're going to do on your days off. It helps when you know that you are working so you can do fun things at the end of the week.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

All jobs are stressful. Unless you can quit them and never look back. It's that having to pay the bills thing that really gets people.


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## greyandgreenbean77 (Dec 23, 2013)

calichick said:


> Lol @ versik
> 
> That's like asking why doctors have a high rate of suicide.
> 
> ...


Ha lol, I do the ASMR thing too sometimes. I don't like listening to women though. I can only listen to guys for some reason.


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## gisellemarx (Feb 1, 2010)

versikk said:


> this is semi-offtopic but how can it be stressful? When i'm at a pharmacy i only ever see like 3 other customers there and the people working there stand staring into their screens or looking at the floors or whatever.


See, that's the problem, nobody sees how busy we are. Wtf do you think we're doing on our computers? We're not staring, we're WORKING. And those 3 customers can take up a lot of our time and put us behind quite a bit. People are also really nasty and rude. Also, we are on the phone a lot, with more nasty and rude people, or insurance companies, which is usually a nightmare.

And I'm telling you, that's just the tip of the iceberg, working in a pharmacy is stressful.


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## gisellemarx (Feb 1, 2010)

tortillachip said:


> I'm a pharmacist. It's been a torturous experience getting here and I feel constantly on edge that I'm going to lose my licence because of an error or not being confident around patients. The constant assessments of your practice, constant social interactions with doctors, nurses and patients, presentations to give, coping with *****y staff, being forced to study after work, the huge work load, comparing myself to my confident peers and trying to not make an career ending error or appear incompetent to my peers. STRESS TO THE MAX! Sometimes I feel like killing myself from the stress. It's like a living hell at times. Constant triggers for stress, anxiety, depression and self loathing. At times it can feel like it's one beating after another, especially when you make a mistake and there's an investigation or people moan about you behind your back. This job is one of the few good things I have, so I'm desperate to keep it though. I felt awful when I was unemployed, after spending so long (5 years) to get qualified. I feel like I could lose it all and be left to die on the dole. Can't sleep at night because it stresses me out so much. They're going to bring re-validation in the future. Even more stress to look forward too.


This is exactly why I strive to be the best technician ever...I see what pharmacists go through and it makes me more motivated to work hard to make their lives a bit less stressful, in any areas I possibly can. So hopefully my pharmacist doesn't have to worry about bad staff when I'm working.


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## versikk (Nov 25, 2013)

gisellemarx said:


> See, that's the problem, nobody sees how busy we are. Wtf do you think we're doing on our computers? We're not staring, we're WORKING. And those 3 customers can take up a lot of our time and put us behind quite a bit. People are also really nasty and rude. Also, we are on the phone a lot, with more nasty and rude people, or insurance companies, which is usually a nightmare.
> 
> And I'm telling you, that's just the tip of the iceberg, working in a pharmacy is stressful.


I see. People are the worst.


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## gisellemarx (Feb 1, 2010)

peace_love said:


> My job isn't as stressful, but at times it is. Some days are crazy and I just want a break. What helps me is prioritizing!! Tackling one thing at a time. For instance, I say "Right now I will listen to my voicemails and call customers back." I don't do anything else in that moment unless I have to. If I do, then I write down where I left off, so I can go back to what I was doing before. I have like 5 notepads cause I write a TON. Also, take mini breaks in between (maybe even do something you enjoy in that moment if you can). Don't feel too bad, because everyone needs a break and just remember its necessary. If you do simple things like this it will make your life easier. Good Luck!


Prioritizing saves my life!! If I didn't have good prioritizing skills, I'd have already quit. Or maybe been fired. That's good advice for anyone, I think.

It sucks, though, some days I don't have time to take even just a 10-second breather. Just trying to make sense of pure chaos and hold down the fort...usually when we have a floater pharmacist filling in. They're all slow and don't help much and are kind of useless, since they don't understand the way things are done. Or they just don't care. That's usually the case. That's when I'm running around all day trying to do like 3-4 people's jobs because all my coworkers are shell-shocked from the chaos and shut down. I'm proud of myself on those days, just for SURVIVING. :lol


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## peace_love (Oct 24, 2008)

gisellemarx said:


> Prioritizing saves my life!! If I didn't have good prioritizing skills, I'd have already quit. Or maybe been fired. That's good advice for anyone, I think.
> 
> It sucks, though, some days I don't have time to take even just a 10-second breather. Just trying to make sense of pure chaos and hold down the fort...usually when we have a floater pharmacist filling in. They're all slow and don't help much and are kind of useless, since they don't understand the way things are done. Or they just don't care. That's usually the case. That's when I'm running around all day trying to do like 3-4 people's jobs because all my coworkers are shell-shocked from the chaos and shut down. I'm proud of myself on those days, just for SURVIVING. :lol


Yeah I was just gonna say I am proud of you for getting through! Even if you quit in the end, always remember....at least you tried! This is what I always say. You are only 21 and taking on something lots of people couldn't do including me.


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## eveningbat (Jan 21, 2013)

Mine ranges from normal to crazy. Sometimes, their expectations of me are too high - they give me extra difficult tasks or huge texts to translate. And I have not been paid for 3 weeks now.


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