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I feel stupid, incompetent and I want to die

124 replies

Ariennnnessa · 14/09/2021 00:33

I’m 23 and work in hospitality, that isn’t an issue in itself of course. But I’m fucking terrible at it, like I’m terrible at everything. I can’t do anything right. It’s not laziness as I try my arse off and do my best to remember stuff but my brain is like a sieve. I can’t help it.

I now have a reputation at my work for being a thick, useless, gormless twat. I admit I do make mistakes but I don’t know what to do. I’m trying and I still do it, I can’t discipline myself more than I already am doing. Because I now have this reputation though, people look for problems. I get patronised by female coworkers and male (mainly the chefs) coworkers tut and shout at me. I’m a waitress and a particular chef bullies me. Sometimes I’ll leave tickets on the stack of plates when I have to tend to a customer which he hates but he’s taken to finding fault with everything I do now. I was training a 16 year old on collecting food from the pass earlier but I left him there for 30 seconds to sanitise my hands as I’d just taken dirty cutlery from a table and when I got back he yelled my name and screamed in my face for apparently being lazy and expecting the teenager to run all of his food alone. The chefs tut to each other when I walk past and give me nasty looks, my mere presence irritates them. The one that bullies me gives me a lift home if we finish at the same time because we live near each other (he offered when I first started) and tonight he left without me, I hadn’t accommodated for catching the train because I assumed I’d go with him. I was stranded outside in the restaurant in the dark, everybody pissed off home and I had to ring my partner to pick me up because I don’t drive (the restaurant is in a village on the far outskirts of Birmingham and I live in the city centre).

I made a singular mistake today on the handheld (forgot to log off the table which meant the other waitress couldn’t access it on the system, it is a problem that takes 10 seconds to fix). She approached me and said “Once again you’re not logging off the table. If it happens again I’m going to take your handheld off you.” I used to do this a lot when I first started but I’m fine with it now, it was just one mistake. This waitress and the chef speak the same language (from the same country) and they talk loudly about me in this language and laugh. I hear my name and they’ll look over at me and it makes me feel ill. There’s a manager who thinks I’m thick and today tried to explain to me what a mop was. I wanted to hit her, she does this every day and it makes me hate myself. I had to leave mid shift last week because of chronic pain and when I came in the next day she said “You looked awful!”. I mentioned it was a chronic condition I have and she pulled a face and made a point of backing away from me.

It’s not just this job though, any other job has been the same. School was the same.
People laughed whenever I got asked a question by the teacher. I hate myself. I’m not thick though, I’m extremely clever in some ways. My general knowledge is out of this world. I’m really up to date with general affairs. I’m a brilliant writer and have won several competitions, I have a great eye for photography and a really successful Instagram account. But I can’t do anything fucking right and I try so, so hard. I also recently found out I have endometriosis and I’m heartbroken and me and my partner want to TTC soon. But I feel it’s typical, I can’t do anything else right and I’m not capable of anything else so why would I be able to have a baby? Tonight I want to die.

OP posts:
gobbynorthernbird · 14/09/2021 01:36

Which of your previous threads was a reverse? The one where you're a 39 year old with a nine month old baby and you're TTC, or the one about your 18 year old DD?

mydshines · 14/09/2021 01:38

Please leave that job ASAP before it ruins your life . Sounds like they enjoy pushing your buttons and if you react or go too far the consequences could serious . Based on what you have posted. And knowing nothing about your financial life. I still would not even turn up for your next shift. Its just will get worse and you will not win.

Lookingoutside · 14/09/2021 01:38

‘slightlyworriedthissunday

So sorry you’re feeling this way sad

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.additudemag.com/self-test-adhd-symptoms-women-girls/amp/

Do this ^’

Definitely do this OP. Please do this ☝🏻

simitra · 14/09/2021 01:41

I have several academic distinctions but I would be useless at any hospitality jub because I dont have the right attitude to wait on people.

If you say you feel clumsy and bullied have you ever given any thought to a role where you are mainly working at home or starting your own business? You would then be free to work at your own pace. Probably then you would make less mistakes which people castigate you for. When you are your own boss you certainly learn from your errors!

Back in the 1960s I began collecting antiques and I now deal them for a living! You say you are good at and enjoy photography. You also say you are good at writing. You could maybe look at an interest or hobby which you can gradually develop into a living. Possibly something in the world of publishing such as copy editng or indexing. This kind of work is almost always done remotely now.

Ribblechips · 14/09/2021 01:44

Oh you poor thing. You are being bullied at work op. I'm afraid it happens a lot in the hospitality industry. You are far from stupid. Do try and find another job. Something creative perhaps? Good luck to you Flowers

DoesHePlayTheFiddle · 14/09/2021 01:44

Whispers... "OP... autism with adhd."
Check it out. I'd lay odds this isn't your fault at all.

Come and join us. We're brilliant and we could cock up on a global scale. Wink

Echobelly · 14/09/2021 01:55

I agree with @Susannahmoody - from your post you are clearly articulate and not at all stupid or useless. And I'm sure you'd never treat others the way the people at work are treating you - they're the ones with reasons to feel bad about themselves and their opinions should not be worth anything to you, but I appreciate it's hard to feel that right now.

Look, it could be hospitality is just not for you and that's not a reflection on your intelligence or skill at all, or it could be this is just the wrong place - everyone is allegedly desperate for workers in your field right now and it sounds like just about anywhere would be better so it has to be worth a try, while perhaps working on getting to another field, or maybe even a different sort of role within it until you can find the right place and job.

I'm sorry you're contending with all this while dealing with endometriosis too. Does your OH know how you're feeling? Flowers

KTB19 · 14/09/2021 02:29

@Ariennnnessa

I’m 23 and work in hospitality, that isn’t an issue in itself of course. But I’m fucking terrible at it, like I’m terrible at everything. I can’t do anything right. It’s not laziness as I try my arse off and do my best to remember stuff but my brain is like a sieve. I can’t help it.

I now have a reputation at my work for being a thick, useless, gormless twat. I admit I do make mistakes but I don’t know what to do. I’m trying and I still do it, I can’t discipline myself more than I already am doing. Because I now have this reputation though, people look for problems. I get patronised by female coworkers and male (mainly the chefs) coworkers tut and shout at me. I’m a waitress and a particular chef bullies me. Sometimes I’ll leave tickets on the stack of plates when I have to tend to a customer which he hates but he’s taken to finding fault with everything I do now. I was training a 16 year old on collecting food from the pass earlier but I left him there for 30 seconds to sanitise my hands as I’d just taken dirty cutlery from a table and when I got back he yelled my name and screamed in my face for apparently being lazy and expecting the teenager to run all of his food alone. The chefs tut to each other when I walk past and give me nasty looks, my mere presence irritates them. The one that bullies me gives me a lift home if we finish at the same time because we live near each other (he offered when I first started) and tonight he left without me, I hadn’t accommodated for catching the train because I assumed I’d go with him. I was stranded outside in the restaurant in the dark, everybody pissed off home and I had to ring my partner to pick me up because I don’t drive (the restaurant is in a village on the far outskirts of Birmingham and I live in the city centre).

I made a singular mistake today on the handheld (forgot to log off the table which meant the other waitress couldn’t access it on the system, it is a problem that takes 10 seconds to fix). She approached me and said “Once again you’re not logging off the table. If it happens again I’m going to take your handheld off you.” I used to do this a lot when I first started but I’m fine with it now, it was just one mistake. This waitress and the chef speak the same language (from the same country) and they talk loudly about me in this language and laugh. I hear my name and they’ll look over at me and it makes me feel ill. There’s a manager who thinks I’m thick and today tried to explain to me what a mop was. I wanted to hit her, she does this every day and it makes me hate myself. I had to leave mid shift last week because of chronic pain and when I came in the next day she said “You looked awful!”. I mentioned it was a chronic condition I have and she pulled a face and made a point of backing away from me.

It’s not just this job though, any other job has been the same. School was the same.
People laughed whenever I got asked a question by the teacher. I hate myself. I’m not thick though, I’m extremely clever in some ways. My general knowledge is out of this world. I’m really up to date with general affairs. I’m a brilliant writer and have won several competitions, I have a great eye for photography and a really successful Instagram account. But I can’t do anything fucking right and I try so, so hard. I also recently found out I have endometriosis and I’m heartbroken and me and my partner want to TTC soon. But I feel it’s typical, I can’t do anything else right and I’m not capable of anything else so why would I be able to have a baby? Tonight I want to die.

Oh boy did this strike a note with me, I felt so sorry for you when I read this xx

I have sent you a private message x

groovergirl · 14/09/2021 02:33

OP, there are so many different jobs in the world to suit many different types of people. Your task now is to find just one of those suitable jobs.

Your workplace sounds ghastly. Yes, you might not be suited to it, but also, your colleagues are just so awful. Bin them off and look for something new.

Some PPs have suggested you might have ADHD. I have ADHD (a mild form) and have had a long and enjoyable career as a journalist and copywriter. If writing is what you're good at, you can do it, too. What about training professionally as a photographer? There's a solid demand, and if you can do good social media that's a solid skill to offer to clients or employers.

Do you mind my asking why you are TTC at 23? It seems very young, especially when you have a career to establish.

LaurenKelsey · 14/09/2021 02:39

I think you need to find a different job. It sounds like you won’t be able to turn things around at this workplace.

Is it possible you have undiagnosed ADD? I have ADD, and my children have also been diagnosed. I’m intelligent but some things are difficult for me to learn/focus on. It can really mess with your self-esteem. You might want to speak to your doctor about this if you feel it could be an issue for you.

LaurenKelsey · 14/09/2021 02:42

I see now that others have made the same suggestion (about possible ADD).

mummaelle · 14/09/2021 02:56

@slightlyworriedthissunday why would you send her a link to an ADHD quiz? A bit odd. She didn't ask about it..

Coyoacan · 14/09/2021 02:59

You remind me of myself. I'm really good at maths but always added the bills up wrongly when I was a waitress. Since then I've been a successful teacher and translator.

Foxhasbigsocks · 14/09/2021 03:02

Op I’m sending you a huge bunch of Flowers a Brew and a piece of Cake

The people at this job sound horrible. I haven't met you but I bet you are lovely and have plenty of talent.

Op you sound very like me. I worked one night in a bar and was essentially let go for being terrible. I have a different job these days which I love.

I’m not a health care professional but 20 years on i’ve realised (as I have a neurodiverse child) that I likely have adult ADHD and also dyspraxia traits. Organisation and physical tasks are hard for me. Like others I wonder if there is something of this involved in your situation.

I stuck out at school where idiots thought I was weird but have found my tribe nowadays - people who like and care about me. I’m sure this will happen for you too.

Op please do speak to your gp and seek support. Do keep posting - lots of us on here have experienced feeling like we’re in the wrong roles at work Flowers

MilesOfSand · 14/09/2021 03:03

[quote mummaelle]@slightlyworriedthissunday why would you send her a link to an ADHD quiz? A bit odd. She didn't ask about it..[/quote]
Because a lot of women are undiagnosed, due to the inattentive form symptoms not aligning with the typical male traits - and her challenges (and strengths in fact) sound similar to those experienced. Not weird. Also not a negative thing to suggest.

Foxhasbigsocks · 14/09/2021 03:03

@mummaelle it took me years to realise I likely have adult adhd (I have a child with adhd). I think sending a quiz can only be useful here. You will see quite a few of us have had the same thought reading the op and recognising traits we share

Dizzylizzy40 · 14/09/2021 03:08

Leave the job.. life is too short. I spent years feeling trapped in jobs i hated, when i realised i could just leave, life felt instantly better

Pixxie7 · 14/09/2021 03:15

It sounds as if you have anxiety issues compounded by what sound like a group of bullies who should be supporting you. Take some time out get help from your GP.
I am sure you are fine at your job but suffer from low self esteem. Find a job where you will be appreciated I would probably be far worse than you are. Take care of yourself.

me4real · 14/09/2021 03:27

I'm a biit like that and I have some ADHD, @Ariennnnessa .

It's worth considering it that way, as I find it can help you accept yourself. I don't think I have full ADHD/ASD (though I have a diagnosis of it) but even having traits of it can make things a lot more difficult.

Think of it as you don't start out on a level playing field to everyone else and you can only try your best.

I focus on self care and if someone/something makes me feel bad, I have as little to do with them as possible.

Please see your GP about how you're feeling and perhaps to ask for an assessment. Please try medication for your mood if they suggest it, and keep going back until they find things that work for you.

I think you maybe need a break from work to focuus on your health.

Definitely change jobs, they sound dreadful.

Some forms of hospitality mightn't be a good fit for people like you and I, if there's a lot to remember, a lot of having to behave in the 'right' way, doing stuff quickly etc for instance.

me4real · 14/09/2021 03:30

I'm not saying you definitely have ADHD. Like a PP said, anxiety on it's own can also cause a lot of these symptoms, effect your cognition etc.

Please speak to your doctor (they can do it all over the phone perhaps, or will see you if that's what you need.) x

DoesHePlayTheFiddle · 14/09/2021 03:47

Heavens, none of us can diagnose over mumsnet, but when we see a potential sibling in pain, it's only fair to point a possible direction.

AgentJohnson · 14/09/2021 03:47

You’re in the wrong job. Being in the wrong job is a confidence sucker and you start to believe the worst about yourself. However, it’s just that your talents lie elsewhere and and you haven’t found the right home for them. You’ve got a head start because you already know where your talents and interests are.

It’s time to start investing in yourself and to stop the self flagellation that is your current job. You have skills and you are talented.

FlumpsAreShit · 14/09/2021 03:48

I’m brilliant at my professional. I manage people, a multi million pound budget and complex situations.

I would absolutely suck as a waitress. Try something else!

FlumpsAreShit · 14/09/2021 03:49

*profession (not so brilliant at getting back to sleep after dealing with a ratty toddler)

Mummadeze · 14/09/2021 03:51

I don’t have ADHD or anything similar and I was the world’s worst bar maid. I tried working in two jobs like this and hated them both. I have excelled at office work though and am now a senior manager on a good wage. You are young and have the chance to explore different jobs and find avenues that play to your strengths. If you are not really relying on your income, I would hand in your notice tomorrow. The environment sounds toxic.