I don't really know you SG but I would suggest doing some voluntary work to start with which can really help build up confidence and gives you social interaction without the pressure of a paid job. Hope the counselling works well for you.

good luck sundae! I'm sure you will do well with whatever you decide.

When I don't know what to do, I go to the book store. Whatever section I end up in the most tells me what I should be thinking about doing.

that's a great system!

I usually end up in the fantasy section, I guess I ought to start riding dragons and casting spells!
I'm just kidding, that isn't a bad idea. 'Cept you've got impractical me over here who doesn't know how to read anything of a serious nature.

SG- Think about counseling yourself? You've said people feel like they can confide in you, you seem sweet and good natured. Plus, you would have tons of empathy, since you've had to deal with your own issues. What makes a good counselor good? They're fucked up in the head.
On the estate agent business, definitely not. Real estate (over here atleast) is a total drama fest, dealing with the buyers/sellers, competing for the deal, trying to get the largest commission, being called at all hours "I don't like the color pink, and the roses out front of the house are pink, I want you to get the sellers to drop the price by 20K."

Thanks for all the ideas, you people think bigger than I do.
I so far have proof reader, librarian and bookseller, with estate agent maybe on the back burner, and sign language open as a possibility.

I did have Teaching Assistant on there, but again I couldn't live alone on what they pay :(

Mum's friend has put my name forward for a reading scheme at the local school. It can only help to have that on my CV. Although Mum has been her usual positive self and said that by the time my CRB (police check) comes back I'll be back in a full time job and unavailable. Don't get me wrong - me working again is a positive thing and something to aspire to. It's just Mum's insistence on only thinking inside the box that grates. She was the main reason I left school at 16 after all - believing it was better to get a headstart in the workplace, and further education was a waste of time. Ah well, I was also seduced by the idea of being a grown-up working in an office with the money to move away from home, so I'm not exactly being fair.

It's not too late for further education, or indeed higher education. You have no ties and no dependants, you'd actually be able to live in shared accomodation near to the campus (unlike me who has a one and a half hour commute both ways). With any luck this might be the last period of total freedom from responsibility (beyond that to yourself) and ties that you experience, so it's worth considering radical shifts.

Getting a degree would tie you to three (probably four if you did a four year foundation degree, or a year of access cours first) years of being on a low income and doing a part time job alongside studies. But the end result wuold probably add £15+ per annum to your earnings potential (depending on the degree you can bump that figure up accordingly).

You could open up new areas for yourself: media, arts, researcher, journo, teacher (further ed, or special needs = better pay and more flexibility), social worker (potential for high earnings if you specialise).

You could also spend a few years stretching your brain and having your own brilliance proved to yourself beyond any doubt.

Just a thought, maybe worth considering, even if only to dismiss.

I know - it just terrifies me to be this short of money for such a long time. And have to deal with being at school with such babies again. I know that's not fair, but neither am I.

I'd rather work and earn and study on the side. I'm terrified by being on benefits, or at the whim of Govt payments. What if the Tories get in at the next election? Boris shows the way the wind is blowing... My parents taught me that fear, probably because when they grew up the Welfare State was in its infancy. I have tried to overcome it, but I'll never be able to work the system as well as some. Deserving people I mean - I'm not yet that indoctrinated in the ways of the Daily Express ;) And I'll always be a worrier.

Just that one hour session last week did open my eyes as to possible futures though. How much I would love earning a living wage, at something I enjoy (maybe not every single day - I am realistic), coming home to Diz, maybe driving a car again, going to the supermarket and not having to keep a mental tally - unless it's just to keep my mind active. It would be wonderful. I see that Cherry in my future now, I really do. And I'm glad I have another 4 sessions. And support, here.

That's here, not there. Just saying.

sign language interpretor! SIGH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BGfO693pME

More my type of man (could be bigger though)

that's great! I'm going to class in an hour and I'm going to show this to them--they'll LOVE it!!!

He's a mime rather than a BSL translator though.
Just in case someone stomped on you for that :)

All the estate agents are stood in a queue squabbling with the financial advisors over who gets into Teacher training first.

Just got back from counselling. Really hard this time. Got to the root of some things. Nothing that would surprise you hear, but the first time I'd said some things face to face to a professional.

I had a hard time explaining you though ;)
Imagine it as a notice board, really.
You know, you can put things up with drawing pins?
And sometimes you get 20 replies and sometimes none?
And people there really care about me and have helped me practically, financially and emotionally?

The questions marks don't show rising inflection, just me trying to get around blank looks.

She's a great counsellor, please don't think I'm, knocking that. But she admits she barely even uses email, so having a client whose main support is a buncha ferriners on t'internet is an odd concept for her to accept.

But yes, have come some with some wound licking to do.
And writing-down-of-feelings as homework. As well as taking next steps in above-mentioned careers.