The Episodic Challenges of Living with HIV & Depression

1. The Episodic Challenges of Living with HIV & Depression By Raymond B

2. Overview • My Episodic Disability • My Challenges • Employment & Income Support Barriers • Some Possible Solutions

3. My Episodic Disability • 1987, 32, working as a Chef in a fine French cuisine restaurant, great shape… then - diagnosed with AIDS! • In less than three weeks I had to quit my job due to Interferon treatment and its very dibilitating side effects. • One year later I was on Welfare and Régie des Rentes du Québec Disability Plan (RRQ). I have never had paid “work” since. • HIV is an episodic disability, chronic, lasts a lifetime

4. My Challenges • Unpredictability and variability of HIV itself as well as the side effects of the medication • Employment challenges – including inability to work regular 40 hour week on ongoing basis • Income-related challenges – including lack of financial support when unable to work at all or only able to work part-time • Affordable housing

5. part-time university for 4 years with Loan and Bursary program for disabled students • one year full-time placement, experienced a burn-out and I did not complete my degree. • volunteer since, now and then in different ASOs, whenever my health and level of energy were good enough to do so. • affordable city housing took close to 8 years

6. Why paid work doesn’t work for me Risk losing every little tiny bit of security and stability I managed to get to cope with my life, even though it may not seem much to lose. If I worked and lost my job because of my health condition, I would lose the money anyway and worse, I would have to pay more for my affordable housing rent the following year!

7. a skilled and dedicated volunteer in my community, I contribute to society and meet people. • never been afraid to work hard when I had to.

8. But, the unpredictable nature of my illness would not allow for a steady, reliable flow of income unless I completely disengage from the ‘paid workforce’. • The stability of the social support and benefits, although small, allows me to ‘work’ to my potential in a volunteer capacity without risking losing those needed benefits.

9. What would I like to see happen? Being able to engage in paid work, work to my potential, and retain the security and benefits I presently have whether or not in the paid work force.

10. I support your collective efforts to work today toward those goals. Thank you!