Trigyn

I've interviewed a fair number of people for professional jobs. Any hint of deception or evasion sets off alarm bells. The OB would have served herself better by preparing for a question about that obvious gap in her resume. The interviewer would have appreciated her honesty. Keep in mind that an employer simply wants a competent person who can do the job adequately and someone who will fit in and not cause any problems within the organization. You need to convince the employer on both counts.

There must be a good Dilbert or two about this ...

Valid bitch. Most dog owners are responsible but there are enough irresponsible ones to pose a problem. Dogs are not people... but some people behave like dogs.

Things like trigger words and safe spaces are part of a collection of artificial constructs that I would classify as "well intentioned but misguided". Ultimately, they probably do more harm than good. A large part of being mentally healthy is to learn strategies for coping with the many challenges and difficulties of life. Things like trigger word warnings don't protect people. They merely delay the process of learning to cope with the world and with working through whatever troubles them. It is a well documented phenomena that an increasing number of young people are showing up at university with very poor coping skills due to having been excessively coddled and "protected" by their parents. There was a good article about this in The Atlantic. "In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health." http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archiv…

OB,
There is lots of help available. You just have to ask for it.
Go see your doctor. Your depression could be related to a physical problem. At least rule it out.
Start reading up on the causes and treatment of depression. This article looks interesting. He recommends meds to get through really bad patches but the long term fix is to figure out what is causing your depression and work on solving that. http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/0…

Above all, make a plan to improve your life. Write down the steps you will take. Try not to feel helpless.

Good luck!

The whole concept of online dating makes me sad.

Keep in mind that a large chunk of the workforce in Fort Mac is from the maritimes. Many of them commute back and forth when the plants are at full tilt. At one point I think I read that an estimated $2 million dollars per week was coming back to Nova Scotia from "migrant" workers sending money home to their families. I also know of people who went out there for a few years, lived in a camp, and saved every penny so they could come back here and start their own businesses. And if you think about the transfer payments to Nova Scotia that Alberta helped fund (at least in the years of high oil prices), you realize that Fort Mac has benefitted us all financially.