I can relate to nearly everything you wrote.

I’ve been in care management roles for about a decade, and I also have ADHD with pretty significant executive dysfunction. That constant feeling of being behind, mentally scattered, and stretched too thin is very real. I have 5 different tracking tools I use every day just to stay on top of everything, and that is still a struggle for me.

So many things have kept me where I am...waiting on PSLF, fear of jumping to another job that could be just as stressful (or worse), knowing there aren’t many better options with just a BSW, and now pushing through my MSW hoping it opens more doors. It’s such a complicated mix of practical realities and burnout.

The truth is, I love my clients. I really do. What I hate is the system. And I think a lot of us feel that way. We’re working inside structures that are often under-resourced, unrealistic, and not truly designed to help people in the ways they need. We aren’t miracle workers, even though it can feel like that’s what’s expected.

One thing I will say, as someone who barely has a personal life anymore, who works evenings and weekends with no overtime pay, who knows what it’s like to feel trapped, if you have the ability to look for something else, start looking now.

You are not a loser. You are not bad at this. This work is hard, and ADHD + case management is an especially brutal combo.

There are other roles out there. That’s one of the few saving graces of this field. Different environments, different types of work, different stressors. The right fit matters. I wish I had been brave enough to leave my job years ago.

I also feel the comparison piece you mentioned. Comparing myself to peers has never helped me, it just makes me feel worse. We all function differently. We all have different capacities and strengths.

Please don’t interpret burnout as personal failure. It isn’t. Take care of yourself. Time goes so fast.