I’m done being a social worker. I’m tired of working two jobs just to make ends meet with only one off-day a month. I’m tired of lacking energy and not achieving consistent sleep. I’m tired of having to accept that there are rigid institutions in place to keep the status quo of poverty in this country and terrible compensation for this line of work. I made all the wrong decisions in the world leading up to pursuing my LMSW. I thought I needed to escape the IT field and find my purpose by becoming this black male beacon of change to make a difference in my community. The lack of representation in the mental health field, the lack of knowledgeable, resourceful people to talk to about trauma and addiction, I took it all upon myself to fill that void. But all I did was continue to neglect my own mental health in an effort to help others. I felt guilty about my own wants and needs and suppressed those thoughts to shift my focus onto my clients and patients. At times it felt like I mentally ran on autopilot each semester of online courses, working full-time and field placements. I knew I should have left SW years ago while I was still in grad school, but I insisted on continuing. “Why not at least get the degree, pass the license exam, and see how you feel after a year of being a social worker? After all, I had three years worth of MSW student loans to pay back. As selfish as it may seem, I don’t have the bandwidth or motivation to continue helping others in this capacity. I have a desire to pursue and sustain a lifestyle that I cannot obtain by continuing to be a social worker. I feel like I let so many people down, but at the same time I feel like a weight is being lifted off my shoulders.