Carey, This person sounds so much like my ex-husband. Eventually we found out that he had depression, that was responsive to medication. He did go off medication after a few years and has been doing well since. Its an avenue that this person may find worthwhile looking into. It got my ex's career back on track, and he is much happier.

LW, you're drowning your brain in your job. May I suggest you take a class, any class, that you enjoy? Exercise is a great way to relax your mind and feel better. Pick a class, any class. Yoga, tai chi, heck, go bowling. Just move and allow yourself to concentrate on something other than your damned job.

When you're feeling calmer, concentrate on what life will be like if you lost your job. Think of all the bad that would follow that. Then, go back to your job but treat it like a climbing a mountain, not running up a hill. Just take a breath and complete your project in slow but steady increments. That way, you will feel better because you are making progress and chipping away at the problem, and eventually, it will be done.

You're not alone, by the way. Work sucks. However, being without a job and needing money is much worse. Calm down, relax, do something fun in your free time, and just do your work slowly but steadily. Good luck!

Like the first letter-writer said, depression. Jeepers, could it have been any easier?

You hate telling people you are the Marketing Manager for Dipstick Doorstops, Severely Ltd. When people ask you, "What do you do?" you want to say. "I play drums for the Rolling Stones." Or, you want to say, "I am Barack Obama's make-up man."

Do you have college tuitions to pay? If not, just quit. Move to a flophouse. Sell your car, and apply for some humble job. When those people ask, "What do you do?" make something up. e.g. "I am the Prince of Bessarabia."

If you have college tuitions to pay, kids to take care of, you are cooked. But your kids will be surprisingly resilient. They will get through. They will laugh at you for the rest of their lives (you deserve their laughter), but they will be okay. Do not kill yourself, even for the insurance. Your kids will be okay, and you are not worth killing yourself over.

As the first and I think 4th letters stated, sounds a lot like depression - avoidance is a major factor, also factor in ADD to some extent.

Perhaps a 3-day trip away jump start could get this person going again and some momentum, but likely would fall back into avoidance habits as underlying problem will still exist, see a doctor, take action, the site's response is a bit hokey to say the least.

I second what the first responder, Francesca said. I had the same problem--for several years in fact. I lost a job. I had trouble in grad school because I couldn't start projects or finish them. I finally talked to my therapist about this and she said it could be low-level depression. She was right. I went on medication (first Prozac, now I just take St. John's Wort) and it was like the fog had lifted.

All of a sudden I could do mundane tasks that I used to stress over. I actually had motivation. I could make phone calls I was dreading. I lost the crushing sense of defeat because I could actually sit down and get work done.

Depression does not always manifest itself with the textbook symptoms we all know, especially in its milder forms. I did not think I was unhappy; I just thought I was a loser and a terrible procrastinator. If this is indeed what you are suffering from, I recommend you get help immediately. You don't have to feel this way and you are at risk for feeling much, much worse if you actually do lose your job.

Go talk to his doctor; if meds freak you out, try St. John's Wort.

Or is this just a job you've slogged through every day for years? Maybe it's time to consider a different, and more fulfilling, path. Can you possibly quit your job and take one that may pay you less but inspire you more? What are you passionate about? What are your dreams? You are still young; don't let corporate mediocrity steal your imagination. There are a lot of ways to collect a paycheck. Try to take some time for yourself and re-discover who you are and what you love. Life is too short to worry about marketing campaigns. The world doesn't need more advertising; it needs more people with the courage and faith to follow their heart.

Been there, done that. Lost jobs because I just couldn't bring myself to perform the simplest tasks. It's a bit of a catch 22 though because soul destroying jobs can make you depressed.

LW, there isn't a magic bullet that cures this. You have to climb out one small step at a time. Investigate St John's wort, yoga, exercise, diet, journalling every night, doing one small thing a day for yourself that is pleasurable, accomplishing one small task at work that you may not have before and gradually you'll get a handle on things. Once you feel stronger see if you want to change jobs. Good luck!

I can't comment on Cary's time management guide recommendation, don't know that book. Usually time management is not the problem though. You know exactly what you would have to do. You just can't get started.

My recommendation would be Neil Fiore: The NOW habit, because it explicitely refers to the procrastination habit.

I think the letter writer is aware that s/he is depressed. That doesn't mean that Cary's advice wasn't just the ticket. I'm familiar w/that approach to depression w/ADD.

Perhaps Cary sensed that the 'you're depressed' answer was not what the LW was asking for. I think that fact was a given.

It's a kind of 'behavioral therapy', I think, and I'm sure that many people come up w/it all by their depressed non-productive selves. The availability of a supportive friend is always part of the answer, to anything.