[PUPSIK]

Dear All
I have been diagnosed today with Bi-polarism. I need to know your opinion about the Bi-polarism and career. I have a very brilliant career. I am in the executive team of a company.
Can I keep my position?How does it affect my career?
Thank you for your help
Cheers!

[gravyyy]

Sure you can PUPSIK!!!!!! Absolutely. There's no reason if you've been in a job that you can't stay there. Unless it's significantly stressful and causing you to cycle your moods (which stress can do) there is no reason you shouldn't be able to plug along in your job. Hopefully you'll never reach a point where you need to be in the hospital, but if you do your employer probably participates in FMLA (if you're in the US) where you can have 12 weeks of unprotected job leave. You can't be fired during that time for absence. If you're not in the US I don't know what your laws are like but hopefully they have something similar. Be honest with your docs and tell them that your career is important to you and any meds they start you on or change need to be done slowly until you see how they will affect you. Hopefully if you get you and your treatment team on the same page you'll be able to manage your illness and remain high functioning. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for a little over 2 years and for the most part I have been able to maintain 1 full time job as a nurse ad another nursing part-time job. I wish you the best in getting things under control. Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns. Take good care!

[Goldylocks]

Of course you can still do and ROCK at your job. I have been diagnosed with bipolar for a year and then some and I am still very successful at my position at work. My employer is very understanding and they have me on FMLA to cover any days I need.

[lonegael]

Hey, look at Winston Churchill. I think there are two good suggestions I would have. 1) Can you trust your suoeriors? Is there someone among them that you can tell that you have this and are being treated, that it shouldn't be a huge problem at this point?
2) do you have another colleague you can trust to let you know if you are starting to get a bit off track? I find that I can cover pretty well at work for a while, but some people are the other way around; they do better at home than at work. It's good to have someone that you have taked to before who can let you know that your behaviour is changing before things really blow up.
That's all. Good Luck!

[Amazonmom]

Sure you can keep it. I'm a Neonatal ICU nurse and I love my job. It may be seen as a high stress job, but I enjoy it. It has not been the trigger for my episodes. I find that I enjoy my job more now that I am getting treated for the bipolar.

It's up to you about who may know about the bipolar at your job. I have chosen to tell very few, and the management knows nothing about it. Basically I have decided people will know on a "need to know" basis.

Welcome to the bipolar club!

[Moreta]

Of course you can keep your job! Just don't make it your life. Doing what I do, financial analysis, is quite stressful. I REALLY enjoy when the CFO is pacing next to my desk waiting for "the number." One day he actually started humming the tune that they play for the last question in Jeopardy. What's worse is that I know when he's walking down from his office, just by listening for foot steps. (I work with a bunch of women, so his is easy to distinguish.)

Anyways, here's something I found that I thought was interesting:

"Dr. Sagar Parikh, head of the Bipolar Clinic at Toronto's Institute of Psychiatry, believes that 10% of manic-depressives are able to use their increased stamina, self-confidence, and enthusiasm to actually perform better in their jobs than normal individuals. But the majority, left untreated, more often than not lose touch with reality and engage in outlandish behavior, making outrageous investments and rash decisions, all of which can have devastating consequences for their business partners, employees, and the company."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...2/ai_n8798710/