[livelaughlove17]

I was diagnosed with bipolar II (also a rapid-cycler) five years ago and have had long periods of stability, however, recently I have been experiencing a lot of cycling back and forth. One of my main triggers is the workplace. I find myself getting irritated within seconds or bursting into tears and then unable to bring myself back down to "normal". I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue or if anyone has any tips for bringing yourself down to a normal mood level in order to get things done? I can't keep going home each time my mood takes a turn.

[estimated prophet]

the workplace absolutely makes me want to lose my mind 3 out of 5 days. I'm bipolar 1 and i usually need 3 doses of xanax throughout the day to keep my mood half decent. I have found that learning to breathe/meditate helps. Also just leaving for a walk around the building or outside if possible.

[Phoenix_1]

If anyone has any tips for surviving in the workplace, I would sure appreciate hearing them. In the past 5 years I've had 12 jobs. I'm an accounting clerk. When I get a new job, everything's great, I'm happy, hypomanic, functioning above expected performance, the boss loves me. Then after a while, things happen, stressful stuff. Maybe the boss is a micromanager. Maybe the workload gets too heavy. I get stressed out and irritable. Finally I just start calling in sick, and don't go to work. Deep into depression again, I either get fired, or if I have any energy left, I find a new job, and it begins all over again. Help!

[Ryask]

Geez sometimes i see posts on here that seem almost like i have written them myself. I was a chronic job for a week or two junkie. I know what it feels like to wake up with a nauseous feeling every morning until you call in for work, but after a while even that doesnt get rid of the stomach ache because your so worried about losing your job, how hard it's going to be to face themafter calling in sick for a week, finding a new job, your unpaid bills etc. However i have been at my current job for 6 years, and let me tell you it is not because it's easy or i even remotely like my job. I made goals that i am working towards i always think to myself, i could call in sick, or i could go in and save for that down payment for my first home, thats a goal of mine. I have had to take a couple monthes off as a sickness leave when i was doing very poorly but i went back. They say a change is as good as a rest so i started doing something i love just for me, I'm going to school. Work seems less unbearable knowing that someday i will have my very first house and with going to school someday i will have a job i love. So i guess my advice or at least it worked for me was setting a goal for something you really want, and telling yourself the goal requires the job, taking a break if you need it without quitting and doing something you love just for you.

[aquaman]

I've been through so many jobs in the last decade that I lost count. I wasn't even diagnosed as being bipolar until 2009, but had the symptoms long before then.

I usually ended up taking a lot of klonopin b/c is calmed my anxiety and prevented panic attacks (that's on top of everything else I have going on). The only downside to the klonopin is that it usually brings out my manic side a little. This resulted in a lot of little "talks" with my boss/managers about my behavior.

It's definitely hard to be bipolar and work a job. The best thing, I think, is to have the right combo of meds to keep you as even as possible.

[aquaman]

Originally Posted by Phoenix_1

If anyone has any tips for surviving in the workplace, I would sure appreciate hearing them. In the past 5 years I've had 12 jobs. I'm an accounting clerk. When I get a new job, everything's great, I'm happy, hypomanic, functioning above expected performance, the boss loves me. Then after a while, things happen, stressful stuff. Maybe the boss is a micromanager. Maybe the workload gets too heavy. I get stressed out and irritable. Finally I just start calling in sick, and don't go to work. Deep into depression again, I either get fired, or if I have any energy left, I find a new job, and it begins all over again. Help!

That pattern is all too familiar to me. I'd call in sick b/c I just couldn't bring myself to face the day. Depression tends to make things a lot worse.

[Butterflies Are Free]

I can really relate to your post. I did fairly well for a number of years but have been struggling with anxiety and fatigue the past three or four and have had to leave work to go home. I actually needed to take a short medical leave of absence to get some of my medication straightened out. I have someone at work that I can talk to when I feel stressed, can close my door and put on relaxing music so I can try to meditate, and will also take a walk outside if I need to. It isn't easy. I also try to remember that my health is more important than any quibbling that might go on at work.
Great post - good luck!

[sugahorse1]

I try listen to relaxing music. Or I have a friend I can vent to.
I have also tried to focus on the simple things, like breathing. Just to calm down and tune into the moment. I need to be honest about the luxuries I can afford due to my job.
I do have to cut down on social situations and get to bed earlier, to have the energy I need to get through work.
I also am on PC a lot to get me through the day.
It isn't easy; it's something I'm currently really battling with

I have also had long periods of stability followed by periods of, well, instability caused by a bad boss, or a break up or me being bipolar.
I've found that if I like my work and am being successful, it helps. If I keep my workload manageable, that also helps. when I take on too much and try to be all things to all people, that's when I start to fall apart, and i need to set the precedent from the beginning, which is difficult, because I want to be the best all the time, and i try to do that by working crazy hours. I've learned that I can be the best in 40-45 hours a week too.
i also try to keep a schedule - get up at the same time, go to bed at the same time, exercise, do things with my friends, don't isolate.
I don't share my bipolar-ness with anybody at work. I feel it's nobody's business, unless it's absolutely neccessary (like telling my boss when I suddenly went into the hospital - but I had a great relationship with him)
I really work hard to stay well, and when I'm feeling not-so-well, work even harder. Like some of the others said, I go to the ladies room or outside if I'm going to cry...take a walk if i'm overwhelmed...go outside and call a friend if i need to vent. i have a really strong support system that i can really count on to get me through the tough times.
Like Sugahorse said, I like having nice things too, and making money allows me to have them. i've been working from home part time for 4 months now because I got totally stressed out at my last job. So now I'm more relaxed, but totally broke, so it's time to go back to work full time.

Hope that helps.

[xp1155]

Before I went back for my Masters degree, I had a hard time not snapping at people- including my boss! I don't do well with authority and typically don't get angry (NEVER have I been violent), so people would hit the floor when my mood would flare up. I didn't know how to handle it. I took walks and was in the office many times with my boss. My only saving grace was that no one else in the company could do what I did. When I left to go back to school, they were not happy.

I got an internship while completing my Masters degree and it was a perfect fit for me (I am also a rapid-cycler). It was working in housing for the mentally ill and homeless. I didn't ever tell them my problem, but they let me come in whenever I want and leave whenever I want as long as I put in approximately 20-24 hours. Working for a place that helps people with mental illness makes everyone so understanding and tolerant, even if I don't want to "come out" (I am pretty sure everyone in the office has it figured out). Having tasks that occasionally get me away from the office, taking a walk around the office, and having a "safe space" in a cubicle where I can vent to a co-worker has been amazing. My office also lets us use Pandora (internet radio), so I listen to music almost the whole time I am there! Plus, when I am tasked with something I am passionate about or enjoy, I get the work done right away.

My advice:
-listen to music, if you can (iPod, Pandora, free streaming for local stations)
-take frequent breaks and walk around outside (doctors recommend this if you work at the computer a lot, but it is also good for mental health)
-ask for tasks that inspire you (a lot of bosses will see this as you taking initiative)
-try to find a co-worker to have "venting" sessions (I know it can be hard to find someone you trust; but, chances are, if you are stressed or frustrated someone else in the office is too.)
-if you have the option, find a job with a little flexibility (with the economy, a lot of places have agreed to hire people at 30-32 hours and are flexible with those hours)

I hope this helps!

[sugahorse1]

Good advice XP-thanks.
Have you ever 'come out' to your employer? If yes, because you wanted to, or needed to?

I follow most of the points you have listed, except that I don't get away from my computer enough, and have very little flexibility

[Phoenix_1]

I "came out" to my employer once, and got fired over it. In 2007 I was hospitalized for a week for clinical depression, and then attended an outpatient day program of group therapy for 4 weeks. When I told my employer why I needed 6 weeks off work, they fired me immediately. I had a doctor's note, which I faxed to then. At that time I wasn't aware that I was BP II, I just told them I had depression.

When (if ever) is it safe to tell your employer?

[ladyjrnlist]

I was that way a lot at my old job. It might be stress. Now that I am away from it, I am a little bit more stable.

Originally Posted by livelaughlove17

I was diagnosed with bipolar II (also a rapid-cycler) five years ago and have had long periods of stability, however, recently I have been experiencing a lot of cycling back and forth. One of my main triggers is the workplace. I find myself getting irritated within seconds or bursting into tears and then unable to bring myself back down to "normal". I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue or if anyone has any tips for bringing yourself down to a normal mood level in order to get things done? I can't keep going home each time my mood takes a turn.

[Cole Thornton]

If you are in the US, you have specific rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). If you work for a company with 50 or more employees and you have been there for 12 moths or longer, you are entitled to unpaid leave to take care of medical conditions, including bipolar hospitalization or care.

Most employers are very good at giving employees their rights under this act, and a visit to HR will usually result in them working with you.

If anyone feels that you have been unwrongfully discharged for a medically necessary leave, you need to call the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor.

[allme]

oh wow, yes I totally relate to what you guys are saying...only, I am no longer in work. Like other have said, while hypomanic, my performance was outstanding, hitting way above targets, very productive and then BAM, I would hit a low and get far too stressed out. Alot of the time I would be crying in the toilets And then 'Hello' I was up again and out performing co-workers. Ha, I would run around the office like I owned the place, lay across colleagues desks laughing and joking and then the next day, do eveything in my power to avoid eye contact. Seriously, I am sure I was a joke in that office But hey ho.

Sorry, not much advice....just wanted to let you know I understand

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by estimated prophet

the workplace absolutely makes me want to lose my mind 3 out of 5 days. I'm bipolar 1 and i usually need 3 doses of xanax throughout the day to keep my mood half decent. I have found that learning to breathe/meditate helps. Also just leaving for a walk around the building or outside if possible.

I wish I could leave the building to walk around and get a little burst of fresh air, but my job is really funny about things like that, unfortunately. I feel like I can't win with this job-- damned if I do damned if I don't, ya know?

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

I have also had long periods of stability followed by periods of, well, instability caused by a bad boss, or a break up or me being bipolar.
I've found that if I like my work and am being successful, it helps. If I keep my workload manageable, that also helps. when I take on too much and try to be all things to all people, that's when I start to fall apart, and i need to set the precedent from the beginning, which is difficult, because I want to be the best all the time, and i try to do that by working crazy hours. I've learned that I can be the best in 40-45 hours a week too.
i also try to keep a schedule - get up at the same time, go to bed at the same time, exercise, do things with my friends, don't isolate.
I don't share my bipolar-ness with anybody at work. I feel it's nobody's business, unless it's absolutely neccessary (like telling my boss when I suddenly went into the hospital - but I had a great relationship with him)
I really work hard to stay well, and when I'm feeling not-so-well, work even harder. Like some of the others said, I go to the ladies room or outside if I'm going to cry...take a walk if i'm overwhelmed...go outside and call a friend if i need to vent. i have a really strong support system that i can really count on to get me through the tough times.
Like Sugahorse said, I like having nice things too, and making money allows me to have them. i've been working from home part time for 4 months now because I got totally stressed out at my last job. So now I'm more relaxed, but totally broke, so it's time to go back to work full time.

Hope that helps.

Thank you very much! I'll definitely try some of those tips! I work as a server so the hours vary and I never know what time I will get out or how much money I make (it's quick and good money and I need the flexible hours because I'm also a student) so I think not having a routine is causing a lot of anxiety and cycling. It's especially bad if my schedule gets changed from one week to a next for no reason, or a reason that doesn't apply to others in the same job as me. It's tough because I've been there a long time and they do work with my availability when I'm in school and I usually have no trouble getting a day off when I put in the request on time... but I need to get it together...
Sorry... I just got off on a tangent... Thanks again for the tips! Good to know I'm not the only one who struggles in the workplace due to this. :-)

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by xp1155

Before I went back for my Masters degree, I had a hard time not snapping at people- including my boss! I don't do well with authority and typically don't get angry (NEVER have I been violent), so people would hit the floor when my mood would flare up. I didn't know how to handle it. I took walks and was in the office many times with my boss. My only saving grace was that no one else in the company could do what I did. When I left to go back to school, they were not happy.

I got an internship while completing my Masters degree and it was a perfect fit for me (I am also a rapid-cycler). It was working in housing for the mentally ill and homeless. I didn't ever tell them my problem, but they let me come in whenever I want and leave whenever I want as long as I put in approximately 20-24 hours. Working for a place that helps people with mental illness makes everyone so understanding and tolerant, even if I don't want to "come out" (I am pretty sure everyone in the office has it figured out). Having tasks that occasionally get me away from the office, taking a walk around the office, and having a "safe space" in a cubicle where I can vent to a co-worker has been amazing. My office also lets us use Pandora (internet radio), so I listen to music almost the whole time I am there! Plus, when I am tasked with something I am passionate about or enjoy, I get the work done right away.

My advice:
-listen to music, if you can (iPod, Pandora, free streaming for local stations)
-take frequent breaks and walk around outside (doctors recommend this if you work at the computer a lot, but it is also good for mental health)
-ask for tasks that inspire you (a lot of bosses will see this as you taking initiative)
-try to find a co-worker to have "venting" sessions (I know it can be hard to find someone you trust; but, chances are, if you are stressed or frustrated someone else in the office is too.)
-if you have the option, find a job with a little flexibility (with the economy, a lot of places have agreed to hire people at 30-32 hours and are flexible with those hours)

I hope this helps!

Your job sounds awesome! That's something I would love to do. I'm a psychology major still working on my bachelors degree and your post gives me motivation to keep working towards my goals so I can work at a place like that someday! Thanks for the tips as well.

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by Phoenix_1

I "came out" to my employer once, and got fired over it. In 2007 I was hospitalized for a week for clinical depression, and then attended an outpatient day program of group therapy for 4 weeks. When I told my employer why I needed 6 weeks off work, they fired me immediately. I had a doctor's note, which I faxed to then. At that time I wasn't aware that I was BP II, I just told them I had depression.

When (if ever) is it safe to tell your employer?

I wonder the same thing... I came out to my employer and a lot of people at work know as well as I'm pretty open about it. In a way, I want people to understand the reasoning behind some of the things I do. I care about what others think even though I hate to admit it. I wonder sometimes if coming out about my bipolar was a good idea?!

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by Cole Thornton

If you are in the US, you have specific rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). If you work for a company with 50 or more employees and you have been there for 12 moths or longer, you are entitled to unpaid leave to take care of medical conditions, including bipolar hospitalization or care.

Most employers are very good at giving employees their rights under this act, and a visit to HR will usually result in them working with you.

If anyone feels that you have been unwrongfully discharged for a medically necessary leave, you need to call the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor.

Thanks for this information! What if it's just a day or two here and there that leave needs to be taken? Also, if someone else can replace you during this time so that the company isn't really affected by the absence... does that play a factor as well?

[xp1155]

Originally Posted by sugahorse

Good advice XP-thanks.
Have you ever 'come out' to your employer? If yes, because you wanted to, or needed to?

I "came out" to a co-worker, but not my boss about being Bipolar. I did tell my boss I have anxiety issues, however, because I needed her to understand why I was freaking out about school sometimes.

[aeylania]

What I usually do is take a bathroom break and close my eyes and picture a happy/enjoyable memory. I try focusing on every detail of the memory and really visualize myself there, reliving it. That typically calms me down to the point where I can wash my face and give myself a quick pep talk. I try to remind myself that I don't have to let my mood affect my actions- which is one of the hardest things in the world to do. I struggle with it every day- sometimes I win, sometimes the brain chemicals win.

Its nice to know that I'm not alone. I hope you find something that works for you!

[livelaughlove17]

I need some advice...
so... at my workplace we are allowed to get our shifts covered by someone else if we need a shift/day/night off. I use this to my advantage 1-2x a month, if that. Tonight I got my shift covered because I had a pdoc appt. that I knew would prevent me from making it to work on time (which I would get in trouble for) and also because I was so exhausted. My shift change was approved by one of my bosses, however, when my other boss found out, he was upset saying that this should be in my availability. I only go to see my pdoc 1-2x a month and don't want to miss out on other shifts just for these 1-2x a month appointments, if that makes any sense.
I am now worried that when the schedule comes out next week they will have cut my hours because I gave up a shift tonight. This has happened to me in the past and it causes me more anxiety, frustration, and sadness than I need. I have enough of that in my life as is. What really upsets me about all of this is that we have another employee who would give up shifts more than me for one reason or another, which upsets my boss as well, however... this person does not lose hours over it.
sorry to vent so much, but I really need some advice on this. I am going to start another thread concerning this as well. Thank you