Shift Work

I'm just fresh out of 7 weeks of Day Hospital, an outpatient program for Unipolar and Bipolar people who are depressed and struggling. Well, I went in thinking I was unipolar, found out I have BP II, and now have "Graduated". So now it's time to find a job.
There's a good job in my home town (I'd have to move), but it's shift work. It's somewhere that I worked 14 years ago, so the work would be easy, and I wouldn't have to learn much. But it's 12 hour shifts, either 6am to 6pm OR 6pm to 6am.
Is shift work a no-no for people with BP II?
When I worked there before, I worked straight nights, and I was able to cope. It was a stressful time in my life, but it wasn't the work that was causing the stress. There was a whole lot of other stuff going on in my life that was stressful and work was possibly the only stable thing I had going then.

sounds like the best option for you at moment, structure in your life and a purpose, money you can spend, give it try see how you go, i dont know what the alternative is. goodluck whatever you choose to do.

Wow, Phoenix, as soon as I saw your title, I knew I'd have something to say ....

Proceed with caution. Exceptional caution. This is advice coming from someone who's not an overly-cautious or regimented person in terms of my BP. But this is one thing I know for sure. Those kinds of overnight shifts mess with my head big time. BIG TIME.

I'm currently working overnight (usually twice a week). I'd worked one about.. a year ago, but that one was a normal stretch of shift time. It still messed badly with me and I had to go to days. (I'm only working the overnight now because it's all there is.) Anyhow, I've got BPII. Solidly II. But when I'm working overnights, I hallucinate sound, visual and motion. Which I normally don't. In addition to being exceptionally spaced out and vaguely light-headed and nauseated the rest of the time. I can be perfectly wide-awake all night. Perhaps a bit too much, because by the time I get home, I'm downright wired. And quite unpleasant. Overall though, I'm more prone to depression, when I even know what's going on. And... how to describe? Fragile? Unstable? Like at any given moment, I might lose it altogether.

My life is quite stressful outside of work , but, like your situation, the work itself is simple (at least on this jobsite). The simplicity of the work doesn't seem to help at all... it's the timing/hours that make a mess of me.

Which is not to say that you shouldn't do it. People are different after all. The thing that makes me nervous for you is that it involves a move. It's the kind of thing it really would be best to be able to "try out". It's quite widely held to be a BP no-no (my psych in full agreement, with the notes to back it up, lol).

Can you opt for the 6a-6p shift? If you can then that might work.

I don't think they would let me choose which shift I work. I do think I'm going to drop the whole idea of this job. My best friend told me about it Sunday because she wants me to move home. But I don't think shift work at my age (57) is a good idea. When I was in day hospital they kept stressing how important sleep is and they stressed going to bed at the same time every day. I think I'll follow their advice because I want to stay well. I'll hang out here and look for a day job - I'm sure one will come along.

Thanks everybody for your input.

Phoenix,

I am also sure one will come around for you! I think that's a sound choice. Regular sleep pattern and being stable with bipolar go hand in hand, Haha I cannot stress it enough either.

I'll send out some positive "good day job" vibes to you.

Sounds like a good plan, Phoenix! Plus, you wouldn't have to move, which, let's face it, is rather a pain(!) (Says one who's done it some ridiculous number of times (20+))

Staying well is such a good thing, might as well make it a priority! Wishing you well in finding something local with good hours for you.

Thank you Innerzone and Anika for the good thoughts.

I've moved a ridiculous amount of times too, can't even count anymore. I hate moving.
And if I move I have to find a new pdoc and a new tdoc and I like the ones I have.

I think I'll stay where I am and look for a job here. A job came open yesterday at another place I used to work, here. I don't know if they'll hire me back - I was working a term position and my last day I freaked out on them. But most of the staff has changed since them, including the manager. I phoned the union president yesterday and she said I should apply. It's Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. I can only try - I always say if you don't ask you don't get.

Cool, Phoenix! Yeah, go for it!

(Hehe, I was thinking of your thread and had to laugh yesterday. See, at the graveyard shift location, the work went on hold. So I've been put on a swing shift at another location. Curious to see how that goes(!) I don't think it will be so bad not only because of the hours being at least better, but this drive is only 1/2 hour, as opposed to the 1 1/2 hour drive to the graveyard one -- yeah that didn't help either(!) It will be interesting to compare for sure. Still, day would be better. Did still come home a bit wound up last night...)

Good luck on the job!