[bizi]

Hi there,
Just wondered if you are employed and how do you stay sane and make it to work everyday?
bizi
a self employed foot care nurse working roughly 10am to 5pm Monday thru friday but sometimes work the weekend as well.... like this weekend around my vacation time twice a year.

[MusicLover82]

Self-employed. I work about 30 hours a week, at the most. Sometimes less.

My job can be quite stressful from time to time (I'm a private music teacher working hard to keep students and parents happy), but I think I've got it pretty good overall, though. My worst symptom is anxiety, so I keep Xanax on hand for when I really need it. On depressive days, I usually drink a lot of extra caffeine to take the edge off the depression. There are many days I have to suck it up and make myself work even if I feel like leaving (usually due to anxiety). Usually I start feeling better after working a while because it gets my mind off my symptoms. Thankfully, I really love my job and I do what I'm passionate about.

I worked for 20 years, somehow keeping my job, even through episodes. It was tough, but somehow I did it. I would use all my vacation days to recover from either illness, depression or usually both. I came home after work and crashed when depressed or cleaned if manic. I would call in sick when needed and try not to beat myself up over it. If I would not have gotten increasingly physically ill, I would still be working. I've been unable to work for physical reasons for several years. My BP has gotten much worse but I've had a ton of other factors too. I do believe that working in the RIGHT PLACE can be very stabilizing. Especially if you work with supportive people.

[TishaBuv]

I never had a problem working before in my life. But now, my issues are making trying to be presentable a challenge. Fortunately, my job is self directed. I'm really only barely working right now. So, I'm employed but not really working.

[Blaire]

I've worked full time as a paralegal for the past 13 years. The only major time off I took for mental health issues was 3 months last year. Sometimes it's very hard to manage bipolar working parent life, but somehow I pull it off 98% of the time.

[Raindropvampire]

been here 15 years as of August. I work third shift and it's no pressure but I really don't know how I do it. All I know is it takes all I have to work 40 hours and then there's nothing left for me.

[avlady]

Music Lover i used to teach piano to beginners, and it was my passion too. you are lucky to do it and i would keep doing it but physical problems get in the way.

[JustJace2u]

I work 50+ hours a week and go to school 2 nights a week. I'm not sure how I do it, but somehow I manage. Granted, I was only diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. Ask me again when the fall semester starts

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by bizi

Hi there,
Just wondered if you are employed and how do you stay sane and make it to work everyday?

I'm on disability; I have been for the last six years or so. My bipolar got to the point where I couldn't make it to work on a daily basis and I burned up 12 weeks of FMLA in a little less than a year. It was bad.

Now, I've been cleared to work part time, but haven't found an employer willing to chance me yet.

[Sula B]

Have worked FT all my life since finishing Uni after school. Have had alot of bad luck at various workplaces whilst having had some great times in between, due to standing up to serious psychopaths like the very professional specialist Dr one who screamed at me many times and also regularly threw things (once a briefcase and once a very expensive Mont Blanc pen); I stayed in that job for 7 years. Then there was the Voluntary President of the Board (1 years service)who ransacked my office (8 years service) and I walked in and said "what the hell???" and they were there waiting for me with their feet up on my desk and said " this is MY territory, NOT yours. I just needed you to know that." That was just the tart of their campaign so I found another job.Then there was my latest but current job which I would classify as the best work experience I have ever had - great boss, great team and fulfilling work for 7 years until a change of management because the CEO passed away, resulting in the recruitment of yet another psychopath who screamed and abused people to the extent that we were expecting her head to start spinning around and green vomit to spew from her mouth. 6 months later she left (leaving my whole team distraught and broken) only to be replaced with another psychopath but this one a wolf in sheeps' clothing who managed to charmingly and discreetly bully and abuse every decent and skilled person out of that workplace, including my entire team, within 9 months. At least a dozen workers out of 20. Despite all of this, I found yet another FT job and left very sadly, and still working FT. I look back and have no idea how I did any of this other than out of necessity or just switching off when things were bad.

Just completed my 30th year of teaching. Same school district the whole time.

Software engineer here; full-time
I just completed my master's
Been working since July 2015... so about 1 year
Work is hard because of bipolar+ADHD, but there is lots of flexibility
I'm actually on my 2nd job since graduating... (I left 1st job b/c of stress.) I have a bad track record

[Ripose]

No I'm not working, my meds seem to have rendered my long term memory useless. For example, I used to know Joomla inside out and could quickly develop a website but now I have had to relearn Joomla 3 times and I still can't retain. I have the same problem with evrything I try.
I truly hate myself for being so useless that all I can do is make short posts on PB and nothing else.
But I am still determined to try relearning Joomla one more time.

[bizi]

Originally Posted by Sula B

Have worked FT all my life since finishing Uni after school. Have had alot of bad luck at various workplaces whilst having had some great times in between, due to standing up to serious psychopaths like the very professional specialist Dr one who screamed at me many times and also regularly threw things (once a briefcase and once a very expensive Mont Blanc pen); I stayed in that job for 7 years. Then there was the Voluntary President of the Board (1 years service)who ransacked my office (8 years service) and I walked in and said "what the hell???" and they were there waiting for me with their feet up on my desk and said " this is MY territory, NOT yours. I just needed you to know that." That was just the tart of their campaign so I found another job.Then there was my latest but current job which I would classify as the best work experience I have ever had - great boss, great team and fulfilling work for 7 years until a change of management because the CEO passed away, resulting in the recruitment of yet another psychopath who screamed and abused people to the extent that we were expecting her head to start spinning around and green vomit to spew from her mouth. 6 months later she left (leaving my whole team distraught and broken) only to be replaced with another psychopath but this one a wolf in sheeps' clothing who managed to charmingly and discreetly bully and abuse every decent and skilled person out of that workplace, including my entire team, within 9 months. At least a dozen workers out of 20. Despite all of this, I found yet another FT job and left very sadly, and still working FT. I look back and have no idea how I did any of this other than out of necessity or just switching off when things were bad.

I don't know how you survived all of that!!!!!
(((((HUGS))))))
bizi

[bizi]

Originally Posted by Ripose

No I'm not working, my meds seem to have rendered my long term memory useless. For example, I used to know Joomla inside out and could quickly develop a website but now I have had to relearn Joomla 3 times and I still can't retain. I have the same problem with evrything I try.
I truly hate myself for being so useless that all I can do is make short posts on PB and nothing else.
But I am still determined to try relearning Joomla one more time.

I am sorry ripose.
I assume this is a computer language?
This is very difficult work.
good for you for keep trying.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

[bizi]

I am very fortunate to own my small foot care business. Being self employed is wonderful. My job is full of low stress tasks. I do pedicures for the elderly, in their own homes. Have been doing this for 16 years. Love my job but hate the paperwork.
I always procrastinate and get behind in billing, charting etc. It is not hard but it is only me, so have to do it in order to get paid!
Having authority issues, I can't imagine ever working for a boss again.
bizi

[pirilin]

Oh, I'm working. Never stopped. Even after retirement. Only I'm not gainfully employed.

[st0psign]

26, student, unemployed.

[hopeless2015]

I'm employed 21 years just diagnosed last year. I have fmla for my time off. Right now I'm doing pretty good, three weeks ago, not so much. I've been bouncing back and forth, thank goodness for the fmla otherwise I'd probably be in trouble

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[gina_re]

I've been working full time since I was 20. A good cocktail really is what keeps me employed at one job for more than six months or a year.

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[scatterbrained04]

I work in podiatry as a practice manager. I have found that keeping hold of the big picture really helps me keep showing up to work. For me, that's being there to provide excellent healthcare and to also grow the practice. Having a purpose.

I know just how fast billing and paperwork piles up, and just how overwhelming it can be when you get behind. I've found that setting aside a set time every day to work on it really helps. Make it part of the daily routine. Our NPs do a really great job at this too. They may treat patients from 9-3, then sit down and chart and bill all the patients they just saw from say 4-6.

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[BipolarMama31]

I worked at the same company for the past 6 years and during that time i took fmla/short term disability for probably about 2.5 years added up.
Despite that ive been promoted multiple times and got my associates degree.
But now, during my worst episode ever my drs and i decided to apply for disability.
So now my job is to focus on me and my health.

The stress from my job was awful for even the healthiest person. It was sales with high quotas and 60+ hours a week plus out of state travel. And i have a family that was seriously neglected because all of my time home i would spend in bed depressed.

Maybe in the future ill work again. Im still so young, in my mid 20s so im hoping a few years of actually taking my meds and im doing dbt intensive outpatient so ill be able to work again down the road. A long ways down the road tho.

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[OctobersBlackRose]

No, but it's mostly due to my vision impairment, and not so much my mental illnesses...

[Amy Today]

This time last year I was working a 60k job as an e-learning specialist. Ended up in a partial hospitalization program due to stress and being bipolar. I took 6 months off, and now I've been working at what is supposed to be a part-time, stress-free, low paying job and I am just dying inside. It's just as stressful for me to go to this "easy" job as it was to go to the more challenging one. I don't feel like I can go another day due to the stress and anxiety.

I want to go on disability so badly, as I also have a back pain issue, but I can't afford to quit working long enough to get qualified for benefits. I'm struggling here.

[beigeish]

I work 60hrs+/wk in a high pressure sales company. I only got my diagnosis a couple weeks ago though, and it's really bringing to light why things have been such a struggle for me. I end up taking a lot of time off or working away from the office because just being around other people's voices (laughing, in particular) gives me really bad anxiety.

My psychiatrist recommended time off and an outpatient program, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how I would swing it financially. Any advice from those who've done it?