Ah, the essential question about work… why are some days so tough and then the next day you can just get up and do what needs to be done?
It’s simply the nature of the ilness. It is the main reason so many people with bipolar disorder can’t or choose not to work at a stressful job. It’s hard for us to maintain a consistent work ability day after day. The mood swings often get in the way. The secret is to find work that allows for mood swings. I know, this is hard. It’s very hard, but it’s possible.
It also helps to be ready for the mood swings and have things in place to get your work done anyway. I also make sure I use the good days to my full advantage and work as much as I can. Deadlines help me a lot. Get it Done When You’re Depressed is especially helpful when you absolutely have to work, or take an exam, or go to an event, etc.
What works for you? Going up and down in your work ability doesn’t happen because you can’t get your act together. It happens becuase it’s part of the illness.
Julie
PS: I spoke to a wondeful audience at the Eugene Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon this weekend. I will post pictures soon. Giving the presentation was amazing- the work involved before and after was hard. Once again, that’s just how it can be with this ilness!
Julie
I have worked several years since my diagnosis by always ended in disaster when i would have a manic state and try to reinvent the work environment i was in and then created havoc for my co workers that ended up in me being fired in on position of office manager i was in charge of the accounting for a three million dollar a year practice, that ended with me having a breakdown and the books being investigated and them finding that i had times when my accounting was way out of whack, i was fired from this place and only because of the compassion of my employer charges weren’t brought againstm. So henceforth I am very sceptical about my returning to work no matter how well i get in fear that it can all go wrong again and of course my resume isn’t worth the paper it is written on due to all my terminations. So thats my reality and I’ve learned to accept that.
Hi Julie, I first want to say how much your blog and books have helped me in my effort to manage my bipolar illness. Thank you for putting it all on the table so others can benefit from it and live better lives. I have comment/question about working and being in a depressive state. For the past two years I have been in a major depression. While in the past I have been able to take a disability leave of absence, I was not able to this time due to financial constraints. My concern is that over this period of time I have been (like) little more than the walking dead. In July I had a medication change that literally turned the lights on and I am doing remarkably better. I wonder if you have any advice on how to restore my team’s (and my own) confidence in my competence. While no one has expressed any disappointment in my performance, I am dissapointed in myself. I am looking forward to being a leader and valuable team player again but I am leary of the depression getting bad again.
Thanks
S.