Bipolar Disorder/Work Environment

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Expert: - 2/9/2011


Question
I am a 38 yrs female.  I have been employed since the age of 15. I have been employed by the same employer for the last 10 yrs.  I was promoted 3 1/2 yrs ago, being the first in my ethnic background to hold such a position.  I was diagnosed with Anxiety/ (possible) Bi-Polar in 2005. Since 2005, my health issues were under control and I was performing and excelling.  My memory, zeal and performance (work and personal) were my "A" game.  In 2010, I began noticing that I was having a relapse in terms of my anxiety and stress.  My work environment/relationship began deteriorating around April 2010. My supervisor belittled me in front of some co-workers and that was a trigger.  Despite my relapse, I took the LSAT in the summer of 2010.  That was a great achievement for me....I received an average score (but I wasn't not satisfied). She criticizes EVERYTHING I do, but has no idea why I organize my desk, work or my day the way that I do.  To ask her a question or to bring up a concern she dismisses me like I am a bother.  I have to remind myself that I am competent and have the abilities to perform the job.  BUT...I am not performing up to set standards.  Things have gotten soooo bad, that I just started having panic attacks! I had never had a panic attack...I thought I was dying.  I requested a leave of absence from my job until I can regain control of my anxiety/stress/bi-polar (AGAIN). Today, I decided that I will not return to my job. I don't want to work in a hostile work environment. Could my supervisor be Bi-Polar and be unaware? Could I have imagined ALL of what has transpired this last year even though I document everything as it is happening?

Answer
I think that because of the stress you've been under, there might have been some behavior that concerned your supervisor which you might not have even noticed was happening yourself. The way that the job market is right now has meant that a lot of supervisory and managing staff is under pressure to cut any of the employees that may not be performing at 100% that is being put on them by their own supervisors.

And you don't necessarily need to view your performance as "not up to set standards", instead think of what you can do to improve. Many times it is the negative thinking that pulls us down into a truly sub-standard level, when simply changing to a more positive mindset will take us from average to excellent.  

Bipolar Disorder

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Jennifer

Expertise

I am available to answer questions of a general nature about bipolar disorder, provide online resources that address bipolar disorder in a more in-depth manner and sources to serve as a starting point for those looking for substantial information on the illness from a healthcare professional approach. I am not a doctor or a psychiatrist, my background is based in personal experience and extensive reading in my own process of understanding my diagnosis. I can also take questions that deal with the social issues surrounding bipolar disorder such as relationships; coping for family, friends, and the patient; marriage, choosing to start a family and related. Answers to questions of a legal nature will provide general information but anyone with a serious legal problem should consult an attorney licensed to practice in their jurisdiction.

Experience

I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder type II in 2000; as a SSI beneficiary, have experience and knowledge of the limitations and processes involved with the program; I understand the moods, the feelings, the worries, the doubts, and a lot more that there's not enough room to express - from the personal experiences of being bipolar. I have first-hand experience with the challenges of returning to college following hospitalizations and various combinations of medications that were tried before my doctor and I finally arrived at the most effective medication program for my treatment. My family and I have learned so much about each other in the process of dealing with the highs and lows that followed my diagnosis. I've had relationships with someone who also is bipolar and someone that is not - romantic relationships are no easier on either side! I feel that many of the ideas and beliefs that people have regarding bipolar disorder and those who have the condition promote the continuation of social stigmas associated with mental illness in general, and after learning from others with bipolar disorder, hope to guide others who may be trying to navigate the government health care system,& share information on other possible means of obtaining assistance with the cost of medications and/or mental health services and limited financial assistance programs for meeting basic living expenses for qualified individuals, dealing with problems from or with family & loved ones, co-occurring substance abuse problems, medications and side-effects (and when it feels like nothing will work, or why it's not helping the situation to ask whether or not a patient has taken their 'meds' when they seem hostile or moody to those around them).

Education/Credentials
I have a B.A. in Liberal Arts and will earn my J.D. upon completion of the Spring 2011 term after which I will be preparing to take the multi-state bar exam.

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