Lived Experience Forum

[Rebel]

Hello everyone. I wanted to discuss with others about working. I need to work for my mental health. I have bipolar 1 and all my life I have worked. I find during mania that I can quit and start new jobs constantly. I had 8 jobs in a year at one stage. I just can't NOT work. I am a valuable employee. I work full time and when unwell I drop back to 3 days a week. My employer does not know I have bipolar. I'm curious to see who else works. I find it hard sometimes to keep up with the forums because when I finish work, cook dinner shower im ready for bed. I need  routine in my life and work helps me get up and out of the house 

[Lilaca]

@Rebel 

I am the same with work, but my career is my passion. I enjoy doing it. 

At my worst when I was fainting 2-3 times a week due to seizure, I was working casual full time from home. My illness was covered up as I can work any hours of the day so long as I meet deadline. After I work on my own with clients, which gives me much freedom. Currently I am moving back to working onsite with people so I am not just holed up at home as my health is getting better. Seizure reduced to once a year and can be covered by annual leave. At all times, my employers and clients are never aware of my illness. They are not allowed in my previous sector. I am currently moving into the community sector so hopefully they would be more empathetic, but my health should be more or less ok by now. Driving may be a bit of issue, I am hoping I can have zero seizure for a year before I will be back behind the steering wheel. And no, I don't move sector due to health issues, it has always been my passion since years ago and always work hand in hand with my career in previous sector. It's great working with people of similar values.

And yea, I need activities all the time to keep me busy. Otherwise, I will be spacing out too much just doodling away, it won't be good for my health. Busy means healthy lifestyle with healthy homemade vegan meals, daily exercise time, regular work hours, housework and sleep time as well as time for play. I set things back to the basic.

[Rebel]

Thank for your supply. I find the older I get its really important to self care. I don't drink anymore and I take my medication daily. I uses to be a bit more slack with my meds and I would spin in and out of manics regularly. I really enjoy feeling like I can function day to day.

[Lilaca]

@Rebel 

Good on you for keeping clean!

In the community sector, my tutors are mostly clean of drugs, smoke and alcohol due to the nature of the work as we work with minors and vulnerable people. We are not allowed to be physically, verbally, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically abusive to others as well. So they keep all of us in check to be a more empathetic and virtuous person! 🙂

Self care is definitely important. What do you for self care? 

[Shaz51]

hello @Rebel , @Lilaca 

we have a Topic Tuesday // Employment and Mental Health // Tues 8th June, 7:00-8:30PM AEST  on next tuesday 

click on the link to have a look 

also i will tag you to a thread Let`s talk about Bipolar 

[StuF]

@Shaz51 

Just confirming, this Topic Tuesday is tonight, no?

[Shaz51]

ohhh yes it is @StuF  thank you for that 

@Rebel, @Lilaca topic tuesday is tonight xx

[StuF]

@Shaz51 

Thanks 🙂

Needed to double check lol

[frog]

Hi @Rebel 

Another person with bipolar 1 and doing my best to manage the whole life/work balance.

I relate to by the time I get home, cook, clean up I don't have much energy left for the forum, or anything really. Last night was a case in point. I really wanted to do Topic Tuesday but had a late meeting after work re housing and that was my night gone. Work can be good for me - the routine and contact with people, but over the last 2 years it has been a struggle. Not just for me. We have had a massive restructure, job losses, top down decisions that just don't work etc. So most of us at the bottom of the hierarchy are feeling the weight of all that. So the flip side of working for me is the exhaustion that comes from all that.

It's good to hear from other people on this issue @Shaz51 @StuF @Lilaca