In “Identifying Your Bipolar Stressors and Triggers,” we encouraged you to identify the sources of stress in your life and avoid them as much as possible. But what do you do when one of your biggest sources of stress – your job – pays the bills, covers your health insurance premiums, structures your life, and contributes to your sense of self worth? Can you afford to quit? Can you afford not to quit? This is the dilemma that many people with bipolar disorder face.
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Too few employees are unware of their state and federal employment rights and how to exercise them. Employers and HR departments do a great job of covering them up. There is an explosive new eBook written by an employment law attorney called Work Laws Exposed that will guide U.S. employees through a variety of workplace situations, including stress. It should be mandatory reading for an US employee.
Wow, this was really helpful. We have all been there.
“In Bipolar Disorder For Dummies, we urge people not to make hasty life-changing decisions, especially when they’re in the midst of a manic or depressive episode.” I wish someone would have told me this sooner. I bought a house one time in the midst of “mania.” Too big, too expensive. It was like a dinosaur. I finally got rid of it. I now live by that rule. “Hasty” is the key word!
Suzanne
8:22 am on
March 25th, 2009I’m facing the work-stress question right now. I have cut my work hours quite a bit & made it so that I can do most of my work at home & thought I had made the perfect situation. I don’t “have” to work as my husband provides well for us & has the insurance benefits, but my job does provide us with extra income to cover my therapy that is not covered by insurance & I think therapy is essential for my treatment of bipolar at this time.
But my job right now entails me to do what I call 4 or 5 “marathon” days of working 10-12 hour days at the beginning of the month (I do the monthly billing for a health club) & then I’m off for the rest of the month. So it sounds great, but I’ve come to realize that it is very stressful during the time I am working as I’m not able to do any other “wellness” practices like exercise, mindfulness techniques I’m learning in dialectical behavioral therapy, “me time” to read or knit, even time to cook healthy meals so I’m eating high-fat take-out food…
Then my housework & chores are also put on hold so when I’m finished with my work I have 5 days of catching up when I feel overwhelmed with tasks & chores & then I also don’t do my exercise, go to my diabetes educ. class, etc. as I’m feeling really stressed about being so behind on everything. So this job is really not just 4-5 days as far as the toll it is taking on me, but I’m very resistant to quitting as it is hard to give up the money…
My therapist & husband think I should quit. My physical health needs me to get a routine going, too, as I have gained weight since being put on meds for bipolar & have erratic sleep & anxiety & I need to learn how to handle my newly-diagnosed diabetes & that needs structure throughout the day, as well. Plus with better meal planning & preparing them at home I could save money with not doing the take-out.
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