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Being employed with bipolar disorder
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I was wondering what it is like working when you have bipolar disorder, is it hard to sustain a job? Has anyone had any positive or negative experiences with being hired and if so, how have others treated you during your working hours? Or maybe you haven’t disclosed that you have the condition? I apologise if I’ve asked a lot of questions, I just want to understand from someone else’s viewpoint since I don’t have bipolar disorder and I’m still a young student. 
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Some interesting questions you have posted there; do you perhaps know somebody with the condition and looking to understand what it might be like, or are you just curious? :chin:
There may be some members on here who might share their experiences. In the meantime, you might be interested in taking a look at our article: Learning to cope with bipolar disorder at university. It's not much to do with employment but is an interesting read :yes:
I think it can depend to some extent on how severe your symptoms manifest themselves during the working day or the extent to which they can be treated, either by medication, therapy or reasonable adjustments.
I'd also say whether you are new to the company or have worked there a while may mean the company's response may be a little different.
If you are experiencing noticeable symptoms of bipolar - e.g. hypomania, lack of sleep or depression this may have an effect on how well you are able to do your job and may lead to performance reviews *if* it can't be resolved, or it's not safe for you to do your job at that time.
Disclosing a MH problem to a new employer can be tricky - I know of someone in an old workplace who didn't and was ostracised by pretty much all of his colleagues because of his erratic behaviour and didn't pass his probation, however had the employer been aware from day 1 then other adjustments such as where they were seated in the office or learning styles could have been taken into account.
That's not to say everyone will struggle, though. For many people (me included) having a set routine every day to ensure I go to bed early and get enough sleep helps to keep me stable, as well as planning meals and the week ahead to make sure that I don't get too depleted of energy mainly. Eating well, exercising and sleeping enough help keep me stable luckily.
Hope this helps!