Need advice on what to do - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

sacee · 10-29-2007, 01:04 PM

I have a great caree, well paying job, and have been out of work now for almost three months. I have been getting full pay but now my job protection is almost up and my boss and i really don't get along. MY pdoc is advising me not to go back to work yet, he will not sign a release but I'm afraid of losing my job that Ive worked so hard for w/no education its not easy to get where i am, i know i was lucky. And i may not get here again. My job requires me to do a lot of travel and i have not yet found the right dosage of meds is what worries my pdoc the most, but what worries me the most is im the bread winner in my family n we could not survive on my husbands income alone (well comfortably), it would be back to apartment and pay check to paycheck and i really dont want to go there again. I have 2 weeks to make a life altering decision, as my boss has already let me know my job protection expire on the twelth of november thats clera enought to me to know what she means...but i have worked so hard to get to where i am. i was a teenage mother, had no college bearly made it through high school and yet beat the odds and became a career women. I have even been voted into most influental career women 2 years back. I was so proud to get there especially given all the circumstances and yet being in my 20's and having bi-polar to boot. I do not want to give up the one thing i worked so hard for the one thing (besides my beautiful little girl) i am so proud of. what if i am unable to make it to this point again what if my resume isnt enough without the ba or masters degree what if the patents are not enough this time around? HELP!!!!

Candy141 · 10-29-2007, 01:25 PM

Wow your in a tough situation.. and obviously none of us can tell you what to do.. but i do have afew things to mention..

1. Your mental health should come before everything else

2. in some places you can get government assistance if your mentally ill and unable to work,so im sure there would be a way around the money issues , so as money is unfortunately always a factor.. i wouldnt worry about that part too much at this point

3. Have you talked this over with your husband? What are his thoughts on all of this

4. is there a way you could start back part time? so that you would still be back at work, but also have enough time to yourself to take care or yourself

I dont know if any of that helps at all, but Good Luck, im sorry your in such a tough situation.

Oh one last thing if worst comes to worst and you do loose your job, i have no doubts that you'd be able to get another one, you sound like you've got a great head on your shoulders, and you have great experience, im not saying it wouldnt take work, but im positive you could work your way back up if you needed to.

seaturtle · 10-29-2007, 06:49 PM

Hello,

That is indeed a really tough situation. You have 2 weeks - is there any chance you might be able to get your meds in line by then?

How do you feel about your ability to go back to work? I know your pdoc has advised against it - why? Did he say exactly why?

Part-time does sound like a good idea. Under the ADA, employers are required to make "reasonable accomodation" for people with both physical and psychiatric disabilities, and part-time for a while seems like reasonable accomodation.

Have you checked out the ADA? Might be worth looking at. If you could go to your employer and give him an estimate of how long it might take you to get stabilized, would he go along with you then, if you were working part-time.

Just a few thoughts that came to me. Please let us know how things are going for you.

Seaturtle

Sunka · 10-29-2007, 11:27 PM

Wow, good luck to you with keeping your job. It sounds like you have quite a spark - more spark than I ever had, when it came to employment; I would always quit & go to another company that didn't know I had mental/emotional challenges. I could always play along at a new job, but sooner or later the 'real me' would begin to emerge and I didn't want anyone to realize...and I didn't want to admit I had a problem and get help. So here I am. But you sound amazing & I have a feeling things will work out for you - definitely try the part-time thing the others were mentioning, it's a way to take care of yourself. Good good luck!

naturemomma816 · 10-30-2007, 05:11 PM

I agree with what everyone has said but also wanted to add a little.

If you have no job how will you pay for your meds? How will you afford to see your pdoc? How will you pay your bills and live?

I know that you are in a bad spot, but losing your job will only make it worse. Tell the pdoc that. I was in this exact situation 6 wks. ago. I was suicial on a Thursday and back to work the following Wednesday. The stress of losing my job and having no money only made my BP worse. Maybe you can start back and see your pdoc several times a week, or if out of town can phone conference. I know one thing for sure, if I had to wait until my meds were stable (from the time I was diagnosed 12 yrs. ago) I'd still be outta work.

Sorry if I sound a little bitter, I have a few issues of my own w/ pdoc's and meds right now. I guess what I am saying is that there has to be a balance. I know that w/ my BP, if I dwell in the "no action" mode for too long I have the tendency to hide in my own mind, and things always get worse. Maybe life is prompting you for a reason.

Just something to consider,
Naturemomma