Mental illness and work

MorningStar

Hi,
I have a friend who has always been a bit OTT but really smart. ABle to do most things when he wants to. The problem is sometimes he just can't stay motivated. Over the years it has been obvious that this is more than just personality. He has been diagnosed as bipolar (manic depressive). After reading about it is explains so much. It appears if medicated he will be a lot more stable and better at his IT job.
It appears however at the moment he has messed up in work a bit. Nothing serious just taking longer to do things. He has started his medication but it takes time to build up and work effectively. It may also be the wrong medication and take another while to get it right. He is deathly affraid of telling his employer as he has had a few discipline issues in the past (understandable considering he was untreated). The stigma of mental illness is his main fear and after that he just doesn't like talking about it. I really don't know what is best for him to do. If it was somebody I didn't know him I would say just tell the employer but considering his panic attacks I can't see that being a good idea. He doesn't want to tell them but if he must he thinks it is best to wait till he is on an even keel and decide then. It sounds like he may be in trouble before that. If this was any other medical condition I doubt there would be a problem. Anybody got experience with this as an employee or an employer?

nesf

I'll put it this way. My psychiatrists usually use find a different reason to put on medical certs other than mental illness. There is a stigma in this country, but not with every employer. I really do think he has to judge it for himself (not an easy task), there is no golden rule here in my experience.

Some places are very enlightened about these things and understand that it's no different to someone with any chronic illness. Some places even a hint of you needing a psychiatrist can mean you losing your job the next time you **** up.


Bipolar is something that can take a long time to treat and something that can can be very tricky to medicate. I hope your friend gets the help he needs quickly and that his quality of life improves swiftly.

MorningStar

There are few places that seem to make it obvious that such thinks can't be hidden from employers. Insurance for work requires som honesty on such subjects. These type of this get seen by the employer or have to be updated.
As you can imagine talking to my friend you get a barrage of reasons why not to tell anybody in work. I seem to think the reason he should tell them is the effects the medication may have on him. I remember taking anti depressants after a family death. They had a major effect on me, mostly being tired but eventually I took the right medication and I was alright. If I hadn't explained to my boss what was going on I might have been fired.

nesf

Bipolar is very different though. It doesn't, usually, get cured in the short term. Unfortunately!

Plus people have a hell of a lot of an easier time dealing with the concept of a person "on meds" because of a death. The idea of someone "born like that" disturbs some people a lot in my experience. They seem to think that you'll never get over it or go crazy or something.


If there's insurance involved then he can't honestly get around it. So best to bite the bullet and be upfront about it. "I'm on mood stabilisers, I'm doing fine really, it's just one of those things". It's a lot better than for it to "come out" and him be seen to have lied about it.

Then if you are in a position where you don't have to mention it, then it's a very different situation imho.