Bipolar Disorder Support Group

I hear what you are saying and understand. Even though I've not been through the hospital 20x, I've been there and it reflects badly on me as a professional. I am a nurse. I am currently unemployable because of my hospital stay. There is a stigma even in the healthcare field no matter how high I hold my head, Every day I don't work is another nail in the coffin of my career.

When we've been through a lot of trauma we need to take it easy and regain our strength. That's a process that can take years. Meanwhile we need to be gentle with ourselves and minimize the demands we make on our performance or lack thereof.

Can you contact a job coach to help you polish your presentation? I'm sure that would help. If hating BP helps then go for it.

I think that the best thing is not to tell anyone. I have learned that the less I tell people the less they will judge me. When they do know, they are not compationate or understanding, they judge me and treat me different. I always remember in a job I had how I told my supervisor why I was leaving (she insisted on me telling her, so somehow she could help) I told her I was stressed maybe because of me having bipolar disorder.. She never employed me again, even though I was in good standing and they needed people. I passed the test several times, and I had applied over and over. Even I was interviewed, but when it came to the interview from her, I was not hired. For what reason? I could have sewed them! and I should haved!

My local employment office has a "Dream Club" where job hunters gather to support one another. Among the things we did there was practice job interviews. We would take turns being the interviewer and interviewee. For what it is worth. The practice helped allot.

Another option is volunteer work. It bolsters confidence, keeps you engaged in the outside world and can even work into a job reference.

I can hate my problems all I want, but it only adds the hate habit to my list of problems. Small steps, tatati. I will echo the sentiment to be gentle with yourself and patient with process. It really is just plain hard.

Stigma sucks! I know the feeling i live in a community of small minds and rumors are started so apparently if your suffer depression your automatically considered crazy around here. I do try to hold my head high but it does get to me at times.

Tatati, everyone at my work knows I have BP. I told them simply because I figured if I got in a bad state someone would notice and be able to pass the word on to the right people. During my last depression in May I had at least a dozen co-workers tell me that if I needed to talk I could call them. I have a better support team at work than my family ever with be (not my wife and kids but my sibs).

I'm not saying get a tattoo on your forehead but let the people who count and matter know you have an illness. It does help.

I just got home from a two week visit at the psych ward. If one of my friends at work asks where I've been I'll tell them the truth. There's no point in lying cuz I have a horrible poker face lol.

I do know how you feel, as it often hurts me to see my old professional friends on FB talking about their current careers, coupled with all the school mom's whom my girls were educated with. Absolutely, there are times when I feel superfluous, and that I have been left behind in the dust.
But you know what, Tatati - at the end of the day, all we are ever talking about is a way to earn a living. The fact that perhaps you feel unemployable should NEVER allow you to depreciate your worth as a PERSON. Just bear that in mind....there are so many other arenas whereby you are relevant and important to society; and holding down a job in life may just be a minor part of anyone's equation.
And lol, didn't KARL MARX write The Communist Manifesto, but never worked a day in his life? Marx, plus a whole lot more extremely productive individuals like him! So don't let this ruin your self-esteem; seek out things in your community which CAN prove to you that you are a talented, intelligent individual, even if it is unpaid voluntary work. That's what I do at this stage.

I thank you all for your positive replys, CuppaJoy, I also thank you for your reply, but it definitelly does not work for me to tell others about my illness, I feel like there is a lot of stigma about mental illness and lots of people are ignorant at what mental illness is, to me it just gets harder if I tell them, anyhow half of my community already knows because of my parents, who choose to get help for me from their friends.I gotta go, I will talk more later. Take care, and Thank you.

I find the stigma of mental disabilities is very daunting as well. I have been hospitalized so many times I lost count but today I am in a day program that is teaching me coping skills and even has job placement. Searh for these type of resources in your community and empower yourself with knowledge which will lead to self confidence.