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Vengeful_Fred


Member

Posted Sat Nov 12th, 2011 2:15am Post subject: when to return to work/school

Hello everyone. Hope you are all getting by. I am wondering if anyone can share briefly some experiences they had upon returning to school or work if they had taken some time off to convalesce. Was it a good experience? Did you succeed in maintaining good health and staying at work/school for an extended period of time? Or did you return too early and had to take some more time off? I have been doing pretty good for over a year now and I am starting to think about going back to work, if even just very part time at first. I have been off work for 2 years now and I am enjoying my time off, and frankly I am in no rush to go back to work. However finances are tight and I would really love to save up some money to go back to school. Plus I think my friends and family are starting to resent me being off. I guess they all hate their jobs or something and don't understand what bi-polar disorder is, or maybe they just want to see me out and about again, but it is really starting to bother me. When would you consider someone able to return to the daily grind? I haven't had a manic episode in a little over a year but I am terrified that whenever I do return to work or school it will spark another break from reality which is too frightning and embarrassing to go through all over again. Thanks for reading


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The CatBat Princess


Member

Posted Sun Nov 13th, 2011 3:42pm Post subject: when to return to work/school

I had a really bad episode a couple of years ago when everything came to a head. I wish i'd been able to take a long period of time off to ground myself, but that was not an option at the time. This was before I accepted my bipolarity. I changed jobs and was welcomed into a different environment where everyone was very understanding etc etc and it did me the world of good( i'd had couple of months off were i basically didn't get out of bed between the job change)
I also carried on with my studies - which was probably not the right time to do so, but I felt well at the time.
I have just recently gone back to work afer a year off on maternity leave where the illness reared it's ugly head again. Going back to work has been the best therapy for me. Just part- time, it's really helped me to carry on without spiralling back out of control again. I put this down to the fact that I have an incredibly supportive team of colleagues around me and when I go back to work it is a pleasure and I feel useful again.
Every day I can have a laugh and even when i'm feeling a little low they pull me out of it. This is just my experience and for me it really depends on where you work/ study etc. It has to be the right atmosphere for you. The balance has to be right too- i'd recommend part-time work or study to ease you back into things. Just do whatever feels right and comfortable for you. Don't push yourself or take on too much ( my trouble in the past, that sent me out of control again) and hopefully things will improve. You will feel so much more confident to be part of 'society' again i'm sure.
Hope this helps.

I like to dress up as a peapod sometimes.
http://thecatbatprincess.wordpress.com/

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Vengeful_Fred


Member

Posted Wed Nov 23rd, 2011 12:30am Post subject: when to return to work/school

thanks for the reply. I think I will wait until the summer before i think about going back to work. its easier to find a part time job then anyway. I think i will go through the shriners. they have an organization in canada called the march of dimes and they help people with various disabilities find a place to work where the employer is understanding and specifically asks for someone with a disability to work there. there are good people out there who want to specifically help someone with a disability have a job and do well in society. Turns out i was under the wrong impression about my family, they dont resent me being off work after all. I assumed they did because they are all working class people who really don't respect someone unless they work for a living. i think theyve come to some kind of understanding so thats good. My doctors said nothing about returning to work yet. infact he is still trying to get me to see a therapist. I haven't because therapists are over glorified to me. if i wanted to have a rant about my problems with someone id rather turn to a friend who actually cares about me and not some over paid stranger who just wants to pay her bills. I think i have another year before disability pay decides to review my case and determine if i am ready to go back to work and I have the type of doctor that if i want more time off after that I just have to ask him and he'll give me at least a bit more time. It is strange though not working right now. I am just skipping through all the financial turmoil in the corporate world right now, and all the job losses the economy is suffering. it is nice not worrying about getting layed off and having to go to the job centre (restarts for all you brits - i always think of pauline and her pens when i think of job connections). so meh, I am going to continue enjoying my time off and maybe i will win the lottery before i have to return to work.


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