For anyone that has been diagnosed with a major mental illness (or knows of somone that has)?

Question

Schizophrenia/Bipolar/Borderline Personality Disorder and all of the thought or mood afflictions covered by those classes.

>>> Serious Replies Only Please. <<<

What is thier occupation if they have one?
And, how long have they been at that job?
Give me whatever you can for information without being overly specific..
Thanks in advance for any of the replies that come :)

I am 32.. have my own diagnosis.. and recently unemployed after 6 years as an engineer for a production industry..
Looking for options.. and disability is not one of them.

Answer 1

Congratulations in not wanting to hold a label of being disabled. Being mentally ill is not taken lightly after working for 30 years in the field.

I know of many people who survived the stigma and the symptoms of their mental illness. One a person with bipolar went from trying to be a chef in a very stressful world to going back and getting a degree in social work, and to this day holds a job working with seniors. The second is a young adult who graduated from college and decided to work her way through nursing school and has for the past year made continuous progress.

If medications has been prescribed, as those above, the medication is no different than a person with diabetes, a medical necessity to help the human body balance so the person has a quality of life. That medication balance seems when working that it is no longer needed, but stopped the person slides back into the symptoms of mental illness.

Using counseling as a support and medicationsl as a balance, the best jobs are those that do not create those stressor that bring on your personal symptoms. There is no one right profession to recommend because each person, with or without a diagnosis, responds differently to stressors.

I worked in the field of MH after counseling my first year in college, having chose the wrong profession initially to pursue. I found a degree that gave me thirty years plus of pride and enjoyment to help others. For me stressors were uncertainty like a small business, rather than the confort in knowning I had a consistent paycheck.

I strongly suggest you contact the State Vocational Rehabilitation program that will assist you in testing your strength in vocational choices and people skills, identifying your weekeness in many areas; testing various abilities including hand-eye coordination, spacial memory, etc.; all of which will provide a picture of choices for your vocational future. And, many times Voc Rehab will provide training so you can enjoy a satisfying career of choice.

Good luck

Answer 2

I've been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Currently unemployed. I'm 32. My longest job has been two years and that's when I was 22-24. This illness has kept me on a roller coaster for years and I can't seem to get off. I have applied for disability but it could take three to six months to hear if I am accepted, and the usually don't accept on the first try. Meanwhile I'm dependent on others for living. I was a writer and hoped that working from home would help, but even deadlines got to be too much when I crashed. I would love to know how people like us are supposed to survive. Maybe a colony somewhere?

Answer 3

I have bipolar disorder, major depression, post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders run in my family. My aunt has severe anxiety disorder and she has been a cosmotolgist her whole life pretty much, my dad has major depression and he has been a plumber since 2003 and he was an air conditioning repair/instal man long before that for a much longer time. My mom has severe anxiety (undiagnosed, but that's what I think) and she works as a lunch lady and has for 10 years. I am a college student. I am a freshmen, starting my sophmore year in the fall. I am aspiring to be a clinical psychologist; PhD and everything. I have a 3.5 gpa and I am a manager at Noodles and Co; I've worked there for almost a year.
Many people with serious mental illnesses go on to lead productive lives. I hope that you aren't losing hope that people cannot lead normal lives with a mental illness!
Good luck in everything you do.

Answer 4

my mom is bipolar, and I am not sure the exact diagnosis...(I believe they call it different things all the time.) but she also has multiple personalities. We don't talk about it. It is apparently under control. I have never actually outright met the other personalities...though as a child I remember her asking me the same questions over and over again...and being very strange one day or hour for that matter...and then normal the next.

Anyway, she has worked and was certified as a drug and alchohol abuse counselor. She even worked in a Mica house. (Mentally Ill Chemically Addicted) She was once a receptionist. Basically she has switched jobs a lot and now claims to work from home...She is trying to become a published author, so that is what she means by that. A lot of the things she has done are volunteer community activism type things. She is passionate about a lot of things.

Most of all she works my nerves. : /

Answer 5

I am 37, female - diagonosed w/bipolar II and anxiety. The first week of April, I was NOT on the correct meds for these conditions and had a melt down on my job. My father had actually asked me to leave a job I loved (very LOW stress) and come work where he did because of the benefits and potential for advancement. So, like the accommodating daughter I am, I did. What a huge mistake. I even KNEW in my heart that it was a mistake as I did it. I lasted a month on that new job and I figured out something very important. With or without medication, I like working ALONE. I do not like having to deal with other personalities. Along with quitting my job, I hurt my best friend of 32 yrs (another very long story) and my husband of 17 years. So, within a span of a week, I messed up three very important relationships and a job. BUT, here's the thing...I figured out what it is that triggers me into depression and/or mania and I have landed a dream job at a printshop doing bindery. It is mundane, repetative, physically challenging and perfect. I put my MP3 player on and work my buns off. But noone bothers me and I love accomplishing my tasks. It's not the most glamorous job in the world and I don't even care if I do it into my old age - it's the perfect job for me. I am temp right now, but my boss thinks I rock and wants to hire me perm. So, I'm gonna keep my sh*t together. I am on the proper meds now (I think...so far no adverse reactions and mood is stabilizing) and am taking my diagnosis seriously. I don't have a lot of support because my family/friends don't understand how such a smart, outgoing, talented woman like myself can just "freak out" or "go into a deep dark hole" just like that. Many of you know exactly what I'm sayin. So, for the Original Poster...think about what it is you WANT to do everyday. What is it that will make you WANT to get out of bed and go do? That's what I would concentrate on. Best of luck.

Answer 6

I think it depends on the mental illness. There are lots of individuals with personality disorders that have jobs and can do well. However, this does not mean that the disorder does not cause them problems.

Schizophrenia...well, I have yet to see someone with this diagnosis have a regular job. It is a very severe illness. Perhaps you should go to the NAMI website...it is for families of individuals with severe mental illness.

I have known Bipolar individuals to have jobs-have known an MD with it, very successful. However, his disorder did interfere with his job at times.

No matter what your diagnosis is, seek counseling. There is new research from NIMH about Bipolar Disorder and intensive psychotherapy as well as medication being effective. Borderline Personality Disorder...see Marsha Linehan's work.

Answer 7

I'm 22 and bipolar.
I had to take a break from school and have yet to go back, I'm not even sure I want to. Right now I'm working in a Kinkos where I don't have to work with customers. This works well for me because I also have social anxiety. I've been here for about nine months now. It's my first full time job and pretty low-stress, which is good for me. Working somewhere with a lot of coverage is good in case you need to take a while off. I ended up in the hospital for a week before I even had any sick days accumulated, but my job was here when I got out.

Answer 8

I was diagnosed with bipolar depression about 11 years ago. I was on meds for a couple months, but I hated them. I didn't want to depend on drugs to feel good about me and the world around me. I stopped taking them, and dealt with the issues at hand. I still get episodes here and there, but overall, I'm happy. I've learned how to deal with life and how to keep my craziness under control. I've had many jobs since then, all in the restaurant business, and I was always either a manager or supervisor. My last job was a little over 2 years. I quit to become a stay at home Mom. I get overanxious and stir crazy at times, but, what Mom doesn't?

Answer 9

I have a dx of two mental disorders. I also engage in self injury that leaves devasting wounds, and needs to be treated every week. I had been working for 18 yrs. before a relapse. Three yrs. ago it started up, and then anther blow happened in Sept. 06. I am not working right now, currently take medications, therapy, and the works. Disability is an option in my case because there is not much else i can do right now for my situation. I believe you just need to take into account what a person can do and how much you can tolerate , where your stress level is, and everything.

Answer 10

I was diagnosed with bipolar and I've held a job as a dispatcher for almost seven years now. I did have a bit of a time where I didn't think I was going to hold on to the job but I made it through and I'm still hanging on.