Dealing with Bipolar Disorder in the office

Employees with bipolar disorder often put their employers in a difficult position. If you are not receiving treatment for bipolar, you could be forcing your co-workers to walk on eggshells. Bipolar disorder is like having a Jackal and Hyde personality. One moment you are manic, the next moment you are completely depressive.

Bipolar disorder often causes a person to feel: depression, mania, excessive moodiness or irritability, and impulsive or reckless behavior. People diagnosed with Bipolar disorder experience mixed episodes of mania and depression. Many people are misdiagnosed with ADHD when they actually have bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder has been proven to be linked to family genetics and it can be controlled by the use of psycho-stimulants or antidepressants. When a person experiences Bipolar, they may notice their hyperactivity to be more episodic. The elevated "mood swings" in bipolar are sporadic compared to ADHD, which occurs on a daily basis. When a person with Bipolar suffers a mood swing, it can take 4 hours or longer for them to calm down. They often experience difficulty controlling their anger and will break things instead of verbalizing their displeasure with things.

People with Bipolar tend to be irritable, especially in the morning upon awakening. Employees with Bipolar may also have motivational problems. It is also common for people with Bipolar to challenge authority, which means they will get into arguments with their co-workers or with their boss. People that have Bipolar disorder actually enjoy a power struggle and they often look for fights.

If you think you have an employee with a mental health illness like Bipolar disorder, you need to recommend that they see a doctor. Bipolar disorder is tested through various questionnaires and the doctor will look at all the symptoms of the patient. Patients must answer all the questions truthfully and to the fullest extent. There are other conditions the doctor will take into consideration when diagnosing Bipolar disorder. Some people may have to do laboratory blood and urine testing if the doctor suspects thyroid problems or abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Hypothyroidism is common in bipolar patients, particularly women. It contributes to sleepiness and poor mental health. Bipolar disorder is a long-term treatment plan since the mood imbalances are unpredictable and life-long. Medications are often prescribed to treat Bipolar disorder. These medications are known as "mood stabilizers" and help to control the imbalances in mood swings. Lithium has been used for several years to treat Bipolar disorder. It is the best long-term drug for many patients and works well when treating Bipolar disorder.

What about your employees that claim they do not have Bipolar disorder, but you can tell that they have something wrong? The first thing you need to do is bring them into your office and talk about their behavior. Let them know that they are disrupting their co-workers with their behaviors. Encourage them to seek medical attention for their problem, even if they do not want to admit they have one.

Keep documentation of the employee's outbursts and behaviors. You also need to track their work performance. If their behavior continues to be problematic and they will not seek medical attention, you may need to fire them. Always have a third-party like a Human Resources person in the room with you when you are talking about personality disorders with employees. Having a third-party in the room is simply to protect you since Bipolar individuals tend to be irrational. If you do not want to fire the employee, you can place them on a paid or un-paid leave of absence until they seek medical attention for their disability. Once they have received proper medical treatment and are cleared by a psychiatrist, they can return to work.

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Employee Health and Fitness

Dealing with Bipolar Disorder in the office