Supporting Employees with Bipolar
Bipolar is a poorly understood mental health condition which features varying moods including depression and mania. One of our team shares their story about managing their Bipolar and work.
I was ill back in the 90s when I was diagnosed with Bipolar when I tried to do an MSc and a teaching job so I ended up being supported by Twining Enterprise.
I have had Bipolar since I was 25 and I have lived with it and been in work over half of the time and continually for the last 14 years.
A lot of people have no idea what it is like to work with mood swings
Twining is different to the other places where I have worked in that people understand mental health issues and are happy to make reasonable adjustments, talk about where you need support and have been able to stop me feeling labelled as someone with a mental health problem myself to just being me who works and enjoys it.
I enjoy my work at Twining because of all the people - that is most of the clients and all of my colleagues. My most enjoyable recent event was helping one of my clients who wants to become self-employed as a massage therapist work towards getting clients.
As an ex-service user and having benefited from vocational support personally, being a client of Twining Enterprise myself approximately 12 years ago, I believe in social inclusion and the value of work for people with mental health issues. I have always disclosed that I have a mental health problem to my employers even if I haven't given the exact diagnosis because people expect you to be a genius like Stephen Fry if you do!
I have been supported by all my employers and Team Leaders at Twining have been particularly helpful over the last year whilst I have changed my major medication without me going on sick leave. I am now in a good place due to both my line managers during this challenging time.
