Bi Polar Disorder and Work
I was reading an article about a young man who suffers with bi-polar disorder and he was recounting his experiences of having the condition and how he was treated especially within the work environment. There was a particular line in the article that struck me, it was something along the lines that work makes me feel valued. So often, I feel, when it comes to mental health issues, we forget that the person is not their issue. Self esteem and self worth are essential components to mental wellness and I think sometimes people “not in the know” forget that.
Identity is often linked to work and/or career and this is something that most people know and appreciate. Why is it that we forget that people who are suffering with mental health issues do not want their identity to be linked to their condition. Rather they would like themselves to be identified like any other person, to have their identity be their own and that their condition is a mere facet of who they are as a person.
As World Mental Health Day is over, perhaps a lesson we should take is to consider looking at mental health issues as simply a health issue in the same way heart issues or diabetes are health issues. Let’s remove mental from the descriptor at least in out hearts and minds and remember that we are all part of society and that we all have something to offer, let’s not let prejudice about mental health stop us from being human.
