Supporting a Mom with Bipolar Disorder. Hint: It’s a roller coaster

Mental Health Matters. Why Should HR Shatter Employee Silence?

Approximately 2.6 percent of Americans have bipolar disorder. My mom was one of the lucky ones. Growing up with her was a mixed bag. Sometimes Mom was fun, funny and nice. Other times, she grew belligerent, expansive, and psychotic. At times, she was so overcome with depression that she couldn’t get out of bed. My sister and I never knew which mother we would encounter. Life with her was exhausting (and it sometimes still is, although Mom has far fewer episodes these days, while on medications that work well for her).

Mom’s frequent episodes made it impossible for her to hold a job. Finally, after many years of study, she became a teacher. Tragically, due to a manic episode, Mom also lost that job after two successful years in the classroom. She was devastated. I cannot help wondering what would have happened if the school she taught in used her experience as a teaching moment for the staff and students instead of quietly letting her go. I can’t help but wonder how many other people are in her position.

According to the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI),

43.8 million adults experience mental illness in a given year. 1 in 5 adults in America experience a mental illness. Nearly 1 in 25 (10 million) adults in America live with a serious mental illness.

Pre-covid, around 19% of the US population had anxiety disorder. After covid, that number rose a whoppping 19%. The increase was fueled by fear of infection, loneliness, and a sense of disconnectedness.

More than ever, employees suffer with mental illnesses that those in HR departments likely don’t know about – except for, perhaps, a check in the disability box. So HR professionals frequently can’t identify which employees are suffering from anxiety, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, substance disorders, and on and on. But sometimes there are tell-tale signs. Here are the signs that NAMI identifies:

• Excessive worrying or fear
• Feeling excessively sad or low
• Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
• Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
• Avoiding friends and social activities
• Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
• Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
• Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
• Changes in sex drive
• Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
• Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
• Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
• Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
• Thinking about suicide
• Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
• An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

 

Could you identify any of these symptoms? My guess is yes, many, although some employees may be able to hide some of their symptoms well, and it will be harder to spot them in remote employees. But just know that almost a quarter of your employees are suffering with some kind of mental illness that makes them unhappy, disconnected, unproductive, and absent from work, just to name a few effects.

If your company values its employees, it’s crucial to empower all employees to thrive. How might you support someone with bipolar? Number one, is to make sure they have time off from work or the office so that they don’t do damage to their own or your company’s reputation. It’s crucial to spot symptoms early. In these early stages, employees with bipolar disorder may be super-productive, over-talkative, and have their hands in multiple projects that they are surprisingly successful at. They will be more sociable than usual with their colleagues and full of grandiose ideas. They may be impulsive or take crazy risks. You may notice rapid shifts in mood – wild swings between the symptoms above and crushing depression. Know that these behaviors are by no means a choice. They are debilitating and embarrassing for those who experience them.

Why am I focusing on bipolar disorder? Because that’s the illness I have the most direct experience with in my personal life. During this Mental Health Month, and all around the year!) we have a duty to nurture the many employees in our companies with mental disorders. How? Well, to raise awareness in a non-judgmental and supportive way for one thing. How might you do that? Here are just a few ways:

1. Promote open communication. You can’t ask about specific details naturally, but you can make it a regular practice for managers to check in and ask employees how they are doing and feeling. (Managers may need support, too!)
2. Normalize conversations around mental health, creating safe spaces for employees to have a stigma-free chance for open communication. Facilitate these conversations with remote employees as well.
3. Creating and promoting resource groups can help greatly. Emails, newsletters and posters can be your friends in this sphere. Keep messaging simple, supportive, and inviting.
4. Offer accommodations. Provide flexible work schedules, remote work options and quiet, plant-filled workspaces to mitigate symptoms and help maintain productivity. It’s essential to work with employees to understand their individual needs and find solutions that work for both your employees and your organization.
5. Make mental health resources available. Provide opportunities for employees to get support to manage their condition through your EAP, onsite counseling, or by partnering with mental health professionals. Communicate the importance of these resources.
6. Promote work-life balance. Encourage employees to value self-care, set boundaries, and take time off when they need it. Make this option available and let employees know about the availability.
7. If employees are open about their mental health condition, facilitate dialogue and encourage them to seek professional help and practice self-care. Suggest resources that your company can offer.
8. Create opportunities in the day for employees to de-stress. Perhaps this involves yoga, deep breathing exercises or increased movement.
9. Devote your company to creating a vibrant culture of health across your entire organization

 

Finally, May’s Mental Health Month, and all around the year, make a commitment to prioritize mental health in your workplace and establish the groundwork to create a stable and supportive environment for those who are suffering. Empathy, compassion, and a willingness to employ the suggestions above can go a long way toward success in supporting your employees who struggle daily with mental illness.
To your health!

Derek Opperman
Chief Wellness Officer at LifeUP