New job. Bad shift.

Hi @NicK

I hear you. I know where you are at. Employment environment is very important for anyone with mental illness issues. As I've found out over a 40 year working life, there are some basic fundamental rules you should adopt into your life to AVOID these issues. I'll list them first-

• Avoid shift work mainly night shift. We need sleep and stability
• Seek out, plan future employment where little contact with others is common.
• Don't select customer service as your career path or a complaints receiver
• Your "mini breakdown is likely a cycle that is triggered by an upsetting event be it your supervisor, abuse from a customer or similar...unexpected bill?
• Accept that other people are your enemy. They aren't all bad, its the interaction they have with you that you can find challenging.
• It's OK to cry and have a bad day.
• Don't ever expect to make friends from your workplace, its a cut throat world there.
• Supervisors often have a need to feel in control...it doesn't mean you actually do anything wrong.

Now to put all those life experiences in a story let me explain.

Of the 90 jobs and 15 careers I had in my manic/depressed/bipolar2 working life I started out in the ADF and had to abide by rules any soldier had to. That meant any bad days I struggled with. I clashed more with others for what appeared no reason. Once I left the ADF I worked at a pizza shop dealing with customers....complaining about under cooked, overcooked, not enough anchovies. Lasted 3 weeks. I worked in a jail, emotionally challenging, nasty fellow guards and violence.

Shift work in security. Then diagnosed in 2003. I began to realise I needed space in a job. I ended up in my own business as a private investigator. This resulted in my skills being utilised 100%, excitement, travel and most importantly I worked alone.

Of those other jobs there was only one manager that I can say was a good manager...why? Because as a prison officer I was taught in an intense classroom how to treat prisoners. If we didn't talk to them with some dignity we could end up injured or worse. For example. If I yelled at a prisoner in front of 20 men and later was found to be wrong in my judgement, I would a/ apologise to him in front of the same company of prisoners and b/ make sure I pulled him aside next time for discipline. Such values my managers didn't have in all those jobs. Basically they were incompetent or were promoted for time served without training to supervise.

So you need to develop an attitude that is indeed judgemental and keep it to yourself, always thinking about the long term plan to advance your employment with your goals. Let them have their fun and most importantly grow and attitude of "water off a duck back". I was and am extremely sensitive. I worked in security with a colleague. When our boss berated me I'd nearly cry. When our boss berated my colleague he'd smile. No one knew what my colleague was thinking behind his mask. Once our boss left I asked him how he tolerated that mans dominance..."I just let him have his fun, bosses need to feel like they are in control".

I hope that helps

WK