Nurses with Mental Illness

[RNdynamic]

This thread is designed to talk about whether or not you have been stigmatized at work due to any mental illnesses you may have. They may relate to anything ranging from mild illness to severe and crippling illness or to substance abuse.

I've dealt with addiction and I've also been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder because, due to difficulty with relationships, some self harm behaviors, and also vandalizing people's property. For these reasons, I avoid talking about my personal life at work as I am afraid of accidentally revealing too much. As a result, I tend to be perceived as aloof. Meanwhile, most of the other guys and girls at work are pretty open about their personal lives, so I feel a bit like an outcast at times.

Have you ever felt this way at work? How have you dealt with it? Have you ever had mental health issues discovered by coworkers and regretted it?

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Yes, it's caused a lot of trouble in my work life. I have bipolar 1 disorder and made the mistake of telling my boss when I was first diagnosed. Well, I couldn't exactly hide it because I was manic at the time, but eventually it cost me my job and career. I am now on disability.

I'm stable now but I don't think I'll ever be able to withstand the stress of nursing again. Every time I even think about going back, I break into a cold sweat. It stinks, but there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it except to keep taking my meds (five psych meds!) and going to therapy. There also are lifestyle changes I need to make but have had less luck with sticking to them.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I am a recovering alcoholic sober for over ten years. I also suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD (Childhood trauma), and two auto immune disorders. None of which keeps me from doing my job as long as I take care of myself. I don't really talk about these things much because It's really no ones business. I was asked to go out drinking a couple of times with co-workers to which I politely declined. When pressed by a more gregarious co-worker I simple said I had an AA meeting to attend. I was told that's great how long do you have? The subject hasn't come up again.

Hppy

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

I have a "normal life" on top of my mental illness and addict issues which gives me plenty to talk about in a work setting. I still eat at restaurants, go to the movies, watch TV shows, and occasionally go on trips. I have opinions on things and the occasional patient story to tell.

[StillRN]

I have felt the need to tell co workers about my major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder to explain certain behaviors while my issues are not being well controlled.. But I recommend not telling your co workers.. you never know when they will use it against you (and they likely will at some point) . Be very careful about who you trust at work because when it comes down to it co workers are just that....co workers (who will turn on you in a heartbeat if it saves their butts or makes them look good). Save your confessions for your real friends.

[LoutusCNA.VT1983]

I have delt with having a lot of mental disablities for quite a few years of my life and it had a really bad effect on me and my life WHEN I was not medicated when I did get put onto medications everything about how I delt with my issues and my life changed. The current job I have seems like its a split between Home Health Aide work and hospice care and I am sure with the job its going to have stress to it. But most jobs do have stress to them that's just a fact of life. Especially in work that is in the medical industry.

I have done volunteer work and real jobs in the veterinary field for a while now cause I am going to school to be a veterinary technician student. And I know even in that kind of field with limited experience how much stress it can put on your body and your mind. But I also know that you can push and work through those kinds of things if you have enough drive to. And I have pushed myself really far to be in school, to stay in school and get where I am in my education.... and I want to put that same effort into my work as well!

I don't know all of my mental health issues but I do work with a therapist on a regular basis and psychiatrist and I make sure that going to my appointments is a top priority for me just like I would suggest to any patient Human or other wise.

[zephyr9]

RNDynamic, hell yeah I have, I really empathize with you. I felt isolated throughout most of nursing school because my baseline struggles with depression were exacerbated by a devastating family situation which was some of the long term fallout of choices I made in an addiction which I stopped feeding 9 years ago. It was very isolating; everyone at school or clinical would be joking and laughing and I just couldn't feel it because I was so overwhelmed and worried about these family members.

I agree that coworker should be coworkers and to save the vulnerable stuff for tried and true friends. In school I did confide my past and current struggles with about three individuals, and was lucky enough that there was no backlash from that, but I suspect the information did find its way into other ears. I did feel stigmatized because I WAS aloof, standoffish, and probably my distress was visible at times. I felt that trouble was written all over me. I was out of the loop. Nobody went out of their way to be supportive or to ask how things were going People want to be where the fun is, and this puzzled me in a bunch of aspiring nurses...I guess I thought nurses were warmer and more sensitive than average. Nurses are just people as varied as any other group. On the other hand, one of the students I confided in, someone younger than me, looks up to me as a mentor with the utmost respect.

I will never share any sensitive personal information at work.

I also am building a "normal" life to draw upon where I am able to relate more to "normal" life experiences. Having my first job and growing into the work will be a rite of passage into "normalcy" for me after an insane past, which I have been preparing for during years of school and private duty work. I am banking on that. I am in touch with my assets and learning to focus more on them than my defects.

Viva, I can appreciate your contributions to AN more after your above post. Out of the "noise" but still in the game, still giving!

[%D#2]

I don't know if I have mental illness or if my anxiety and depression comes from having been diagnosed with lupus and RA which did lead me to a downward spiral when ibwas first diagnosed. Refused to believe I was really ill and refused Meds at first. My doc told me I would die. So I have a lot of depression and anxiety at times but do not know if it's organic cause or from medications or coping with the illness themselves. But I do know, I would never judge someone with mental illness. People have so much sympathy toward physical illness but stigmatize those with mental illness and that is wrong