subject: Choosing A Career With Bipolar Disorder [print this page] How to Handle the Office Party when you have Bipolar Disorder
There are several different types of office parties. There are the Christmas Parties, Birthday Parties, Going Away Parties, the Offsite Social party, the Awards parties, the Parties just to have a party parties. All of these can all be problematic if you have bipolar disorder.
First let's address parties where alcohol is being served. Just say "No Thanks". Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Medication, Alcohol, and Social Pressure from a job party is a bad mix even if you take out the alcohol. And, yes, even one drink, can loosen your tongue just a little too much. I am a big advocate of remaining in strict control of your faculties especially around bosses, coworkers, peers, and even subordinates.
Social pressure in a job related party is tough because you have to be on guard to keep a good job face on, but relax enough to be easy to talk to and able to mingle. Do not get me wrong, it is okay to relax and have fun, but keep your job face on. You do not want to be the one everyone is talking about on Monday morning. You also do not want to cast a doubt about your sensibility to any of your bosses or peers.
The other side is that you do need to be easy to interact with. Feel free to share a little bit about your personal life if asked about it, but keep it positive. People tend to move away from wanting to talk to you if you are always negative and complaining. Put a smile on your face, even if you have to fake it. Then talk about the good things going on in your life if you want to get more personal. Otherwise, keep it on the positive things going on at work.
It is also a good habit to be a better listener than talker. If you let people talk about themselves and ask questions that indicate you are interested in what they have say, they will think you are the best person to be around. It is amazing how wonderful a person you instantly become when someone feels that you are genuinely interested in them. Do not fake this, but be genuinely interested in other people and their stories. Building social clout takes time, but it happens faster if you talk less and listen more.
The other thing that I strongly suggest is that you avoid gossiping about others. You would not want them to talk about you, and chances are if they will talk to you about someone else, then they are probably talking to others about you. So just avoid the whole gossip scene. Also a similar scene is the traditional rumor mill. Do not pass on information that you do not know is for sure true. Also judge carefully if it is information that should be passed on at all. Some things are just meant to be kept confidential. Become known as a trustworthy person that can keep a confidence, and you will become even more respected.
For more information on employment for a person with bipolar disorder visit www.ThrivingwithBipolarDisorder.com.
