Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I have not only been feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally ill, but financially as well. The cost of medicine is sickening considering that I need to buy it for maintenance.
I work as a teacher in the Philippines, and everyone knows that teachers’ normal income here is pretty low. Being the only person who works in the family, I have found it very difficult to handle financial burden. As a single mom, I have to pay for the food, the rent, and the utilities, in addition to the education of my son. Most importantly, I have to pay for my medicine. Since no one is around to help me with the finances, I carry the burden by myself, which stresses me more and more each day. At the worst times, I must skip meals because I have run out of money; at these times, paying for my medicine is out of the question and I am forced to skip it.
It is very important for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder to be stable financially to avoid being the stress that lack of finances causes. I have tried many different things to improve my financial condition, but my finances are still an enormous burden.
I have tried cutting expenses in every way possible, but it still not enough. This month, I have decided a leap on new career path: I will be a Technical Support Associate at a call center in Manila. The shift I will be working is a graveyard shift. Most of us would probably agree that it is not good for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder to work the graveyard shift. Because of the high pay of the job, however, I am still planning to embark this new path and give it a try. I know that it is especially important for me to be able to have food to eat, to have my medication available, and to provide my family – especially my son – with a decent life.
Financial burden or any stressors can make life even more difficult for those of us with bipolar disorder, but we should always try to remember that tough times will come and go. After a heavy rain, there will always be a rainbow that will shine through and give us hope – so always keep fighting.
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