A Bi-polar Life

Bipolar is not well known, and its effect varies greatly from one person to another. Government's defence against unfair labour allegations and violations under the Human Rights Code was to undermine my credibility by describing me as just someone who was having “emotional problems” and was ‘depressed." And yet, during my time at Organization Staff  Development (special operating agency of Government of Manitoba), all documented evidence showed me to be clearly in an escalated manic state during the weeks preceding termination of employment.

My work history began as a legal assistant to senior partners of some of Winnipeg's top legal minds in the 80s; followed by a successful fifteen year career in direct sales where I was #1 in North America breaking many records. I have several years' experience volunteering in the community as a certified facilitator with Developing Capable People™  (an adult based program working with youth), where I trained at my own expense with Chris B. Rush, Pres. and CEO of the Resiliency Institute Corp. and Pres. of DCP  (Canada). My successes (over the past 20 years, including taking care of my family) is not in spite of being bipolar, but I rather view it as the catalyst that has driven me all my life. People with bipolar are often seen as the “movers and shakers" of society.

Success, for me, is measured in the number of years gone by without hospitalization, now more than a decade. In the nineties, there were six within an eight year span (estimated costs according to 1994 report was $8,000 to $12,000 per hospital stay). It should therefore be in the best interests of government, community, and family to support any and all efforts by individuals to sustain and maintain recovery.

Bipolar is a chronic lifelong illness. It is well known that bipolar is genetic, but it is also personality based. The Manitoba Civil Service Commission's findings from a Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument project it conducted in 2008 on select departments which required all participants to partake --profiling (believed to be against Personal Information Act)--revealed the following characteristics the month prior to getting fired:

...does have a natural inclination towards organization, order and discipline. She dislikes chaos and confusion and needs to make sense of things, putting things in order. There is a need for structure in a practical and procedural sense (methodical approach), step by step. Tasks need to be prioritized. Most comfortable communication approach for her is to have explanation in writing, and the information presented in a brief, clear and precise format. Most natural problem solving strategies include factual analysis, logical, step-by-step process but may not consider feelings.

In Paul E. Jones book, Up and Down Life: The Truth about Bipolar as follows:

Mood elevated, grandiose racing thoughts; like being in a room and not only hearing every conversation in the room but mentally engaged in the thought process of each line of thought, and racing to keep up with all communication.

In an elevated state, the drive, the courage, the intensity of feeling, is common which can make life and work a challenge. Over the years I have learned to view it as a gift that has challenged me to live a fuller and more rewarding life—a life with purpose.

I have read that that 85% of the most successful … are likely to have bipolar-like traits. Those super creative, those spontaneous ‘crazies’ who make risky changes that the norm wouldn’t dare; those tremendously smart; those relentlessly never tiring until they find the answer– all likely characteristics consistent to bipolar traits

...common to have a spiritual experience. God has chosen you for a mission- to go out and affect in some powerful positive way that others would recognize."

In an (audiotaped) investigative meeting of whether there wasI any wrongdoing on the part of MHRC, Ombudsman Investigator Kris Ramchandar was asked if he had any experience or knowledge of uni-polar disability  (tendency more to either mania or depression). Ramchandar acknowledged he never even heard of the term but stated he "doesn't need to be a lawyer to understand the law, and he doesn't have to be a doctor to make a determination of the case." As to whether MHRC Investigator Nancy Flintoft had any knowledge of mental illness, Ramchandar did not know.  GABS

Flintoft's Assessment did not include a doctor's medical report in her assessment to educate on the unique characteristics of bipolar. Her unqualified opinion (contrary to supporting documented evidence) reflects a collaboration of CSC and OSD smear campaign against a person known to have a disability: GABS

"her problems  were ... just a personality problem...(employers) are not psychiatrists, and were not in a position to realize that a difficult employee who complained and was disrespectful to many of her co-workers had a disability... in addition to her difficulty in managing stress, she had problems with interpersonal relationships, which made the workplace more stressful for her... The nature of her job was stressful as a few positions were vacant..." GABS

In reality, there were three long-term vacancies over several months wherein all duties were given to me and documentation from management stated OSD was in crisis, and when I asked for help, I was told "we have no one else to give the work to." Another flaw in Flintoft's logic:  'many of her co-workers' -- there were none (see below).

By the start of 2008, I was experiencing physical and mental ailments. Additional prescribed medications caused drug-induced tremors and dry mouth, exacerbated due to stress that only surfaced (as witnessed by senior management) in the last months of employment. Government e-mail posting sent out January 2008 to all departments introduced me as the newly promoted "backbone" of the OPCP project, (previously done by a full time Professional Officer--vacant since October 2007--PLUS unceremoniously given the full duties of the Registrar--position-vacant due to an extended sick leave starting January 2008 which CSC didn't bother to fill) all given to me, with the full expectation that I was also to keep up with the full duties of  the position I was hired for back in April 2007.

NOTE:  When the situation was discussed recently with Manitoba Mood Disorders Executive Director, Tara Brousseau, she was not surprised: Of course you could do all that--you're bipolar.

When I left OSD on stress leave in April 2008, only Senior Officers remained: All admin staff had either quit; requested to leave on secondment (stated was "for a change of scenery"), or were on medical leave. When I returned to work, there was no 'back to work re-entry" period (and yet, COO claimed they implemented said procedure--in that they just 'said' they did). According to documents received from CSC in 2010 through Privacy Act, there had been no new hires, no re-entry to work; no response to requests from an employee describing situation as a 'crisis'; no planning strategy meetings to deal with staff shortages and work overload: No response was Government's response.

Would this be allowed in the private sector?

Government's legal defence went with negative stereotypical characteristics in its ensuing investigations describing me as: Just an employee who was being difficult, and now that we know about her mental illness (attacking her credibility over 22 times in LRA and MHRC affidavits in response) --well, I guess that explains everything.

The mobbing and criminal violations were further supported and escalated by Ombudsman Investigator Ramchandar who, during his investigation, belittled me for being  "too intelligent ... in fact (he went on to say)  you know more about [it] than most people I know." The snide remark inferring that I was 'working the system'-- an abuser of a law intended for real disabilities.

The most troubling thing is that the Ombudsman's office was asked to investigate alleged improprieties by commissions: Civil Service Commission and government tribunals--Labour Board, Human Rights Commission--as to the manner in which it conducted its investigations. After all, is that not the job of the Manitoba Ombudsman? It is, according to the face MB Ombudsman presents to the public.

Irene Hamilton has stated the Ombudsman's position as follows: Any investigation should result in the Commission being subject to public scrutiny, not the individuals who come before it". 

Well, Good Night Irene! Clearly, what goes on behind closed doors is not keeping you up at night.

“I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth. ”   Jon Krakauer