To make a long story short. I recently moved to Canada and had trouble finding a job. (Apparently I'm overqualified, but that wasn't feeding my kids!) I managed to talk my way into a position at a local music store. Now that I've been there two months, I was promoted to manager, and the old manager was demoted to my position as a salesman. First of all, he was drowning in the role of manager and couldn't see it. He was much happier about the change, or at least, he said so to me, and I feel that he has been quite honest and up front with me. Well, things have been getting worse, he's been disappearing several times a day, comes back from lunch stinking of beer, always late for his shift (this is nothing new for him though), and just all over the place. Earlier this week, the owner told him that if he didn't get on his medication (he's diagnosed as a manic), that he was out of control and would lose his job, which would lead to losing his home, his girlfriend, etc. He was due to go on vacation for the next week and a half (starting tomorrow). He came back from lunch and still hadn't gotten his prescription filled (he saw his doctor on Tuesday). His neighbor even brought by his prescription so he could get it filled today. So the owner sends him out right after lunch to just drop off the prescription. He showed up 4 hours later, just before closing time, and he was drunk and probably whacked out on God knows what. Well, the owner promptly took him out back and fired him. I have to manage the place tomorrow, and while I don't think he will even be concious until afternoon, it's still a cause for concern. Has anyone ever had to deal with a diagnosed manic? What should I be prepared for? Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA.
Has anyone had experience dealing with a manic?
- Thread starter Topher
- Start date
As much as I hope that you're just joking around, I am afraid that your advice may be in the right direction. I have been instructed by the owner to not hesitate to call the cops tomorrow if necessary, and to not take any chances. I was deathly afraid of having to go to my car after work. Fortunately, several of us park in the same area and walked there as a group. I do not want to take any chances whatsoever. But then again, I have never dealt with a manic and so have no experience with this either.
Oh yeah, Canada has pretty strict gun control laws, I doubt I could get a shotgun by tomorrow morning.
Not exactly the advice I was hoping for, but I guess I should be prepared for the worst case scenario. Chances are pretty good that he'll be messed up something fierce tonight and I can only hope that he is incapacitated most of tomorrow. His roommate will be coming in tomorrow to take care of some unfinished business, so hopefully he can give me a heads up.
Manic? You mean manic-depressive, or bi-polar, right? Unless he just suffers from mania, and doesn't get the depression. In either case, the biggest problem with treating bi-polars is that they like them mania, so it's often hard to get them to take their medication.
You said he was drinking and late, but is that due to the mania or depression? If he's in a depressive state, you should expect him to be very... damn, what's that word, where you just don't care. If you tell them they won the lottery, they'll just shrug, because they're emotionless.... they just can't get happy. Either they'll just shrug it off if they're in the depressive state, or cry on the spot.
If he's manic... the words might just bounce off him, and he'll think he didn't hear them, and think everything is still great. Or he'll try to talk himself out of the situation... or he could go berserk and attack you. Hard to say.
You said he was drinking and late, but is that due to the mania or depression? If he's in a depressive state, you should expect him to be very... damn, what's that word, where you just don't care. If you tell them they won the lottery, they'll just shrug, because they're emotionless.... they just can't get happy. Either they'll just shrug it off if they're in the depressive state, or cry on the spot.
If he's manic... the words might just bounce off him, and he'll think he didn't hear them, and think everything is still great. Or he'll try to talk himself out of the situation... or he could go berserk and attack you. Hard to say.
K-W area music store, eh? We've probably met.
I'd call the local PD and give them a heads-up on what's going on first thing tomorrow. Pepper spray or stunguns are good, but doubtful you'll be able to procure one in this short of a timespan. Looks like your best choice for nonlethal defense is a bat or other heavy implement. If things get really ugly, a knife is the best thing, but you should be aware that it can be considered lethal force. Don't bring it out unless he's got a knife himself.
But hopefully none of this will be needed.
- M4H
I'd call the local PD and give them a heads-up on what's going on first thing tomorrow. Pepper spray or stunguns are good, but doubtful you'll be able to procure one in this short of a timespan. Looks like your best choice for nonlethal defense is a bat or other heavy implement. If things get really ugly, a knife is the best thing, but you should be aware that it can be considered lethal force. Don't bring it out unless he's got a knife himself.
But hopefully none of this will be needed.
- M4H
Take what steps are needed to prevent any confrontation. There is no reason for you to get involved with any type of exchange with him. If you see him approaching, put yourself behind a locked door (car, building, etc) and immediately call the police. If he is from the local area and he has any history of behavior episodes, the police are likely to know of/about him. If he is a danger, they will 5150 him. At the very least, it will be documented that you called.
My exfg was bipolar. It's some serious $hit and unless they are on their meds, they are freaking crazy. Her moods would swing faster than Jose Canseco if she missed her meds for a single day. I'd recommend you just stay out of it and let the guy fail on his own. That is probably the best thing you can do for him. Don't try to help as he might misconstrue your help as trying to hurt him.
Jugs
Jugs
There's a big difference between bi-polar disorder and antisocial personality disorder, which is the disorder that would create the actions you fear. You hardly need to bar the doors and windows or even be afraid of this guy. The most dangerous thing about him is he's a drunk.
Just to (nicely) correct moralpanic: people who have manic phases but no depressive stages are still considered bi-polar. the term is called bi-polar type 3.
at any rate, good luck. i hope you don't have to deal with him again, unless it's because he's got it together again and he's applying for a job.
Just to (nicely) correct moralpanic: people who have manic phases but no depressive stages are still considered bi-polar. the term is called bi-polar type 3.
at any rate, good luck. i hope you don't have to deal with him again, unless it's because he's got it together again and he's applying for a job.
That makes me feel better. I don't know exactly what he was diagnosed with, just that the boss told me that he was "manic". I have never seen him depressed, if that makes a difference. He does, however, think he's the greatest thing, and just doesn't seem to live in the same reality as the rest of us. The biggest problem is that we just don't know where he is half of the time, and it's as if he doesn't care. He also doesn't seem to want to help himself, and he's had numerous times where he probably should have lost his job.
Well, they can act violently. When i was living at the Salvation Army halfway house, there was a guy that was bi-polar. I believe he was at the manic stage, and he wasn't allowed to enter the one wing of the place because it was being cleaned or something... but he wanted to pick something up. He got violent and started wreaking the place until he was allowed to get whatever he wanted.
Another thing, he was on lithium, and if he even had a single beer, he was completely out of it... it was as if he had a dozen.
ah, i never heard of this type or just forgot about it. Interesting that some people can just get the manic phase... i've met quite a few bi-polars from the environment i use to be in, and most try to self-medicate themselves because they like the manic phases, but try to self-medicate their depressive phases. I'm sure they would give anything if they could just have the manic phases without the depressive phase.
I don't really know what he's done outside of work. I have not personally witnessed anything more than the odd time where he got upset and blew his top. To his credit, he was able to walk away from whatever it was and cool down and come back as if it never happened. However, his roommate did come in one time with nasty bruises on his neck from where he was awakened while being strangled by him. He has never shown me anything but respect as he realizes that I'm far more qualified for the job than he is, but that I never made any hint that I wanted to take the job away from him. He and I seem to be on good terms, but I don't know what kind of behaviour to expect from him now. It's almost a given that he will lose his place to live and probably his girlfriend as results of this. Who knows where he will end up. He has apparently been in the gutter before and I would believe that he doesn't want to go there again, but he is definitely headed towards self-destruction.
Thankfully, he never showed up. Which is what I expected, but then again, his behaviour was unpredictable. We'll have to wait and see if he cleans his act up and comes back for a job one day.
Yet another update. He has been arrested for assaulting his girlfriend (not the first time he's done this!) and trashing her place. But apparently there are charges against him from 2 years ago as well. He is out on bail, and living with his sister about 1.5 hours away, as he's banned from the city. (I didn't know they could do that!?!?). He has been calling the owner at home and other employees at their homes, but fortunately not me. Bottom line is, the general consensus is that he will be doing hard time for a while, but this story still isn't over.
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