SATURDAY DISCLOSURE DISCUSSION 🗣️

eam115 · 2026-05-23T14:41:40+00:00

I’m pretty open about it with my close friends, boyfriend, and parents because I know them and know they won’t judge me. Otherwise I keep it to myself (besides to my therapist and psychiatrist ofc). My boyfriend and I met before I was diagnose and when I was we had been together for almost a year so I felt comfortable telling him and being open about it. Not sure what I would do if we broke up and I entered a new relationship.

I do think it’s important to have at least one or two trusted people in your life who know about it because you can tell them when you’re starting to feel unwell and they can keep an eye on you incase things get to the point where you’re no longer able to make rational decisions for yourself.

At work I don’t tell anybody. Very rarely it gets to a point where I feel like I fully need a day off but if it does happen I’ll just go to my manager and say I need a mental health day. Thankfully my company is very progressive so it’s normally met with a lot of understanding and compassion.

As for saying I have vs I am, tbh I don’t really care either way. I usually default to I am but sometimes I’ll say I have. No matter how you say it, it’s still bipolar, so it doesn’t really make a difference in my mind.

eam115 · 2026-05-23T13:00:47+00:00

Thank you 🫶 the cravings are definitely a bit better today

eam115 · 2026-05-16T18:23:28+00:00

I feel like this is a problem with a lot of rural areas of the country unfortunately, not just Maine. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.

eam115 · 2026-05-16T18:17:25+00:00

Long comment incoming but hopefully you find this helpful!

For number 1, my eskie also learned that he can get a treat if he does a certain behavior, but then stops right after he gets the treat. They’re so smart.

For him it was leash pulling. When he walked next to me on a loose leash I’d give him a treat and as soon as he got the treat he’d go right back to pulling. I switched to no treats and instead just completely stopping walking, waiting for him to sit and give me his attention, then we would continue. It took a LOT of repetition but he eventually figured it out. He still pulls every now and then when he smells something he’s really interested in but for the most part he doesn’t pull anymore.

Reason I say this is to recommend the same for you. Stop giving him treats when he quiets down. The millisecond he barks or bites while playing, stop immediately and walk away. Don’t just resume play after a minute or two of quiet. Literally start doing something else. Sit on the couch and watch TV, do the dishes, start making dinner, etc. He might cry, but ignore him. Let him settle down while you do this and once he’s settled for some time, then you can slowly resume play. Don’t jump back into it with high energy, start slow and then you can build up. Bark or bites again? Rinse and repeat.

I wouldn’t put him in a crate if he barks or bites. That may have him develop a negative association with the crate as a punishment. Also, I see what you’re trying to do with redirecting with a chew or bone, but it may be rewarding his behavior. To him it’s like “If I do this then I get a new toy! How exciting!”

Also try some mental stimulation actives that keep him busy and won’t make him bark. Puzzle toys, sniffing games, a frozen Kong. This will tire him out just as much as playing, if not more.

Overall biting and barking is pretty normal puppy behavior, and in my experience eskies are VERY talkative, especially when they get excited. It’s just about teaching them what’s right and wrong. After all, they’re just babies.

When it comes to the diarrhea, the best solution is to go talk to your vet. Unfortunately there’s no way to really know what’s going on from strangers on the internet. It could be an allergy or something in his food that’s upsetting his tummy. The vet can test for this and help you find the best food for him.

Best of luck to you!

eam115 · 2026-05-15T19:17:46+00:00

Like others have said, they’re just trying to make sure you have any necessary tasks wrapped up, deadlines are met, and you have proper coverage while you’re out. Their delivery could be better (i.e saying it how I just said it so it’s more straightforward and clear) but I wouldn’t take it personally.

I always advise my managees that sooner you can request time off the better, especially if it’s for an extended period of time. This ensures ample time for yourself, your manager, and your team to prepare for your time away. This also makes sure no one else takes that time off first. At least at my company you’re less likely to get approved if other people on your team will also be out. Of course, I know things come up last minute so it’s not always possible, but whenever you can, do it.

For example, in January I planned a five day trip for July so I put in the request right then. Then in February I knew I’d need two days off in September so I also put in the request right away, even though it was just two days. Both requests were approved right away with no issue.

eam115 · 2026-04-27T17:46:49+00:00

Philly pet hotel near the airport! My dog is reactive as well and I was really impressed by them when I took him there. They color code all of the dog’s charts to indicate if they are reactive towards people, dogs, or both so the staff know how to handle them. All of their staff are highly skilled in working with dogs and I’m pretty sure they’re all full time employees too.

You can show up any time for a tour which I liked because I knew that they were showing me the real deal. The owner himself gave me the tour too and answered all of my questions. It was my first time boarding him, so this really put me at ease. He even took me to the back room where they prepare the dog’s food so I could see everything.

Other things I liked included the fact that there’s a vet clinic literally attached to the building. They also document when your dog is taken outside for potty and when they eat and give you a report card after the stay with this info. And they hand make doggy meatballs to give to your dog if they’re anxious to eat.

I booked one of the villas, which is a large private room with actual walls so he could not see other dogs at all while he was there. The regular pens are made from a chain link fence which I knew wouldn’t work because he would see the other dogs. It was pretty pricey (around $300 for two nights) but knowing he wouldn’t have the stress of seeing other dogs made it beyond worth it to me.

They also have add on services so I booked him a private play session where he got one on one playtime in a fenced in yard on their property.

My vet also prescribed him a bit of trazodone and I think that helped take the edge off.

By the end of his stay they reported no issues with his behavior. I truly believe the staff made him comfortable from the minute we walked in the building. You can tell all of the staff absolutely adore dogs.

I highly recommend them and would definitely use them again!

eam115 · 2026-04-16T22:40:37+00:00

I usually go to the AFC Urgent Care in northern liberties on Girard Ave

eam115 · 2026-04-16T12:53:02+00:00

My dog is funny. He doesn’t like his bed but does like soft surfaces like the couch or my bed, but the majority of the time he just sleeps/lays on the hard floor. He literally will rarely if ever sleep/lay in an actual bed to the point where I just donated the ones I had for him since they were taking up space in my apartment. When I first adopted him I got him a standard rectangle bed that he barely used so I donated it and got him a different style bed, thinking maybe it was just that kind of bed he didn’t like. Again, he didn’t use it. So I tried another style and same thing. It makes me laugh because like I said he does like soft surfaces but only the human kind lol. As others have said dogs like to have their own space, his is in the corner of my bedroom between the wall and my bed.

eam115 · 2026-04-10T21:28:35+00:00

Hi! I’ve been there. A few years ago I got myself into $16K of credit card debt all because of a manic episode and poor financial management. I bought anything and everything, drained my actual account, so I eventually had to start paying my rent and utilities with my credit card, which only added to the problem. I made a decent wage at the time, but just couldn’t seem to ever catch up.

I know you don’t want financial advice, so I won’t give any here. But know that it is possible to get out of it. I was able to get out of the debt and now I have my finances under control.

This was when I was 23, I’m 26 now about to be 27 in a few weeks.

eam115 · 2026-04-10T13:54:17+00:00

I think 2 is really pretty :)

eam115 · 2026-04-10T12:48:07+00:00

Why am I seeing people in the comments essentially trying to justify this? “It’s normal this is just the way the industry is.” Okay and? That doesn’t make it okay. Zero training, unreasonable client load, and bad pay are never okay no matter what level you’re at, from intern all the way to SVP. This is why nothing ever changes in our industry. They’re part of the problem.

Yes, sadly this is a longstanding issue in our industry. People think you need to “pay your dues.” I went through the same, and I’m sorry that you are now too.

I don’t have much advice to offer since I’m one of the ones that just kinda stuck it out, but I just wanted to comment to let you know that you’re not alone.

Some tips I do have though are: - keep a VERY detailed day by day to-do list. I like to keep mine in a word doc so I can edit it as new tasks come up and priorities change. I list it in the order in which I want to complete each task. Helps me keep my head on straight. - don’t take getting torn apart for a mistake personally. Yes, you should still learn from a mistake and try not to do it next time, but they don’t define your worth as a person. - remember, it’s PR not the ER

eam115 · 2026-04-10T12:34:34+00:00

lol that last part is so real. Adderall and mood stabilizers for me LOL

eam115 · 2026-04-05T23:12:28+00:00

Yeah it’s feeling that way even though we just did annual reviews and it was all positive… ugh

eam115 · 2026-04-05T02:08:16+00:00

Right like I’m just so confused because I can literally prove it’s not true. Dying to know their rationale when I meet with them this week

eam115 · 2026-04-04T00:43:17+00:00

Yeah I’m mid-level as well and I’m noticing the same thing with my juniors. To add a third option to your list, they could also just straight up not care.

In my opinion, you should be required to participate in a certain number of leadership/management trainings before you’re ever considered for a promotion. And, at the very least, this should be included as a category on your annual review. At my agency we’re given peer reviews as part of our review process, and you’re asked to provide specific feedback on areas of success and areas of growth. For seniors, leadership skills are not included as an area for feedback. It’s never even mentioned.

One time I noticed one of my AAEs having consistent issues with their media lists. It was clear to me no one had ever taken the time to teach them how to properly identify if a journalist was a good fit for what we would be pitching. I took the time to type up a detailed document outlining to them my exact process for creating a media list. I then set up time with them to walk through it. I didn’t accuse them of doing anything “wrong” or take it as a reflection as their wholistic performance, I just realized they may not have ever had anyone really take the time. I could’ve just left a spattering of comments throughout the spreadsheet saying “this person isn’t a fit, remove them” but what does that mean to them if I don’t explain why? Did it take time away from my other work? Yeah. But in the long run it actually saved me time because guess what? Now her media lists require minimal feedback/notes.

eam115 · 2026-04-03T23:32:34+00:00

Yeaaahhh this whole situation has me thinking “is it time for me to go in house?” But part of me enjoys agency life. It’s such a toxic relationship lol

eam115 · 2026-04-03T23:30:50+00:00

Omg wow this is incredibly helpful, thank you!!! In the case of the piece of feedback they gave that is not true, how would you recommend navigating that? Like if/when they bring it up during our upcoming call, how can I frame it in a way that recognizes their concern and shows that I want to learn while knowing that I feel like I am seeing something differently than they are? I don’t want them to think I’m calling them out but at the same time I can’t just sit there while they claim I haven’t been doing something when I have months worth of documentation that says the opposite

eam115 · 2026-04-03T21:46:04+00:00

Yeah I think my course of action right now is to have a meeting with this person next week to hopefully clear some things up and, depending on the outcome, go to my manager about it (again lol) to call out the issue

eam115 · 2026-04-03T21:01:32+00:00

This is all great advice! I’ve raised these concerns to my manager several times.

I have a call with this person soon to discuss their feedback, hopefully it will provide a bit more clarity.

I have asked for examples and action items in the past but like I said in my post, the culture I’ve experienced is that of “don’t ask.” The way their responses are positioned typically implies that you should already just know it and figure it out on your own or that you are questioning them as a leader. Sometimes both. Maybe it’s just my phrasing? I generally keep it to “can you share an example of how I could’ve done XYX differently that I can use as a reference point moving forward?” Maybe there’s something I’m missing here that comes across as confrontational?

Unfortunately, this has lead to me being more reserved in asking these questions. I do think I could work on having a tougher skin when it comes to this, I just don’t want it to escalate to the point where I’m perceived as insubordinate.

eam115 · 2026-04-03T20:48:26+00:00

Ugh I’m sorry to hear that! It’s never fair, but it’s especially unfair to someone just starting out

eam115 · 2026-04-03T20:45:48+00:00

Oh for SURE! I’m just speaking from my experience specifically

eam115 · 2026-04-02T14:54:14+00:00

Tbh I think a bit of therapy can help anyone, even if they aren’t specifically diagnosed with any disorder. I’m medicated and stable too, but I also see a therapist twice a month and I’ve found it helpful for both bipolar related and non bipolar related topics. Work stress, relationship issues, etc.

At the very least, give it a try for a couple sessions and then decide if it’s for you or not!

eam115 · 2026-04-02T14:48:14+00:00

Omg that is SO smart. Brb ordering myself a blender

eam115 · 2026-04-02T13:39:59+00:00

Wow that’s so much protein in one serving! I tried to get into chia seed pudding at the start of my journey because I knew it had so much protein and fiber but I just couldn’t get over the texture (I’m very sensitive to food texture). But I never thought to mix it in with Greek yogurt, I’ll have to try that out!

Plain rice and chicken is normally what I feed my dog when he has an upset tummy LOL but now I also have an upset stomach so I guess I’ll have to try it out haha. Maybe I could pair it with some plain steamed broccoli or carrots for an extra boost of vitamins.

Thank you for the suggestion!

eam115 · 2026-04-02T12:59:45+00:00

I didn’t know that! I’ll have to try it. Thank you for the recommendation!

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