I didn't realize before the diagnosis there was a pattern. I'm 30 and have only ever held a full time job for 4 months. My current job, which in the past I used to work 3 days a week and now I only work 1 day/wk is the longest I've held a job of any kind. 2.5 years. I'm a very responsible and hard working person. I go to school too, but have dropped out and gone back 4 times now. It's been 13 years I've been trying for a Bachelor's, but I haven't received any grade lower than an A-. I'm a perfectionist. When I do work, my performance is outstanding. The problem is my illness makes me burn out fast and my emotional state is usually depressed so even getting out of bed to make it to work or school takes sheer determination. Most days I have to leave early.

I wish I could be like normal people and make a sustainable wage. I have sure as hell tried all my life. I've applied for disability as a last resort. I'm barely functional these days. If not depression and anxiety, it's the fatigue and other side effects caused by my meds. This disease is crippling for most people. I'm not a wuss or anything. I fight every day to keep going to work and school part time. The doctors are amazed I can even do that. I've always been stubborn and not a quitter. Even when I have to stop something temporarily, I keep on going back trying to finish.

There's only so much you can do, but I'm using every ounce of my strength and I think everyone else on this site is too. This is not an illness for the faint of heart.

PS...I too am a writer. I temped in NYC where I wrote most of my novel. I finished it in May '08 and haven't looked at it since, although people have read it online and seemed to really enjoy it. No one becomes a famous author any more. The odds are greater that you'll get struck by lighting. Everyone is a writer just like everyone is a filmmaker. Not to try to dash anyone's dreams, but I decided to face the sheer numbers and not expend any more of my energy on it. I wrote it, I loved writing it, and that's all that matters. There are sites where you can share and read works from other writers and that's far more rewarding than the publishing process. TheNextBigWriter is one such place.

If he does become too disabled to work, I recommend applying to SSDI. If he's accepted, and assuming he has the strength to do anything given the challenges of the disease, he can write when he's able.