Well, Lotus, I think I sort of answered that for me personally. I was on some powerful drugs, first of all, that kept me so doped up that I had a hard time remembering and concentrating. Not a good thing for a college professor!

Also, I was having to go in and out of the hospital and would be "out of commission," for a week or more at a time. All those absences don't help. However, that said, some people are able to get on the proper dosages of drugs and get treatment in general and can keep working. For example, I saw a tape one time about a medical doctor who was bipolar and was still able to keep working. So, I don't think a bipolar diagnosis automatically means a person will need to go on disability and/or drop out of the work force. Even I am able to do some part-time work as a free-lance writer now.