Ugh. So, I'm one of the lucky few of us that manages to hold down a job... mostly... while taking medication, still experiencing limited episodes, etc.

Recently, I was asked by my supervisor to start logging my visits to state healthcare (once monthly, for checkup and free medication collection) as sick leave. These visits take a maximum of two hours.

South African labour law specifies 'reasonable allowances' must be made for staff with mental illness - do you think I'd be justified in taking this up the chain and refusing? As 2 hours a month is hardly jetting off to Rio on a drug binge.

Secondly, and kind of unrelatedly, how do you let your co-workers/supervisors know when you feel terrible (because of BPd) and won't be in to work?

I find honestly makes me feel like a bit of a cretin.