I had to take 3 weeks medical leave this year because of a manicky/panicky episode, and couldn't go back until my doctor released me. He thought it was too soon, but he gave in because instead of stressing about work, I was stressing about not making money (I'd used up all my vacation time).

It was a bad move. I fell apart two hours into the day and had three crying spells within six hours, then was sent home. Three days later I was fired. I was a nurse-administrator and they couldn't have me bouncing off the walls or crying all the time. I've bben a lot better since I got out form under all that stress, except for this episode I'm triying to come out of that's making me hallucinate. But that's a whole 'nother post.

I hope things will work out better thatn they did for me job-wise. Sometimes stress just becomes too much and the mood episode is the way the universe tells us to get out of the rat race. Maybe teaching is too stressful for you atthis point in your life. Only you can tell if it is or not. Just know that a lot of us have been throught something similar and know how scary it is to have our lifvelihood threatened by bipolar disorder. My best to you.