Last year I was out of work for almost 6 months after I got my initial dx of BP1. Halfway through that time, my dx changed to schizoaffective bipolar type. What really got me back to work was the threat of not having a job if I didn't go back. In November, they decided to deny my STD, because apparently hallucinations aren't a valid reason to miss work. Who knew? Anyway, once it was denied I had to go through an appeal process and that was also denied. Technically, at that point, I should have been fired, but I went into HR and fought to keep my job. I went back to work two months after the initial denial. That two months between the time I was denied and the time I went back to work, my wife was working 70+ hour weeks to keep us afloat. So I guess my point is, I used the fear of not having that income to go back. I still struggle with not wanting to go in to work, and think often of having my pdoc or T put me on restrictions again, but the fact that we can't afford it keeps me going in to work.