I have a full time job as well (teacher like red panda). It is imperative for me that I keep it. I have never not had a job and/or been in school full time. As profoundly difficult as it is sometimes (like today), I have to keep coming. I watched my mother give in to depression and no matter how bad I am I just can't lie there if I have a work commitment.

Now on days like today I do give up and do vocabulary worksheets and not an intense lesson. But I can get away with it in my school.

Over the summer I had to leave my camp job because of bipolar. I went to a partial hospital program that kept me occupied but when they dropped me down to three days a week I lost it. I need to have some sort of consistency to anchor myself otherwise I'm lost. While I do suffer from mania, I am usually able to keep my delusions quiet, so know one knows. They just think I'm hyper. The worst is mixed, though. It is very difficult to maintain my composure then. The students can crack it much easier.

I hope I will always be able to work. I'm sure I would be nonfunctional otherwise.