I don't work, and therefore I need something useful to do with my time. That is why I do volunteer-work. When I am well enough to do it, that is
It gets me out of the house, gives me a chance to see other people, and to socialize. For the most part I don't talk about my illness, at most I say that I have a cronic illness. It hardly ever is an issue though. Good to be in a setting where MI, is of no importance!
And I get to be around others who care about the same issues as me, which is great.
However, I make sure that I don't take on more responsibility than I can handle, just do what I can. Like help sort clothes that people have donated, help bake and cook for fundraisers and cake-sales etc, and just go and make myself useful in other ways in a project or event.
But I do have to be careful to stay a bit in the background, because if I get too involved, it will make me hypomanic...