When I was working (I'm on disability now) I tried various things to help. One of my biggest regrets is that I did not push for things I set up then just lost out on. For example I had 2 jobs that I arranged from the beginning to have lower hours (one 36, one 32). In both interviews they said they'd hire someone for the hours I wasn't there. Both lied and then penalized me for not doing as much as the 40 hour per week physical therapist (I was an occupational therapist). I should have fought; instead I took it upon myself to try to keep up with their demands and realized only later that they were impossible.

Eventually every employer I had knew about my bipolar. I was on disabiity LOAs several times and other times was working with vocational rehab and they had to know. Reactions varied. Some were great, one was completely freaked out and started working on how to fire me from that day forward.

My last employer was great, just expressed surprise at the diagnosis and moved on like I'd said I had a cold. They kept me on disability for 3 months longer than I was entitled as I tried to get well enough to return; I had to resign when the necessity of SSDI became apparent.

Not much advice here, just that I had varied experiences and honestly couldn't predict well which would go over ok and which would not. I also did not stand up for myself a lot of times when I should have.