Thanks for sharing your story. I have BP1 and have been lucky enough to maintain full-time employment since my diagnosis. What has helped me is that I get a lot of pride from my work (data analytics) and I have a lot of input into my work product.

You have a few areas to consider before making the decision to rejoin the workplace. First, an option that may help you transition easier would be to start doing volunteer work to build up your work experience and it may give you an opportunity to try a new and more rewarding career field.

For instance, with a social work background- perhaps you could go into non-profit fundraising or doing work with a non-profit as a volunteer manager. Being a social worker is one of the most emotionally demanding professions- it is very easy to get overworked and have a high case load. Establishing those boundaries with clients, and still doing a holistic review of their needs is a hard skill set even for someone without mental illness.

So I would suggest first volunteer to update your experience and meet new people, then seek part-time employment that doesn't go over your SSDI limitations to get your feet wet. If those things go well, then start looking for full-time. But give yourself plenty of time for that adjustment.