I used to be high-functioning. I worked long hours at very stressful jobs, raised four kids, paid bills, went to church, went grocery shopping and all that "normal" stuff that people do. I did it for years. Then I just kept getting worse, and worse, and I began to lose jobs to this stupid illness. I wound up losing everything---my home, my upper-middle-class lifestyle, and a good portion of my dignity.

Now I'm on disability, so I don't suppose you could say I'm high-functioning. But within my sphere of influence, I do quite well---I manage my finances, can deal with the phone, come and go as I please. It's because I lead a relatively low-stress life. Yet I know I would decompensate quickly if I tried to work, or if I had to deal with constant drama. I'm fine as long as I can maintain the status quo.