[desilva]

My Therapist and Pdoc both agree because of my history with jobs, abuse, past drug use and now being diagnosed as Bi-Polar 1 I may have to go on permanent disabilty forever and just do voluteer work. Does anyone else have these problems regarding not being able to work? Please I would like to here from all of you. Thanks Tammy

[dorsey555]

Hi Tammy,
I tried to go on disibility when i was first diagnosed in 2000, and they denied it , so i went back to work after being out for a month or more. I had just had my first manic episode, all with drug and alcohol abuse, acting out, going to jail, crashing my new car. Need i say more about relating to you? I've had some good days and some bad days in the last 7 years. I'm a nurse and i was getting into a lot of trouble calling in to work, getting self destructive, although no one at work knew how bad it was. I finally started working through an agency, meaning that i pick my days to work when they are available, and i cancel when i can't go. i still get into trouble at times with my self destructive behaviuor when manic. I just came out of a rough week, where i did a lot of posting and everyone helped me. i went to work yesterday and did a great job, although i was a little manic. i contacted a disibility lawyer about a month ago. I just didn't think i could keep working. He said to me, "as long as you can work do so, when you can no longer work call me." So i can really relate to you. I feel better about myself, and more productive when i can make it to work.
So, ask yourself:
.How do i feel about not working? would it be a relief? Could i control my disorder better if i wasn't working? is there something i can do, when i'm able to work? Is there something that I can work at from my home?
And then my friend, do what feels right for you. Because it's your life. A lot of people are on disibility, and a lot of people are still working with bipolar. Only you can say what's best for you.
I wish you the best,
dorsey

[Shyguy88]

I'm also bipolar and its hard for me to get a job. When I'm in my manic mood I'll act very irresponsible and do very dumb things which would get me fired easily from a job, when I'm in my depressed mood I get angry so easily, thats when I have a very trashy mouth and being hostile wanting to hurt the person that I'm angry with, then later on I'll feel real depressed about myself and then I get urges to hurt my self by cutting or burning. My mom signed me up for social security benefits and sent in a bunch of paperwork of my psychological state from pre-school throughout high school and SSI set an appointment with me the other day for a mental exam and the worker that was doing the testing on me agreed with my mom that I'm in no shape to work with my condition. So right now I'm just waiting for the response back to see if I'm accepted which I'm hoping that I am.

[bhorning001]

I just got approved for my SSD after two years of waiting. This was after losing 23 jobs in ten years. I start out fine and am usually one of the top people in the company, then the anger , panic and resentment start to build until one day I explode over nothing. I was told that I could still try to work as long it was within their allowable period of time...I think it was 8 months...I can never last that long though.

[skittles]

i have been through alot of job last year alone.. it start a job am fine for about a ,month or so then i get into a mood and everything goes down hill from there.. i tried for ssi and got denied..... they say im in fair condition and can work.. just work where theres not to many ppl around.. anywhere u work there ppl around... im apealing my case. but im also taking an online course for medical coding and billing... so that once im done with the course i can find a job where i can work at home.. if i dont find a work at home job i dont know what im gonna do cause i just cant take being out in the public.. right now im working only weeknds im not sur how long im gonna last.. last weekend was really hard for me i almost quit again.. but i made myse;lf stay.. not sure how long im gonna be able to make myself stay though...

[tracy33]

I was recently approved for disability. We won basically for my mood swings and focused mostly on the depressions and anxiety. It was hard for me to get out of bed sometimes and I'd sleep way too much. Also found it hard to take care of myself. I had very stressfful jobs. I had been hospitalized for 5 days as well due a manic/depressive episode.

[drummergrl]

DON'T FEEL LONELY!!!! I've never, never, NEVER been able to hold down a job longer than 3 years. I feel so inadaquate at times. Why did God make me this way? What's the purpose of ME??? That is what I ask myself all the time about my monitary worth. Well, nothing from nothing is still NOTHING!!!
Every job I got I was fired at for something stupid. Stupid is as stupid did......according to myself. I only had a security job and carried a firearm and belly club. I felt good.
After a while though, the job became too much for me emotionally. The bad wolf came knocking at my door. I'd let him in thinking this time was going to be different. Ha.
What the hell do I know? Not much. About disability.....I am married to a successful man so I don't QUALIFY for state disability. You have to fall into a certain criteria for that.
I do not!!! So much for that, and I've never paid into S.S. so
I can't get that either. Life sucks, then you die!!! Oh well.....

[drummergrl]

The icons at the top represent jobs I've held and lost.....
ME on the Titanic...........BEING *****ED AT BY BOSSES....
and the third....................SHOUTING TO MYSELF................
LOSER. LOSER....LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dorsey555]

hey everybody,

i hope that i didn't sound judgmental about working or not working with bipolar. i'm not working more than i am. i've had more nursing jobs than i could count. i always leave before i get fired. even working agency i still upset people with my call ins. i get real defensive and tell them that i have a medical condition.( i don't tell them it's bipolar, not so much fear as shame) i really hope that i can keep working for a while(maybe i should really get that book finished, i have 25 pages so far). i live alone, there is noone to take care of me. when i'm down i suffer alone (until psychcentral) there's noone in my family that can or will take care of me. i get real scared sometimes. i tend to overcompensate by being overly optimistic. please forgive me if i sounded insensitive. i've been a little hypomanic for weeks, so i'm feeling like ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

[shuba]

At 17 I joined the Navy for 4 years, This was my longest stint of employment, I had no choice. I was not diagnosed with BP/ADHD until later in life. I was a drug abuser and joined the military to avoid going to jail. I continued to abuse drugs in the service. In my 3rd year I ended being investigated by NIS for selling drugs, I didn't, my boyfriend was. Got busted kicked out of the service and went to jail. I have had so many jobs, never quit them, got fired for missing time, left a rehab, puched a co-worker, and just plain walked out. I'm 44 and 3 years ago I thought I found a job I could stick with, and got laid off. I have been working for 7 months thru a agency, and recently got hired, I have to wait 3 months before I get into the Union. I struggle with the work environment, I am getting depressed, and exerbated with safety issues, supervision, etc. I keep my mouth shut until I get into the Union.