[Rainbow123]

So I haven't been able to go back to work full time but I have severe insomnia so I just did what I could and I work as a temporary substitute secretary. I work one week per month, sometimes two. Sometimes only a few days per month. Doing this allowed me to make $4,000 last year. I then filed taxes and got $300 more. I also make $5,000 more per year from social security, allowing me to survive. This allows me to get a lot of sleep per month. Vital to my health. I'm debating whether to go back to college or not but it seems to stressful so I'm not sure. For years I listened to psychiatrists who told me I needed anti psychotics which numbed and damaged my mind. I began to recover through the use of allergy pills for food allergies and vitamins and to reclaim my mind back. I hope to continue to use alternative medicine to claim my mind back and become stress free. Anyone else agree with me that this is the road to hoe? I went two years with no anti psychotic on vitamins alone for bipolar disorder and have had only a few minor relapses, only for few days per year which I managed with allergy pills.

[jadzea]

Rainbow, I am a true believer in alternative medicine and have done a fair amount of research into different options. Why don't you try guided imagery to help you sleep? There is a wealth of CD's available on the internet.

I have MS and I use guided imagery when my muscles are stiff and cramped. It really helps me. Let's face it, it won't hurt and you will feel so much better if it works.

[thwartedbyworkmates]

I am a new member here, but can relate to your situation. Quite a number of years ago, I went through a similar situation. I just could not work steady due to health reasons and so did temp work for many years. I must say, I did enjoy the variety of positions and the fact that I was not "tied" to one company or spot "forever." I was also taking depression medication and learning to cope through cognitive therapy. I found the cognitive therapy helped more than the medication. I even had to go off the anti-depresant medication as my dr. told me I was "over medicated." I guess the medication was not benefiting me anymore - I turned to congnitive therapy. I also found exercise and vitamins beneficial. Eventually, I was able to return to working full time. It was a long recovery road, so don't get discouraged. The fact that you are working part-time and doing temp work shows you are on the right path.

[redbandit]

I think that is awesome you are managing your symptoms without drugs! I am sooo sick of all the dif meds my drs have put me on. It makes me wonder, am I really any better now than I was before meds?? I was able to graduate college, but my symptoms have gotten worse in the past few years, and working is really difficult. I am going through a vocational rehab to try and find a job. Good luck!

[spondiferous]

I agree, congrats on managing your symptoms without drugs. That is one of my health goals. I am not sure I want to try it right now, as I'm not sure what my symptoms would be like without them. But one day I want to be relying on alternate medicine alone.
As for the other stuff...I am on disability, and while I make enough to live on, that's all I make. It's tight. But it does allow me to take care of myself. I have often contemplated going back to work because I get frustrated when my shoes wear out and I can't buy new ones, or I need new socks, or I run out of groceries a week before the end of the month. But I know that if I go back to work, a.) I'm not even sure I'd be able to handle it at this point, and b.) I'd have to give up a lot of my treatments that I'm doing right now. Disability in my country allows me to work on top of the insurance, to supplement my income. I've tried looking for jobs with only a few hours but they are pretty much non existent.
I am in the process of trying to get into college, doing the dance with financial aid. I know that I can improve my situation greatly in the long run: going to school and completing a degree would give me confidence in myself, the material I'd be studying would allow me to process and heal some of my feelings about the injustices happening on a daily basis, and I would eventually be able to get a job that's more like a career instead of having to mess around with minimum wage or low-salary jobs for the rest of my life. But yeah, I worry about it being too much for me to handle. I'm 34 now, and I have no previous college, so I'm starting at the beginning. At best I might only ever be able to attend part-time, so I may be looking at my early- to mid-forties by the time I graduate. And that may or may not include my Masters, which is part of my long-term educational goal.
I have decided that I am going to try it anyway, because I'd rather know than not know. And I also know that for me, the idea of something is usually a lot scarier and more overwhelming than actually doing it. I think it's just a matter of weighing what you want versus what you're capable of, realistically. If you're just finally getting your sleep and other things in order, you may want to hold off a bit on making any other major decisions. But if you've been stable for awhile and you think you might be ready for a challenge, something to engage your mind and other senses, then it might not hurt to consider a next step. Because I know that for me, a lot of my worst thinking tends to center around feeling stuck because I don't think I'm ever going to be able to accomplish anything or have a life again. Plus, I'm a firm believer that there's no harm in trying.
Good luck with everything, regardless of what you decide.

I like your plan
It seems to work well.
And you also avoid the stigma
of not working too.
Good job!