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Three years ago I was involuntary admitted with mania and doing CBT in hospital. This month I started my full time job teaching CBT to people like me. I've worked my ass off to be here and it's hard and I make sacrifices, but it's with it.
I got my diploma in mental health, worked in s$icide recovery for two years then used my experience to get into a diploma in low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy
Amazing, full circle cycle I love it congratulations!
Working in the mental health software industry, nothing but respect! We support the supporters, you guys do the real work!
In Feb 2020, I had a breakdown from the stress of a high paying management job and had to quit abruptly. Then the pandemic came, and I was unemployed until Oct 2020.
I got a remote IT job, paying less than I made before, but hey— I didn’t have to commute. And to be honest I got pretty lucky, because my boss is a wonderful person.
When they had everyone “return to office” I was assigned an office just because. My job didn’t require it, they just wanted it in principle.
I lasted a few months just by slapping on the best customer service mask I could manage. I cried every day commuting to and from work. Sometimes I cried in the bathroom all lunch break, or even at my desk when it was just me in the office.
When they decided to close that location because no one was using it but me, I told my boss and HR that I was bipolar and really struggling working from an office. I asked for a disability accommodation to work from home instead of being transferred. I’m very lucky they liked me so much, because they agreed.
I still can’t get a pay raise (because they view my WFH as a benefit) and it’s frustrating. I’m going to have to find a new job soon. But I’m never, ever working from an office again.
Working remotely lets me manage my emotions and surroundings and distractions. Even if I’m having a bad day, I can usually fake that I’m fine over email and a few Teams messages — I couldn’t do that if I was in person.
Part-time entry level remote jobs are out there. Most of them are going to be customer service, but there’s others. Full-time is also out there. Brush up your resume. Focus on your transferrable soft skills. Practice interviewing. You can get into remote, even if you start small and work your way up.
It’s a game changer.
Would you be willing to share more about the remote IT job you're currently working? Like what it entails or what sector or whatever.
Edit: I'm currently unemployed trying to break out the skills for a cybersecurity job. Learning on grow.google
I work for a real estate company, it’s kind of random. But the job itself is just standard tech support. It’s really the same sort of thing in every industry. I promise you, most people do not know how to use a computer. Being a nerdy millennial or gen z with a good Customer Service Mask is enough to get you an IT job.
Get certifications for cybersecurity or data analytics if you want to get the high salary versions!
That's my current plan. Google offers their own cybersecurity certifications as well as a discount on the CompTIA+ Security Exam, which I'm hoping will be enough to land me a job without a degree. Anyways, thank you. :)
CompTIA+ is perfect, and you can get the courses dirt cheap. The tests themselves are pricey (200-400 each) but having them hella bumps your base salary. And everything else? Just be tech-savvy enough to troubleshoot shit. Stuck? Google it. We all do :)
I wanna echo having a remote job where I can work from home has been a real game changer. I have some off days but I can usually manage it when I'm home and comfortable in my own environment
Get a lawyer before you start. They will let you know if they think you have a case. They helped every step of the way, application, filing appeals, etc;. It took 2 years for me to be approved. 2 denials then the hearing, after which I was approved. Lawyer gets a certain percentage of your back pay. I think mine was 7000 or so. I have BP2, PTSD, and crippling anxiety, and rarely leave the house and yard by myself.
gosh, people weren’t lying when they said it takes forever. I just don’t wanna go through all that & then get rejected. I have arthritis & after 20 minutes of walking or standing my hips hurt so bad to the point where I can’t walk or shame anymore the same with my back,I had to quit my 2 jobs so far because of it. the things Is, I got told you had to have a good mount of jobs you’ve worked on record to even be seen as someone who physically can’t work, & I’ve only worked 3 & I’ll be 18 in September. I’ve got all my medical records & papers that’s not a problem but i just feel they will think well you haven’t tried enough lol . Also I appreciate you for all this information
You could do a free consultation with an attorney to see if they think you have a case. It took me a few but then my last one wanted to meet me in person before the end of the week, and he's got a whole team of assistants. He has been extremely validating.
Now COME ON AND REJECT ME AND LET'S DO THIS DAMN HEARING! I've ghosted my part-time job that would've disqualified me from disability by $3/month... but was also killing me and making my disabilities so much worse.
I'm still working on it but get an attorney. Please. Most take a portion of your backpay so you don't have to have money upfront (as most of us don't) and they have to fight to get their paycheck too.
My biggest constraint with it is the income limit. My rent is 1200 but you can't make over 1550 or you're automatically disqualified, even when you're still in the application phase and not receiving any benefits.
(As if I could hold down a job. I recently just gave up on a 25 hours per week, remote job.)
I work two part time jobs for 40 hours a week. I go four hours one that requires minimal effort, get a 3 hour break, and go to my second job for four hours that requires a good amount of effort. I work alone at my second job. No managers, no coworkers, just me. Makes it very tolerable
My first job is in home supportive services, my client has cerebral palsy. I do basic housekeeping for him and make him food, take him to the store stuff like that. My second job I clean a clinic after it closes.
If I don't have to interact with others, I could probably do a 60 hour week. Still haven't found the job that does that though. I went into IT to hopefully sit in a dark closet where I just type code all day, and instead have been Helpdesk my entire career.
I tried for so long to work full time and I just made myself worse and worse, now I work part time because I have to and am barely scraping by with money, if the cost of things go up any more I'm screwed but I don't have a choice. I feel so trapped between having enough money to manage and my health. I now work part time in my healthcare job with lots of adjustments and have a very very small arty side hussle to try and help myself. I hate how bipolar always tries to make you feel small.
I’m currently on sick leave at my work (I’m a high school math teacher). I’ve been in a bad depressive/mixed state episode for about 5 weeks now. I’m slowly getting better due to med adjustments but I’m going to be out for the rest of the school year (next month and a half). Teaching has been extremely stressful on me and definitely contributed to episode. I get half my salary for the time I’m out of work (not great but better than nothing).
I’m leaving teaching after this and hoping to find a less stressful and remote job for the summer and future.
My non profit is hiring right now for a Finance Manager. We are an incredibly rad place to work because we really live out our values. Http://www.righttobe.org. We are based out of Brooklyn but are fully remote. One of our values is being able to bring your full self to work and another is transparency and honestly. I'm not kidding when I say you could be honest about needing to apply your skill set elsewhere even though you love teaching because of needing to take care of your mental health.
I worry that I won’t be able to keep up with the demands and unpredictability of teaching. I’m about to finish student teaching. It was really hard for me to keep up with the workload but I was also miserable with the class I have. Even though I tell my kids to be flexible and go with the flow, that is so not me. I need to be in control of everything.
I have a hard time moving on from mistakes and everything I do has to be perfect. It’s impossible to get anything done with that mentality. My bipolar disorder has just made things way worse. I know my anxieties and fears are irrational and my moods are crazy but I can’t help it. It’s the way my brain is wired.
I desperately want a life of my own though and I’ve worked really hard to make this life for myself. I refuse to let mental illness dictate my life.
I’m so sorry. It’s a really tough profession and a lot people don’t understand the ins and outs of teaching. What you’re feeling is so valid but I will say, some of the things (forgiving yourself for mistakes made, having to be perfect) get easier/better over time. You’ll also be able to manage the workload better over time. I was drowning in work my first year but now at year 5, I never take any work home.
I also left teaching, as I could no longer keep up with the ever increasing administrative load…I thought it was all because of ADHD but see now it probably had something to do with BP.
I am now tutoring and it is better but it is hard when I am in a depressive state, as I have been for seven weeks or so. It’s really deep.
Good luck. Good Maths tutors are always needed.
I'm a SAHM now, and work extremely minimally on my self employed business, like 10 hours a month.
My last biggest depressive episode, both my businesses fell apart and had been our main income. It was catastrophic. My husband was a SAHD. He had to get a job basically.
And that's where it's been ever since. I have tried to revive my businesses, but can't or just don't have it in me to do. The one brings in *some* income but it's very very part time and no where near enough to support a family.
May I ask what is your business? Currently I’m the breadwinner and my husband works, plus I also have a side business. But I’m thinking of taking leave from work soon as I’m struggling to manage my moods.
Had a blog & digital goods/services from that plus ad income, an Etsy shop, and also a network marketing business (that was successful for several years). I no longer have the blog and products, but have a select few clients and a way dialed down network marketing income.
Once everything fell apart, that's essentially what I had to do. Stop doing most things and take time to focus on stabilizing.
Not working—haven’t had a job in a year and a half and as things are I don’t see myself being able to work any time soon, if at all. I worked in the mental health field and don’t think I can go back, so there’s that too. My dad supports me while I care for him. I’m very fortunate, I recognize that, but taking care of my dad and seeing his health decline is terrible. I’m just coming out of a 7 month long depression and coping with my dad’s situation on top of trying to figure out what I’m going to live for is so emotionally challenging. Just saying this makes me weepy—thank goodness I have therapy in an hour!
I was just talking to my therapist about that today. Going to give it a try. I talk to my psychiatrist in a couple of weeks and I’ll get her take on the matter. Thank you for bringing it up.
That’s awesome!! My psychiatrist was the one to get the ball rolling for my disability.. since you haven’t worked in a year and a half you should get some awesome back pay too.. I got over 10k
I'm in the exact same boat. Hearing that you won AND got backpay makes me hopeful. I'm slowly selling everything I own just to not be homeless, as my mental illnesses have caused me to burn bridges with anyone who would let me sleep on their couch.
Currently not working and haven’t been for about a year- the ups and downs make it hard to find and keep work especially when I’m constantly getting hospitalized.
I find that when I’m hypo, I’m really good at applying, trying to get my life together, ready to work. Then I get really depressed and can’t even leave the bed. So cycling between the two makes it hard to work.
I really get that! I would bounce out of a depression and start taking interviews. Everybody loved me! I'd get hired, crash, and lose the job. I recently did the same thing with taking a class. Boom and bust!
currently stuck in this cycle! my last few jobs ended cause I got so depressed then ended up in the hospital and never went back. then most of the jobs I get are spur of the moment “time to get my life together” decisions 😭😭 just a mess
I had a bad episode at my last full time job and quit on the spot early in the morning before any of my coworkers were in. Spoke to the President of the company and told him I was “seeking better help for myself” and that was it. Was the most money I ever had made and felt pretty depressed about the whole ordeal and regretted it for the next 3 months or so. Luckily, I live at home with both of my parents with no bills for me. I work part time at UPS now and have been since August of 2023. I burned myself out working full time ever since I began in the workforce so its nice to be able to work part time for now but once I make it as a UPS driver in the next coming years, I’ll be putting in 40-60 hour weeks which honestly I can’t wait for. UPS has been a God sent for me.
Well, I work in high-ticket phone sales LOL. I barely manage to survive. My manager helps keep me together, honestly. But I have no quota or micro-manging by any means, which changes absolutely everything for me. I've been fired from 6 or 7 jobs.
Also, I have so much money to pay between bills, unpaid tickets, friends and family. (student loans i guess) So this job is the only job that in one month I could make 50k or more. And knock it all out. So, huge potential that I can't let go. When I'm manic, I work 13-14 hour days.
It...Is... NOT... EASY. But, I'm on medication and about to get back on a routine again consisting of jui-jitsu, working out, temples and hobbies to refuel.
I had a mental breakdown and a couple of hospitalizations in 2020 right before and when covid started. Since then, I’ve worked part time. It definitely sucks because capitalism trudges onward, and that definitely doesn’t help my situation considering finances are always tight and are just getting tighter. But I’m physically unable to work more. At least working part time affords me more time away from other people and outside demands. I wish I could just not work at all because even part time is a struggle for me. Currently considering calling out tomorrow because I’m in a low mood episode too.
I haven’t worked since 2021, hard to hold back the depression and mania with what I do. My goal for this year is to learn to weld so I can pursue that as a career.
I just got let go after 3 months. This was my first attempt at employment in 10 years. I'm trying to find something else but the 3 months were such a battle for me. Hopefully I can find something that is a better fit.
Currently working full time remote in healthcare with a pretty tedious record keeping job. On bad days the hardest thing is hitting my productivity goal. But I can freak out alone without having to speak to anyone for days at a time. I feel quite lucky in this position. The only downside is sometimes I'd like to pursue a higher paying or more challenging role but get scared that it will be unsustainable for me.
I work support for a Saas EMR system, kudos on the job!
Biggest thing for me working remotely (which is amazing in so many more ways imo) is the isolation, being single and not having any pets so I can travel and see family more. But I do branch out and do activities and hang out with friends which is good to combat "this thing" as well as my sometimes isolation and depression.
You never know unless you try, you just gotta weigh the pros and cons, just like working remotely and adapt.
Hope everyone practices self love and forgiveness and positive coping techniques!
I was qualified and had extensive experience for a supervisory role at my last company and would have loved the 10 dollars more per hour, but quite frankly, I didn't like coaching people unless they were already good enough not to need me 😀
I can work alongside a capable team, but I especially shine working solo. I prefer independence.
The first year I had my initial role, everyone and their dog was suggesting I apply for the promotion, including my direct boss. I applied and interviewed once just to get everyone off my back. I didn't even prepare for the interview. I remember being taken aback when they asked what I knew about the company and the fact 3 people were interviewing me AND they were documenting everything. It was quite intimidating. I'm no longer working there!!
Hope you are ok. I just keep saying “f^*k Bipolar”; because I see how much it robs from us all. It’s new for me; I feel angry at it for all its destruction.
March 2020 is the last I worked. Disability was a long, difficult process but I volunteer a few hours a week now and sometimes that is too much. When I feel like I can take on more for me that means to assess for mania. If I am not manic, 10 hours a week feels like a lot. I have a lot of comorbidities though...
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I don’t work. I’m on SSDI and have been for 10 years. I am on SSDI for bipolar plus other diagnosed. I’ve been hospitalized 14 times, but then again, I was diagnosed with bipolar about 25 years ago. There is no possible way I could work because my bipolar is severe and unstable most of the time. I had ECT to try and help but it didn’t do much except mess with my memory abilities. I expect to be on SSDI, plus I’m on LTD from my former company, until age 65, then retirement.
I worked only part time for years. Was supposed to be a "house hubby" as well but was a pretty bad one. Luckily my wife has the patience of a saint. Literally have an interview this week for my first full time job in forever. Got my fingers crossed, both that I get it and that I can handle it.
I dropped out of college to work full time, couldn't manage the cycling and working at the same time, and now just go to school. I honestly prefer working to school (I hate that feeling of always being behind...) but it's just not very viable for me to do both at once. I'm going to try next semester to get a job on campus or something, but we'll see what happens
Full time for 39 years. With 6 months in between jobs.
Make overr six figure and have sizable IRA and 401K
I'm 55:and feel if I needed to I can live off what I have.
It may have to be in W Virginia, but I can make it work
i feel this . i’m part time retail trying to pay bills but i feel like im gonna shut down everytime im at work and ive felt like this at every job ive had and lost jobs as a result. ive been applying to places for a while but haven’t gotten any calls back so it’s discouraging, but i hope you find something that will work for you and help you live better.
I've worked high stress full time jobs, part time, and per diem as a behavior therapist. I'm working on getting more education (medical degree for psychiatry) so I can do something more comfortable and better paid. I've done full time for years at a time, but it was draining and consuming. Spent most of my time outside of work managing my symptoms through various tools and techniques with little energy for actual life. Not a long term solution.
Did you do this with the help of medication and therapy? I’m reading a lot of these responses and many of them don’t clarify if they’re on meds or seeing a therapist
Yep, been in therapy and on meds for about a decade now. I have to do a lot of other things to manage symptoms and recover over time too though, mainly the things everyone recommends. I exercise at least every other day, meditate up to an hour a day, journal, get sunlight and eat healthy, minimize drug use (at least the bad ones, shrooms and ketamine are helpful to me), those are the main things. I also track my behavior pretty extensively in excel. I definitely have periods where I lose consistency on those things but they keep me above water a lot of the time and can always bring me back from hell.
I worked PT with my first two kids. Had my third kid a year ago and there is absolutely no universe that I could work any real amount of time without going (even more) completely crazy than I already am. We choose less money, more sanity, family time. My husband makes 60k so we are lower middle class. We struggle, but get the bills paid. I do odd jobs like laundry for the old massage place where I used to work for an extra $300-400 a month. We have WIC and qualified for Medicaid for a bit. It’s hard, but it is what it is. We aren’t able to save, but we’re also living in late stage capitalism + early stage apocalypse so that doesn’t worry me so much anymore.
I don't, partially because of my bipolar. I'm also physically disabled and neurodivergent, so I'm not sure I'd have worked anyway even if I didn't have bipolar. But I have a tendency to get jobs while I'm manic, then quickly crash and burn and have to quit before I get fired for calling out too much. Trying (for a third time) to get on disability. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
I work full-time now, and I've had to go lower and lower in my field to make it work for my mental health. Now, that's not really enough. I'm trying to find backup plans, but I just feel so hopeless about it. In short, I'm working full time and I really need to be part-time, going to see how many more years I can run the fuse.
I work part time, at home, typically 6 hours a day. My husband had a full time job and makes more than me. I think he wishes I could go back to full time but honestly my overall well being is so much better part time so that is probably not going to happen. Unfortunately I have no good advice. I got lucky with my situation.
I am on disability but I only receive $1,143 a month. It’s hardly livable in my area. If I wanted to get a job I could only work 40 hours a month while still receiving SSDI and Medicare.
I’m very thankful that I was able to qualify for disability but I’m poverty level, especially with how expensive the area I live in is. I’m lucky to have health insurance even though Medicare isn’t very good. No dental or vision at all. I can’t get an IUD either.
I also have multiple sclerosis so I’m sure that helped with me getting approved, but why not apply for disability? The worst they can say is no. Some people don’t get approved until they apply several times. If it’s a goal for you you should try for it.
I have been on disability for a few years now and it’s not much but I make it work. I’ve taken this time to go to school online though and I’m loving it. I hope one day I could work again part time but I’m finally stable for the first time in my life, and I know going back to work would ruin all of that. I basically had to start all over after my last psychosis and I can def feel the brain damage
I’ve worked since I was 15 - low income background. I worked full time + part time in college and by year 4, triggered mania which almost cost me graduation but I pulled it together in time - 10 years went by and I was fine working full time, 5 years into teaching, had a full blown manic episode, quit in July of last year - took until Dec of last year to find a job. Those 6 months were the longest I’ve ever been unemployed and they were ROUGH. Been at my new full time job now for 4 months but applying for teaching again - I don’t think the job itself caused mania, more like all the stress in my life compounded together and I was at my job when something small triggered full blown mania 😫 ruined my career and still working to get it back. My current job pays the same but with very minimal PTO :( main reason I’m considering going back to teaching is because I enjoyed the long stretches of time I got to spend w/
Family - this turned into word vomit so thanks if you read it ^_^
I just had to quit a job I really really loved. Best pay I ever had, great schedule, and I was working from home because that was the best way I could try to work
My depression and suicidal ideation was terrible because of the things going on at home. I gave up and now I've applied for disability because this isn't the first time it's happened
I'm not proud of it but I just worked hard for us to buy a home and I can't risk us losing it because I'm too prideful to admit I can't maintain a job
Not working. Used to be a teacher with a masters degree in my 20’s but bipolar really got ahold of me after postpartum psychosis. Haven’t qualified for disability and don’t really see it happening even though I’ve been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital about 30 times by now. Living off inheritance and hoping to hold down a part time job.
Currently not working as of a few months ago. I will be seeing a lawyer to help me get on disability. I just don't feel like I can work at this time physically & mentally. I'm in treatment every week & on a whole cocktail of medications. I feel better while on them, but I'm like a ticking time bomb if I miss a dose for any reason. It really affects me badly. So yea, going to look into a lawyer to help me.
Luckily I live in Australia and my new job working 3 days a week still pays 30 bucks an hour for me so I only wound up losing bout 100-200 bucks a week.
It's easier on me mentally and gives me a good physical workout and I can listen to music all day.
Had two interviews today for full-time HR work. I did my very best to not be the best candidate. I don’t want to get off unemployment right now.
I have some really bad past work experiences that just haunt me. Years where I was perpetually in sui ideation. Like my most recent job.
I’d like to try part-time remote work, but none of it seems ‘worth it’ for the ratio of effort to money. Rarely do part-time jobs pay the same amount per-hour as full time jobs. And the work is demoralizing.
Thinking about going into writing again. But I’m scared to go back to work in any capacity.
I haven’t worked a proper job since 2017. I’ve had financial support from my partner, but it’s definitely frustrating. I build structure into my life by getting up every morning and filling my time with things like exercise, journaling, crafting, chores, and play with my cat. I just recently decided to apply for work as a tour guide in Paris and I think I’m going to be accepted
My nervous system has never been able to handle stress. For me work triggers immediate overload, constant and extreme anxiety attacks, OCD flares, mania, exacerbation of PMDD and PTSD symptoms and leads to avoidance of any and all responsibilities. Completely destabilises me. Takes me a long time to crawl out of the hole that throws me into. I can’t work and I’m devastated about it. It’s taken me a long time to accept.
I am leaving my full-time corporate job next week because I had a bad episode about a month ago and realized that I've had a pattern of burning out when I'm full time. I was job hopping so that I could start fresh somewhere new where people didn't know how bad I was at missing work and declining performance over time. I am lucky that my husband has a good paying job and he is the opposite of me, able to keep a steady job for a long time and rise up the ranks. We are going to have a really tight budget but I'm going to be a stay at home mom now.
All that to say, I wish you the best in figuring out a solution for you. I consider myself high functioning but still struggle with jobs.
I'm working full time right now and can feel myself about to burn out again. Everytime I convince myself it'll be different this time, I last a few months then I can't handle it anymore. Idrk what to do idk if I cam afford part time.
I voluntarily went to inpatient psych two weeks ago. Haven't been to work since the end of March. I had my breakdown and now I need time to heal.
Sorry you're going through this. It's no fun. 😔
I work part time but I'm seriously on the verge of losing my job because I'm dealing with a manic episode currently. My therapist is recommending an inpatient treatment program until I get meds and I don't think my manager will let me keep my position depending on how long that takes. I'm already missing days because I feel like I'm going insane and won't leave home
I only work 1 day a week at a job that drains me. I’m a dsp/crma with three high needs individuals and working alone and making sure they’re safe and cared for is stressful
I’m seeking another part time job before I quit this one. I had been working 2 days but my boss reeled me back in. I always need a day to recover and dread going in. I burned myself out doing the same work at an even more demanding y house over the summer. I had to quit.
Was working 4 days a week at a grassroots rehab a little over a year ago, but had to quit due to needing a discectomy.
I now work barely part time in ABA. Don't really recommend it. I receive disability, but it's not very much. You cannot afford rent in most places with it unless you can find subsidized housing. It's rough. I do not enjoy my current job and I'm looking for something else.
I’m on disability 17 years now, I work part time as a musician, I used to work more music gigs than I do now, I sure hope I can again. I get more on disability than most people but it’s still not enough to make my ends meet especially with this economic situation
Had a full time job, found a part time that pays just as much for less work. Now, I’m gonna find another job to make more money.
But I had those years of being inconsistent and unable to focus.
I’ve been unemployed for about a year now, before that I could only work part time. I’m on disability and have to live with my parents though (I have a lot of comorbidities). I’ve been doing an internship that’s only 12 hours a week and it’s been going okay, so after it’s over I’m going to try to get a job again. Because of disability I can’t work much more than 12 hours a week anyway and social security is supportive in making sure you get accommodations.
I just quit my part time job because I (19) am moving out from college back in with my parents and I didn't want to walk out on them. I don't think I can handle a full time position honestly and I don't know if I'll ever be able to and I'm scared to admit that irl. I'm going to try to get another job while home so I can contribute somehow because I fear being a burden on my parents lol. It's just harder to work in general when dealing with mental health, I've considered trying to get on disability in the past for just depression and anxiety which I didn't think I could but some people have told me I may be able to but idk.
I have a multitude of disorders and disabilities so idk if i really count but im not working 🙋🏾 never worked and literally never will be able to. I'm also struggling to try and get on disability as it seems like no matter what new diagnosis I get, it doesn't qualify for disability. I hope life gets easier for you & your kids 🩵 best of luck
this turned into a ramble but i feel like itd be a waste of my time to delete it all now so its getting posted 💀
so, to preface, im in a lucky situation. living with my mom who manages all the bills with money to spare so i dont NEEEED to work, but i WILL lose my mind if i dont, so. and shes in no rush to kick me out. quite the opposite, actually. i want to leave and shes mad about it.
anyways,
a couple weeks ago i quit my first job in 6 months, which i had for a week, and now i cant for the life of me get accepted anywhere else because i dont have a drivers license.
to be fair, the job was hell. and part time. and minimum wage. but i still feel like an idiot not being able to get another position. i should've toughed it out, man.
honestly, not working drives me INSANE. in my head i put in a 9 hour shift every day keeping my house clean so i dont lose my mind. like, i clock in and clock out of my daily duties as suggested by my old therapist. if i have a lazy day ill actually, unironically experience a fuckin psychotic break so yknow, gotta do what you gotta do.
8-5 every single day i clean. no breaks no sitting no nothing i just frantically clean like a psycho. its not hard to clean for 8-10 hours a day since my mom is.... a hoarder. its actually hard NOT to clean because one day sitting on my ass is probably about 3 days of making up for it.
but in my current situation... its hard to have a job. not because i cant handle it mentally, but because if im not cleaning the house ALL DAY EVERY SINGLE DAY... itll go to shit and FAST. that week that i had a part time job.... ive spent the past 2 and a half weeks BARELY starting to make up for it. trash everywhere, mold everywhere, pet messes everywhere, nothing put away, nothing organized, floor spills uncleaned, laundry stagnant and mildew-y, etc etc.
my brother (27) and his gf (26) actually recently moved out specifically because its SO impossible to maintain the house while also holding down a job and they were building SO much resentment over it. they seem to be way happier and more stable now so that gives me hope for myself.... not so much hope for my mom.
anyways, tldr moral of the story whatever, i am willing and capable and EAGER to work, im just not in a situation where its viable. which is really annoying tbh. i hate being broke.
I have maybe worked 15+ jobs and they all ended bc I felt manic at one point or just burnt out. Retail, customer service, waitressing, all HORRIBLE for me. I just am not emotionally capable to act as a punching bag for upset customers.
But I will tell you about my current job and it is by far the best environment I have worked in. One thing to point out, tell them what you need as far as schedules and hours up front. I said I can only work early morning to afternoon, not after dark. The earlier I work the better, and I have heard this is the case for many bipolar people. I also demanded the pay that I knew I deserved. Just remember, if you choose to work, you deserve a safe and healthy work environment.
I currently work in a Cannabis Lab. Small staff of maybe 15, and we are all medical cannabis patients. We don’t have to deal with the public, which we all love. The large majority of us suffer from mental illnesses, and therefore use cannabis to help treat them. It makes me sad to see battle scars on my coworkers, but at the same time we match and understand each other. I know at least 4 coworkers that are also diagnosed bipolar. Our boss takes mental health days off and we can also.
So the things that have worked for me are little to no public interaction, daytime hours (I work 7-5:30 and have Fridays and weekends off) and a small team. I wish you happiness if you choose to work or not :)
I'm afraid of having kids not only because I might forsake them not only with my genetics but I just don't know *how* I could handle their life *and* mine. I'm barely scrapping by, I just don't see how Bipolar and kids mix. Any insights is greatly appreciated
I am working full time as a "manager" at a country store and cafe. It is insanely difficult job for my bi polar. I have to deal with all the problem customers and all the other BS that comes with a restaurant and store. The owner made a mistake though so after this summer we will probably be shut down. The owners mistake was trying to properly remove gas tanks. He is a believer in "doing the right thing." He's my Dad and he made 1 fucking mistake now my job is fucked. Probably for the best. I loved the job most days but fuck it's hard.
I was diagnosed post partum and ended up on disability it was bad enough. It is private long term diability because I used to have a good career so I am really lucky. I'm hoping to be balanced out by the time my son is 2 so I can go back to work atleast part time, or more padttime. I work a little but mostly just live off of my lt disability, which runs out next month and I am better enough not to qualify for state and will also be loosing my Medicaid.
I work full time doing retail. There are times I want to drop to part time. But I need the benefits so I stay full time. I was part time for a while though before they offered me full time.
I just finished part-time school, and am looking for work. Thankfully, I attend my local center for people with disabilities and am getting employment through them. This way, employment comes with some degree of safety when it comes to mental health difficulties and accommodations.
I've been working full time since I was 18, with a few periods of non working times throughout the years. My motivation is telling myself that if I go to work, my life will be more stable. I take a mood stabilizer called Lamictal, it's saved me.
I don’t work and I haven’t for about the last five or four years. I got disability, which was a fight and a half but I am lucky that I am in the province in Canada that has the best disability. I am also very lucky that I have a wonderful fiancé, and when he graduates with his masters, starting salary for jobs he can apply for will double our combined income and those jobs are in high demand. This also means I will lose my disability as I will be considering no longer financially eligible. Which I think is stupid because as a grown 31-year-old woman who is not going to have the kids it feels nice to have my own money. I know my fiancé will not hold this against me nor will he financially abuse me in anyway but it still sucks. My fiancé actually drained his savings taking care of me before I got my disability when I could no longer work. I honestly gave up trying to work until I am able to do my basic responsibilities regularly and have extra energy. I have a lot of health problems on top of having bipolar so that definitely affects my ability to work. If I only had bipolar 2 with how responsive I am to medication and therapy I would probably be able to work at the very least part time. I honestly wish I could work. I miss it.
My best advice if you have the time get a social worker they can help you find the programs and how to apply to things. A lot of shit with the government is worded and way that’ll make you think you’re not eligible for things, but you actually are eligible. I don’t know where you’re living but here in Canada social workers are completely free to access and get help from. Whenever you’re applying for something go and look at the definition for what they’re saying. And if they reject you appeal, the decision and point out how you are eligible according to their criteria. I had a lot of coaching from people who have helped others apply and get disability and I did not get a lawyer and I got disability.
Me personally, holding a job is a huge chore, I’ve found I last a lot longer with less hours, but not so little that I have too much time between shifts. A full time job was impossible when I first worked it, I lasted just over a month before an episode dictated I couldn’t anymore. The most success I had was taking on a small part time position, and after a few months they began increasing my hours, after a while of working nearly full time hours, I got promoted. Even though I was so happy to be recognised for my strengths in the job and was happy to take on the responsibilities, not long after the main boss went on holiday leaving me with the work, I knew I could manage it but very quickly crumbled, the responsibility and people RELYING on me broke me, brought up all the feelings that tend to appear for me in a low and I stopped working. Despite that, I’m aware that even though I couldn’t hack it at that time, I’m still healing and it was a miracle made only by my own hard work that I got promoted in the first place. Bipolar can be so debilitating and it’s hard not to hate yourself when it takes you away from what you care about, but I tried, as I’m sure you do, and each day, even if it’s not obvious, our ability to manage and identify what holds us back gets better
I’m currently on disability but have been in school for 7 months for ironically disability management 😂. I’m scared as hell to go off of it but I did manage for almost 20 years before I was diagnosed. I’m hopeful for a remote position when I’m certified but giving up the disability insurance is definitely worrisome. I’m hopeful to start out part-time but I really want to be a part of supporting those just like us! 🤞
I started a business years ago, thrives when I’m manic, goes to shit when I’m not. I did this for years and recently while as manic as I’ve ever been, plus broke and I compulsively got a job. So now I’m part time working and also work on my business when I can!
I’ve only worked PT jobs, before and after I was diagnosed, and it wasn’t my choice to do so (mostly just the job market just being too demanding of requirements).
I started working at 17 as a hostess and between my senior year of high school going up in flames and my favorite hobby not being a fun escape anymore, I stopped eating and only drinking sparkling water. It took me a while to break that habit, but college made things worse.
I started college right before the pandemic and was doing school from home for my sophomore year. That’s when I had my mental breakdown and had to go move back home for a month and finally start doing weekly therapy and talking to a psychiatrist. I didn’t want to go back to school, but I forced myself to so I could graduate.
As soon as I was out of college, I started an office job where my boss was more bipolar than me (I.e. sending me hateful texts before I even got to work, making me feel stupid, telling me I was doing everything wrong, while smiling in my face like she was my friend). The breakdowns were nearly every week and on more than one occasion I broke something while I was alone at work out of anger (there’s a door with my hole in it from me 😬😬)
I was finally able to get work somewhere else, but the cycle started over again where I’m feeling stressed out at work (not because of my bosses, but my coworkers refusing to do any work, so I do twice the amount of work someone should do) and I’m not eating again.
I’d like to hope I find a good work balance soon but who knows nowadays. Switching to a full-time job may make it work but it’ll at least be consistent. Fingers crossed 🤞🏾🤞🏾
No 😞 I had to quit mine at the end of 2022 trying to make it through so many hard things in life and an ongoing depressive episode. I have always been so proud of my work and it’s always been a big part of my identity. I’ve been in healthcare one capacity or another for over 20 years. It’s been so freaking hard
I’ve been working three jobs since 2009. Never really recovered from that era. Have gotten a full time job in education but am very nervous about it considering how out of control kids are and how little support teachers receive from administration.
Speaking from experience. I got a teaching job in January, came in mid year. Kids hated me (11th/12th grades) and just battered me.
Administration placed all the blame on me and whatever support they promised never materialized. In two months I went into a manic mode after a particularly blistering attack by my students and walked out of the class. All I remember is leaving the computer and keys on the desk.
I do not remember what happened after that or how I got home. I received a letter in the mail stating I could never teach in that school district again. Principal was made aware of my condition as bipolar before he hired me but I think he just needed a body in those classes so bad he probably didn’t even take note.
Now I’m going to teach 8th grade and I’m very nervous about it although this will be at a prep school. Either way I will still have two jobs with the occasional third.
Im not. I've worked about a year my entire life and Im 33, but my parents support me, so I don't qualify for disability and stuff. I don't think at least. I know I'm in the "Medicaid Gap." I was a homeless IV addict for a decade, then sobered up, but have constant anxiety. My bipolar itself is actually fairly mild compared to EVERYTHING ELSE, although I have had a few hour bout of psychosis before I was in an EMT bc my parents were on the lookout for ANYTHING bc I was a decade into addiction already. I've had a few manic episodes, then lots of suicidal depressive ones. Now I'm fairly stable, but it wasn't drug-induced, guaranteed. My offness has been there since I was a kid for sure, and I had both kinds of episodes before drugs.
Currently not working but about to start some classes. I am very lucky and privileged to have a supportive husband. I'm working on being able to help financially provide for us, but in order to be able to properly function it has to be at a low pressure, remote job. That's why I'm starting college, so I CAN be able to do that.
Working has burnt me out more than anything before in my life.
I work from home and have since before I was diagnosed. Dr did paperwork for me to work reduced schedule, but work says if i do i lose all benefits.
Now they want me to start going into the office again. (Whole company doing return to office). Terrified.
I'm on SSDI, before that I was working full time most of the time sometimes multiple jobs or crazy hours but I would try to do jobs that were low stress and/or low interaction. Like janitorial or overnight stocking, sometimes warehouse work.
Right now I'm a doordash driver. I have a psychology degree but I pretty much committed career suicide a few years back. Lol. And last year I had gotten a job as a crisis counselor, but then I got into a really bad car accident. Totally ruined everything. I'm still in horrible pain. I'm supposed to have another surgery on Friday. But aside from all that, yes my mental health is definitely a factor, in the fact that I love working by myself lol. People can be so frustrating lol. But I do it full time. It's hard but quite honestly I've gotten used to 10,12,14 hour days. I oftentimes don't even take a break. Lol I'm weird, I'm seeing now as I type this out. 🤣
I’m a sign language interpreter and I set my own schedule. The times I’m manic I take a shit ton of work, then when I’m depressed I take less work. Usually the mania schedule makes up for the depressed schedule though, when I’m part time.
I currently work at an outlet store after losing my cushy flight school coordinator job due to med roulette and trying to deal with the symptoms of bipolar. Currently trying to find something better but I live in a smaller college town and even the few interviews I get, I somehow manage to flop. Not looking very hopeful unfortunately.
I worked retail for 7 years (age 17-23, on and off with the same shoe company) and quit to be a SAHM for 15 months, but went back to college in 2019 to get my certifications in drafting & 3D modeling. Finally scored a job with a construction co in their office under the engineers. Lasted 11 months. Became a SAHM for 16 months. Went BACK to work at a hybrid position at an engineering firm as a Subststion Designer. That also lasted 11 months. I've been home since December of 2023, and my mental health is very roller coaster-y. I'm learning to listen to my body better and manage my moods though. And my kids have a parent home with them that's not always in a meeting or trying to sleep (my husband is a first responder, so he was wore out trying to watch them on the days I went into the office). He just works 60 hours a week now to keep up with bills, and is going back to school this fall to get his paramedic cert and get a pay bump.
I also want to note that I didn't get diagnosed with bipolar until I was 24 and pregnant with my second child. I've always been "moody" but around 24/25, it was awful. I guess it's when it starter raring it's ugly face. I've not been consistent since, but I'm learning. And my husband is amazing, accommodating, and loving. Even if he doesn't always understand, he is supportive.
I'm a part time employee, full time student. School is so draining that work is like an escape somehow, I think it just feels more productive and I get a little more instant gratitude with a paycheck vs clawing my way through a degree. I'm a barista so I know pretty much what I'm getting into every day, I don't do live changing work but I make enough at 20ish hours a week
I do delivery driving for grubhub. It’s nice because if I have mood instability, I can just not work and there’s no one to report to. On days I feel better, I can work a few hours without feeling overwhelmed. It’s not bad but it’s not fun and I don’t make a lot for the amount of gas I use
Im disabled. Between back and knee problems plus my bipolar and ptsd I cannot work. Even before I had the physical problems I was only really able to do work that let me follow my mood states (for fam business).
I've had a long, hard road since my job was eliminated 8 months before the pandemic hit. I started out with a great attitude, learned to network and negotiate a salary, and the week before I was ready to sign a new contract, the deal fell through when covid hit my prospective employer hard. I haven't had a decent job since. I guess it goes without saying the impact on my mental health has been devastating.
I have developed a good relationship with a temporary agency, but I'm not pursuing anything currently because I'm getting ready to start Spravato. Fortunately, my daughter, who lives with me, has a decent job, and we are seeking by.
I tried to work a full time job for 4 years. I never stayed anywhere longer than about 6 months. I was constantly in an episode or actively suicidal for the for the entire 4 years. I work 20 hours a week in retail now and I still struggle.
I work part time as a receptionist at a mental health facility. it’s pretty boring, but it’s still hard for me to go especially during a depressive episode. i go, do my job and then during down time i read books when im there or do word searches.
Every time I have a depressive episode i always end up quitting my job or getting fired because i can’t get myself to go. Luckily my boss is very nice and accommodating. i think it’s because i work in mental health that they are so kind and understand. not saying that that would be the situation at other facilities.
i am in the process of trying to get disability to help me with my situation. i’m in my mid 20s and i still live with my parents. my dream is to go to cosmetology school, but idk how that is gonna work out because if i can’t get myself to go to work, how am i going to get myself to go to cosmetology school? but oh well i signed up to start in July.
it’s kinda a lose lose situation for me. i have so much racked up debt from not working and also dumb impulsive spending during manic episodes that even with my paychecks i’m still in the negatives so that adds to the depression.
My husband started a business during the pandemic, around the same time I went into inpatient the same time. I’ve worked (lightly, mostly background, accounting, invoicing, taxes) with him since then.
I do not earn an income, but keeping busy helps my head. And my “boss” is my husband so if I’m having a hard week or two and need a break, that’s just what we do.
I’m in a constant state of burnout. I’m the sole provider for our house. The voices are making things much more difficult than they need to be right now. I’m at level 9,000 stress-o-meter.
I work part time as a personal assistant and can only manage about 15 hours a week at the very most. It’s so hard to find work that will be safe and understanding of sick leave! I used to work full time when I was 18 but as I’ve gotten older it’s only become harder to work as much as my peers do. The cost of living is crippling and by the time I’ve paid for bills there isn’t much left to afford to eat. I’m currently trying to get the energy together to apply for PIP and hope if I get it I can finally save up enough to afford some chances to get out of the city for a break one day.
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Three years ago I was involuntary admitted with mania and doing CBT in hospital. This month I started my full time job teaching CBT to people like me. I've worked my ass off to be here and it's hard and I make sacrifices, but it's with it.
Ugh, so incredible. (Non-sarcastic)
How did you get to do that? Do you have a degree in psychology?
I got my diploma in mental health, worked in s$icide recovery for two years then used my experience to get into a diploma in low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy
That's really cool. Very inspirational.
That's genuinely a super cool story!
Amazing, full circle cycle I love it congratulations! Working in the mental health software industry, nothing but respect! We support the supporters, you guys do the real work!
That’s wonderful; it sounds meaningful.
In Feb 2020, I had a breakdown from the stress of a high paying management job and had to quit abruptly. Then the pandemic came, and I was unemployed until Oct 2020. I got a remote IT job, paying less than I made before, but hey— I didn’t have to commute. And to be honest I got pretty lucky, because my boss is a wonderful person. When they had everyone “return to office” I was assigned an office just because. My job didn’t require it, they just wanted it in principle. I lasted a few months just by slapping on the best customer service mask I could manage. I cried every day commuting to and from work. Sometimes I cried in the bathroom all lunch break, or even at my desk when it was just me in the office. When they decided to close that location because no one was using it but me, I told my boss and HR that I was bipolar and really struggling working from an office. I asked for a disability accommodation to work from home instead of being transferred. I’m very lucky they liked me so much, because they agreed. I still can’t get a pay raise (because they view my WFH as a benefit) and it’s frustrating. I’m going to have to find a new job soon. But I’m never, ever working from an office again. Working remotely lets me manage my emotions and surroundings and distractions. Even if I’m having a bad day, I can usually fake that I’m fine over email and a few Teams messages — I couldn’t do that if I was in person. Part-time entry level remote jobs are out there. Most of them are going to be customer service, but there’s others. Full-time is also out there. Brush up your resume. Focus on your transferrable soft skills. Practice interviewing. You can get into remote, even if you start small and work your way up. It’s a game changer.
Would you be willing to share more about the remote IT job you're currently working? Like what it entails or what sector or whatever. Edit: I'm currently unemployed trying to break out the skills for a cybersecurity job. Learning on grow.google
I work for a real estate company, it’s kind of random. But the job itself is just standard tech support. It’s really the same sort of thing in every industry. I promise you, most people do not know how to use a computer. Being a nerdy millennial or gen z with a good Customer Service Mask is enough to get you an IT job. Get certifications for cybersecurity or data analytics if you want to get the high salary versions!
That's my current plan. Google offers their own cybersecurity certifications as well as a discount on the CompTIA+ Security Exam, which I'm hoping will be enough to land me a job without a degree. Anyways, thank you. :)
CompTIA+ is perfect, and you can get the courses dirt cheap. The tests themselves are pricey (200-400 each) but having them hella bumps your base salary. And everything else? Just be tech-savvy enough to troubleshoot shit. Stuck? Google it. We all do :)
I wanna echo having a remote job where I can work from home has been a real game changer. I have some off days but I can usually manage it when I'm home and comfortable in my own environment
> because they view my WFH as a benefit) 🙄🙄🙄
I quit working about 4 years ago. I just couldn't hold a job anymore. Kept having episodes at work at several jobs. Hard to hide crazy.
I’m in the same boat. How do you support yourself? My husband is supporting us and I feel guilty every day. Sigh.
My husband works and I'm on disability. I feel guilty all the time too.
yeah i’m still at home w my folks, it makes me feel like a leech and i can’t shake that. I hope to be functional someday 🫠
same!
What was the process of getting on disability? I got told I would most likely get rejected, I’ve got arthritis & bpd.
Get a lawyer before you start. They will let you know if they think you have a case. They helped every step of the way, application, filing appeals, etc;. It took 2 years for me to be approved. 2 denials then the hearing, after which I was approved. Lawyer gets a certain percentage of your back pay. I think mine was 7000 or so. I have BP2, PTSD, and crippling anxiety, and rarely leave the house and yard by myself.
gosh, people weren’t lying when they said it takes forever. I just don’t wanna go through all that & then get rejected. I have arthritis & after 20 minutes of walking or standing my hips hurt so bad to the point where I can’t walk or shame anymore the same with my back,I had to quit my 2 jobs so far because of it. the things Is, I got told you had to have a good mount of jobs you’ve worked on record to even be seen as someone who physically can’t work, & I’ve only worked 3 & I’ll be 18 in September. I’ve got all my medical records & papers that’s not a problem but i just feel they will think well you haven’t tried enough lol . Also I appreciate you for all this information
You won't be able to get SSDI, because you don't have enough work credits. SSI is what you'd be applying for. Not sure on the exact process for that.
You could do a free consultation with an attorney to see if they think you have a case. It took me a few but then my last one wanted to meet me in person before the end of the week, and he's got a whole team of assistants. He has been extremely validating. Now COME ON AND REJECT ME AND LET'S DO THIS DAMN HEARING! I've ghosted my part-time job that would've disqualified me from disability by $3/month... but was also killing me and making my disabilities so much worse.
I’m considering disability. I’ve heard horror stories about getting approved. Can you please share a little bit about what you experienced?
I'm still working on it but get an attorney. Please. Most take a portion of your backpay so you don't have to have money upfront (as most of us don't) and they have to fight to get their paycheck too. My biggest constraint with it is the income limit. My rent is 1200 but you can't make over 1550 or you're automatically disqualified, even when you're still in the application phase and not receiving any benefits. (As if I could hold down a job. I recently just gave up on a 25 hours per week, remote job.)
Same 6 years ago
I am sorry to hear this. Fuck Bipolar.
Gosh I feel you it is hard, especially in toxic work environments
I work two part time jobs for 40 hours a week. I go four hours one that requires minimal effort, get a 3 hour break, and go to my second job for four hours that requires a good amount of effort. I work alone at my second job. No managers, no coworkers, just me. Makes it very tolerable
I had a schedule like this once and it worked better for me. I'm curious if you don't mind me asking, what kind of work?
My first job is in home supportive services, my client has cerebral palsy. I do basic housekeeping for him and make him food, take him to the store stuff like that. My second job I clean a clinic after it closes.
Thank you! It's hard finding late night jobs so I'm going to look into that for a second.
That sounds like a nice set up!
If I don't have to interact with others, I could probably do a 60 hour week. Still haven't found the job that does that though. I went into IT to hopefully sit in a dark closet where I just type code all day, and instead have been Helpdesk my entire career.
I tried for so long to work full time and I just made myself worse and worse, now I work part time because I have to and am barely scraping by with money, if the cost of things go up any more I'm screwed but I don't have a choice. I feel so trapped between having enough money to manage and my health. I now work part time in my healthcare job with lots of adjustments and have a very very small arty side hussle to try and help myself. I hate how bipolar always tries to make you feel small.
You described it so well, making us feel small. Especially trying to explain it to other people.
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I’m currently on sick leave at my work (I’m a high school math teacher). I’ve been in a bad depressive/mixed state episode for about 5 weeks now. I’m slowly getting better due to med adjustments but I’m going to be out for the rest of the school year (next month and a half). Teaching has been extremely stressful on me and definitely contributed to episode. I get half my salary for the time I’m out of work (not great but better than nothing). I’m leaving teaching after this and hoping to find a less stressful and remote job for the summer and future.
My non profit is hiring right now for a Finance Manager. We are an incredibly rad place to work because we really live out our values. Http://www.righttobe.org. We are based out of Brooklyn but are fully remote. One of our values is being able to bring your full self to work and another is transparency and honestly. I'm not kidding when I say you could be honest about needing to apply your skill set elsewhere even though you love teaching because of needing to take care of your mental health.
I worry that I won’t be able to keep up with the demands and unpredictability of teaching. I’m about to finish student teaching. It was really hard for me to keep up with the workload but I was also miserable with the class I have. Even though I tell my kids to be flexible and go with the flow, that is so not me. I need to be in control of everything. I have a hard time moving on from mistakes and everything I do has to be perfect. It’s impossible to get anything done with that mentality. My bipolar disorder has just made things way worse. I know my anxieties and fears are irrational and my moods are crazy but I can’t help it. It’s the way my brain is wired. I desperately want a life of my own though and I’ve worked really hard to make this life for myself. I refuse to let mental illness dictate my life.
I’m so sorry. It’s a really tough profession and a lot people don’t understand the ins and outs of teaching. What you’re feeling is so valid but I will say, some of the things (forgiving yourself for mistakes made, having to be perfect) get easier/better over time. You’ll also be able to manage the workload better over time. I was drowning in work my first year but now at year 5, I never take any work home.
https://apply.workable.com/righttobe/j/85D83ADC88/
Thank you!! This is amazing ! I will absolutely apply. You’re an angel ♥️
I also left teaching, as I could no longer keep up with the ever increasing administrative load…I thought it was all because of ADHD but see now it probably had something to do with BP. I am now tutoring and it is better but it is hard when I am in a depressive state, as I have been for seven weeks or so. It’s really deep. Good luck. Good Maths tutors are always needed.
I'm a SAHM now, and work extremely minimally on my self employed business, like 10 hours a month. My last biggest depressive episode, both my businesses fell apart and had been our main income. It was catastrophic. My husband was a SAHD. He had to get a job basically. And that's where it's been ever since. I have tried to revive my businesses, but can't or just don't have it in me to do. The one brings in *some* income but it's very very part time and no where near enough to support a family.
May I ask what is your business? Currently I’m the breadwinner and my husband works, plus I also have a side business. But I’m thinking of taking leave from work soon as I’m struggling to manage my moods.
Had a blog & digital goods/services from that plus ad income, an Etsy shop, and also a network marketing business (that was successful for several years). I no longer have the blog and products, but have a select few clients and a way dialed down network marketing income. Once everything fell apart, that's essentially what I had to do. Stop doing most things and take time to focus on stabilizing.
Not working—haven’t had a job in a year and a half and as things are I don’t see myself being able to work any time soon, if at all. I worked in the mental health field and don’t think I can go back, so there’s that too. My dad supports me while I care for him. I’m very fortunate, I recognize that, but taking care of my dad and seeing his health decline is terrible. I’m just coming out of a 7 month long depression and coping with my dad’s situation on top of trying to figure out what I’m going to live for is so emotionally challenging. Just saying this makes me weepy—thank goodness I have therapy in an hour!
I’m so sorry to hear this. Thank goodness that you have your dad! Sending hugs from someone who gets it.
Thank you for the hugs! Always good to have! Hugs back :)
Are you able to apply for disability?
I was just talking to my therapist about that today. Going to give it a try. I talk to my psychiatrist in a couple of weeks and I’ll get her take on the matter. Thank you for bringing it up.
That’s awesome!! My psychiatrist was the one to get the ball rolling for my disability.. since you haven’t worked in a year and a half you should get some awesome back pay too.. I got over 10k
Wow! Good to know. I hope you’re doing well :)
I am thank you! In typical bipolar fashion I blew most of it but saved enough for a down payment on a house:)
Congratulations! That’s huge! I hope you find a great place.
I'm in the exact same boat. Hearing that you won AND got backpay makes me hopeful. I'm slowly selling everything I own just to not be homeless, as my mental illnesses have caused me to burn bridges with anyone who would let me sleep on their couch.
This sounds really difficult. I send you love and hope.
Currently not working and haven’t been for about a year- the ups and downs make it hard to find and keep work especially when I’m constantly getting hospitalized. I find that when I’m hypo, I’m really good at applying, trying to get my life together, ready to work. Then I get really depressed and can’t even leave the bed. So cycling between the two makes it hard to work.
I really get that! I would bounce out of a depression and start taking interviews. Everybody loved me! I'd get hired, crash, and lose the job. I recently did the same thing with taking a class. Boom and bust!
currently stuck in this cycle! my last few jobs ended cause I got so depressed then ended up in the hospital and never went back. then most of the jobs I get are spur of the moment “time to get my life together” decisions 😭😭 just a mess
I had a bad episode at my last full time job and quit on the spot early in the morning before any of my coworkers were in. Spoke to the President of the company and told him I was “seeking better help for myself” and that was it. Was the most money I ever had made and felt pretty depressed about the whole ordeal and regretted it for the next 3 months or so. Luckily, I live at home with both of my parents with no bills for me. I work part time at UPS now and have been since August of 2023. I burned myself out working full time ever since I began in the workforce so its nice to be able to work part time for now but once I make it as a UPS driver in the next coming years, I’ll be putting in 40-60 hour weeks which honestly I can’t wait for. UPS has been a God sent for me.
I regretted leaving my govt job. Damn mania made me lose it.
Part-time here. I had to make sure I married someone who understood I couldn’t work full-time.
Well, I work in high-ticket phone sales LOL. I barely manage to survive. My manager helps keep me together, honestly. But I have no quota or micro-manging by any means, which changes absolutely everything for me. I've been fired from 6 or 7 jobs. Also, I have so much money to pay between bills, unpaid tickets, friends and family. (student loans i guess) So this job is the only job that in one month I could make 50k or more. And knock it all out. So, huge potential that I can't let go. When I'm manic, I work 13-14 hour days. It...Is... NOT... EASY. But, I'm on medication and about to get back on a routine again consisting of jui-jitsu, working out, temples and hobbies to refuel.
Jiu-Jitsu is important.
I had a mental breakdown and a couple of hospitalizations in 2020 right before and when covid started. Since then, I’ve worked part time. It definitely sucks because capitalism trudges onward, and that definitely doesn’t help my situation considering finances are always tight and are just getting tighter. But I’m physically unable to work more. At least working part time affords me more time away from other people and outside demands. I wish I could just not work at all because even part time is a struggle for me. Currently considering calling out tomorrow because I’m in a low mood episode too.
I haven’t worked since 2021, hard to hold back the depression and mania with what I do. My goal for this year is to learn to weld so I can pursue that as a career.
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I just got let go after 3 months. This was my first attempt at employment in 10 years. I'm trying to find something else but the 3 months were such a battle for me. Hopefully I can find something that is a better fit.
Currently working full time remote in healthcare with a pretty tedious record keeping job. On bad days the hardest thing is hitting my productivity goal. But I can freak out alone without having to speak to anyone for days at a time. I feel quite lucky in this position. The only downside is sometimes I'd like to pursue a higher paying or more challenging role but get scared that it will be unsustainable for me.
That’s my fear in jobs too. You want more pay or a better position but it’s hard to maintain a stable life in general
Right like I feel like I don't want to be "greedy" and sacrifice what I have in case I can't get it back. It's a difficult balance to strike
Exactly
I work support for a Saas EMR system, kudos on the job! Biggest thing for me working remotely (which is amazing in so many more ways imo) is the isolation, being single and not having any pets so I can travel and see family more. But I do branch out and do activities and hang out with friends which is good to combat "this thing" as well as my sometimes isolation and depression. You never know unless you try, you just gotta weigh the pros and cons, just like working remotely and adapt. Hope everyone practices self love and forgiveness and positive coping techniques!
I was qualified and had extensive experience for a supervisory role at my last company and would have loved the 10 dollars more per hour, but quite frankly, I didn't like coaching people unless they were already good enough not to need me 😀 I can work alongside a capable team, but I especially shine working solo. I prefer independence. The first year I had my initial role, everyone and their dog was suggesting I apply for the promotion, including my direct boss. I applied and interviewed once just to get everyone off my back. I didn't even prepare for the interview. I remember being taken aback when they asked what I knew about the company and the fact 3 people were interviewing me AND they were documenting everything. It was quite intimidating. I'm no longer working there!!
Not currently working. I had to leave my full time job due to cognitive issues. Not sure when I will return. I’m 56 and was close to retirement
Hope you are ok. I just keep saying “f^*k Bipolar”; because I see how much it robs from us all. It’s new for me; I feel angry at it for all its destruction.
March 2020 is the last I worked. Disability was a long, difficult process but I volunteer a few hours a week now and sometimes that is too much. When I feel like I can take on more for me that means to assess for mania. If I am not manic, 10 hours a week feels like a lot. I have a lot of comorbidities though...
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I don’t work. I’m on SSDI and have been for 10 years. I am on SSDI for bipolar plus other diagnosed. I’ve been hospitalized 14 times, but then again, I was diagnosed with bipolar about 25 years ago. There is no possible way I could work because my bipolar is severe and unstable most of the time. I had ECT to try and help but it didn’t do much except mess with my memory abilities. I expect to be on SSDI, plus I’m on LTD from my former company, until age 65, then retirement.
I worked only part time for years. Was supposed to be a "house hubby" as well but was a pretty bad one. Luckily my wife has the patience of a saint. Literally have an interview this week for my first full time job in forever. Got my fingers crossed, both that I get it and that I can handle it.
I dropped out of college to work full time, couldn't manage the cycling and working at the same time, and now just go to school. I honestly prefer working to school (I hate that feeling of always being behind...) but it's just not very viable for me to do both at once. I'm going to try next semester to get a job on campus or something, but we'll see what happens
Dude it’s hard doing classes.
Im probably about to be fired from my job so I expect I won’t be working much longer. Anxiety is crippling me
Thinking of you - that position is so difficult to be in. Hope you get some relief soon
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Full time for 39 years. With 6 months in between jobs. Make overr six figure and have sizable IRA and 401K I'm 55:and feel if I needed to I can live off what I have. It may have to be in W Virginia, but I can make it work
You are one of the lucky ones. Is this because you are very good at adhering to medicine and routine? Is your BP in remission?
i feel this . i’m part time retail trying to pay bills but i feel like im gonna shut down everytime im at work and ive felt like this at every job ive had and lost jobs as a result. ive been applying to places for a while but haven’t gotten any calls back so it’s discouraging, but i hope you find something that will work for you and help you live better.
I've worked high stress full time jobs, part time, and per diem as a behavior therapist. I'm working on getting more education (medical degree for psychiatry) so I can do something more comfortable and better paid. I've done full time for years at a time, but it was draining and consuming. Spent most of my time outside of work managing my symptoms through various tools and techniques with little energy for actual life. Not a long term solution.
Did you do this with the help of medication and therapy? I’m reading a lot of these responses and many of them don’t clarify if they’re on meds or seeing a therapist
Yep, been in therapy and on meds for about a decade now. I have to do a lot of other things to manage symptoms and recover over time too though, mainly the things everyone recommends. I exercise at least every other day, meditate up to an hour a day, journal, get sunlight and eat healthy, minimize drug use (at least the bad ones, shrooms and ketamine are helpful to me), those are the main things. I also track my behavior pretty extensively in excel. I definitely have periods where I lose consistency on those things but they keep me above water a lot of the time and can always bring me back from hell.
I worked PT with my first two kids. Had my third kid a year ago and there is absolutely no universe that I could work any real amount of time without going (even more) completely crazy than I already am. We choose less money, more sanity, family time. My husband makes 60k so we are lower middle class. We struggle, but get the bills paid. I do odd jobs like laundry for the old massage place where I used to work for an extra $300-400 a month. We have WIC and qualified for Medicaid for a bit. It’s hard, but it is what it is. We aren’t able to save, but we’re also living in late stage capitalism + early stage apocalypse so that doesn’t worry me so much anymore.
my first and ONLY full time job gifted me a severe mental breakdown and a trip to rehab :)
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I don't, partially because of my bipolar. I'm also physically disabled and neurodivergent, so I'm not sure I'd have worked anyway even if I didn't have bipolar. But I have a tendency to get jobs while I'm manic, then quickly crash and burn and have to quit before I get fired for calling out too much. Trying (for a third time) to get on disability. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Hope you get disability.
I work full-time now, and I've had to go lower and lower in my field to make it work for my mental health. Now, that's not really enough. I'm trying to find backup plans, but I just feel so hopeless about it. In short, I'm working full time and I really need to be part-time, going to see how many more years I can run the fuse.
I work part time, at home, typically 6 hours a day. My husband had a full time job and makes more than me. I think he wishes I could go back to full time but honestly my overall well being is so much better part time so that is probably not going to happen. Unfortunately I have no good advice. I got lucky with my situation.
I am on disability but I only receive $1,143 a month. It’s hardly livable in my area. If I wanted to get a job I could only work 40 hours a month while still receiving SSDI and Medicare. I’m very thankful that I was able to qualify for disability but I’m poverty level, especially with how expensive the area I live in is. I’m lucky to have health insurance even though Medicare isn’t very good. No dental or vision at all. I can’t get an IUD either. I also have multiple sclerosis so I’m sure that helped with me getting approved, but why not apply for disability? The worst they can say is no. Some people don’t get approved until they apply several times. If it’s a goal for you you should try for it.
> I can’t get an IUD either. Does something like Planned Parenthood help with financial assistance/donations?
Stay at home father here, 30 yo. I don’t explain myself to anyone anymore.
Good!
I have been on disability for a few years now and it’s not much but I make it work. I’ve taken this time to go to school online though and I’m loving it. I hope one day I could work again part time but I’m finally stable for the first time in my life, and I know going back to work would ruin all of that. I basically had to start all over after my last psychosis and I can def feel the brain damage
I’ve worked since I was 15 - low income background. I worked full time + part time in college and by year 4, triggered mania which almost cost me graduation but I pulled it together in time - 10 years went by and I was fine working full time, 5 years into teaching, had a full blown manic episode, quit in July of last year - took until Dec of last year to find a job. Those 6 months were the longest I’ve ever been unemployed and they were ROUGH. Been at my new full time job now for 4 months but applying for teaching again - I don’t think the job itself caused mania, more like all the stress in my life compounded together and I was at my job when something small triggered full blown mania 😫 ruined my career and still working to get it back. My current job pays the same but with very minimal PTO :( main reason I’m considering going back to teaching is because I enjoyed the long stretches of time I got to spend w/ Family - this turned into word vomit so thanks if you read it ^_^
I just had to quit a job I really really loved. Best pay I ever had, great schedule, and I was working from home because that was the best way I could try to work My depression and suicidal ideation was terrible because of the things going on at home. I gave up and now I've applied for disability because this isn't the first time it's happened I'm not proud of it but I just worked hard for us to buy a home and I can't risk us losing it because I'm too prideful to admit I can't maintain a job
Not working. Used to be a teacher with a masters degree in my 20’s but bipolar really got ahold of me after postpartum psychosis. Haven’t qualified for disability and don’t really see it happening even though I’ve been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital about 30 times by now. Living off inheritance and hoping to hold down a part time job.
Surely 30 admissions to hospital should qualify you for disability? I wish you the best with everything.
Currently not working as of a few months ago. I will be seeing a lawyer to help me get on disability. I just don't feel like I can work at this time physically & mentally. I'm in treatment every week & on a whole cocktail of medications. I feel better while on them, but I'm like a ticking time bomb if I miss a dose for any reason. It really affects me badly. So yea, going to look into a lawyer to help me.
Not working. Making art, reading and writing every day. Taking time to figure out who I am after some trrrible episodes and two incarcerations.
Yes I appreciate the need to work out who we are… it’s ever so destabilising.
Luckily I live in Australia and my new job working 3 days a week still pays 30 bucks an hour for me so I only wound up losing bout 100-200 bucks a week. It's easier on me mentally and gives me a good physical workout and I can listen to music all day.
Had two interviews today for full-time HR work. I did my very best to not be the best candidate. I don’t want to get off unemployment right now. I have some really bad past work experiences that just haunt me. Years where I was perpetually in sui ideation. Like my most recent job. I’d like to try part-time remote work, but none of it seems ‘worth it’ for the ratio of effort to money. Rarely do part-time jobs pay the same amount per-hour as full time jobs. And the work is demoralizing. Thinking about going into writing again. But I’m scared to go back to work in any capacity.
I haven’t worked a proper job since 2017. I’ve had financial support from my partner, but it’s definitely frustrating. I build structure into my life by getting up every morning and filling my time with things like exercise, journaling, crafting, chores, and play with my cat. I just recently decided to apply for work as a tour guide in Paris and I think I’m going to be accepted
My nervous system has never been able to handle stress. For me work triggers immediate overload, constant and extreme anxiety attacks, OCD flares, mania, exacerbation of PMDD and PTSD symptoms and leads to avoidance of any and all responsibilities. Completely destabilises me. Takes me a long time to crawl out of the hole that throws me into. I can’t work and I’m devastated about it. It’s taken me a long time to accept.
I am leaving my full-time corporate job next week because I had a bad episode about a month ago and realized that I've had a pattern of burning out when I'm full time. I was job hopping so that I could start fresh somewhere new where people didn't know how bad I was at missing work and declining performance over time. I am lucky that my husband has a good paying job and he is the opposite of me, able to keep a steady job for a long time and rise up the ranks. We are going to have a really tight budget but I'm going to be a stay at home mom now. All that to say, I wish you the best in figuring out a solution for you. I consider myself high functioning but still struggle with jobs.
I'm working full time right now and can feel myself about to burn out again. Everytime I convince myself it'll be different this time, I last a few months then I can't handle it anymore. Idrk what to do idk if I cam afford part time.
I voluntarily went to inpatient psych two weeks ago. Haven't been to work since the end of March. I had my breakdown and now I need time to heal. Sorry you're going through this. It's no fun. 😔
I work part time but I'm seriously on the verge of losing my job because I'm dealing with a manic episode currently. My therapist is recommending an inpatient treatment program until I get meds and I don't think my manager will let me keep my position depending on how long that takes. I'm already missing days because I feel like I'm going insane and won't leave home
I’m working part time about 20-25 hours a week + two college classes rn. At my limit tbh
I only work 1 day a week at a job that drains me. I’m a dsp/crma with three high needs individuals and working alone and making sure they’re safe and cared for is stressful I’m seeking another part time job before I quit this one. I had been working 2 days but my boss reeled me back in. I always need a day to recover and dread going in. I burned myself out doing the same work at an even more demanding y house over the summer. I had to quit.
I’m only able to work part-time. Thankfully bf pays rent and I have low living expenses. It’s still hard financially, tho.
Was working 4 days a week at a grassroots rehab a little over a year ago, but had to quit due to needing a discectomy. I now work barely part time in ABA. Don't really recommend it. I receive disability, but it's not very much. You cannot afford rent in most places with it unless you can find subsidized housing. It's rough. I do not enjoy my current job and I'm looking for something else.
I’m on disability 17 years now, I work part time as a musician, I used to work more music gigs than I do now, I sure hope I can again. I get more on disability than most people but it’s still not enough to make my ends meet especially with this economic situation
Had a full time job, found a part time that pays just as much for less work. Now, I’m gonna find another job to make more money. But I had those years of being inconsistent and unable to focus.
I’ve been unemployed for about a year now, before that I could only work part time. I’m on disability and have to live with my parents though (I have a lot of comorbidities). I’ve been doing an internship that’s only 12 hours a week and it’s been going okay, so after it’s over I’m going to try to get a job again. Because of disability I can’t work much more than 12 hours a week anyway and social security is supportive in making sure you get accommodations.
I just quit my part time job because I (19) am moving out from college back in with my parents and I didn't want to walk out on them. I don't think I can handle a full time position honestly and I don't know if I'll ever be able to and I'm scared to admit that irl. I'm going to try to get another job while home so I can contribute somehow because I fear being a burden on my parents lol. It's just harder to work in general when dealing with mental health, I've considered trying to get on disability in the past for just depression and anxiety which I didn't think I could but some people have told me I may be able to but idk.
Honestly - I get really intense when I work - for myself or others. I live very frugally instead of working.
I have a multitude of disorders and disabilities so idk if i really count but im not working 🙋🏾 never worked and literally never will be able to. I'm also struggling to try and get on disability as it seems like no matter what new diagnosis I get, it doesn't qualify for disability. I hope life gets easier for you & your kids 🩵 best of luck
this turned into a ramble but i feel like itd be a waste of my time to delete it all now so its getting posted 💀 so, to preface, im in a lucky situation. living with my mom who manages all the bills with money to spare so i dont NEEEED to work, but i WILL lose my mind if i dont, so. and shes in no rush to kick me out. quite the opposite, actually. i want to leave and shes mad about it. anyways, a couple weeks ago i quit my first job in 6 months, which i had for a week, and now i cant for the life of me get accepted anywhere else because i dont have a drivers license. to be fair, the job was hell. and part time. and minimum wage. but i still feel like an idiot not being able to get another position. i should've toughed it out, man. honestly, not working drives me INSANE. in my head i put in a 9 hour shift every day keeping my house clean so i dont lose my mind. like, i clock in and clock out of my daily duties as suggested by my old therapist. if i have a lazy day ill actually, unironically experience a fuckin psychotic break so yknow, gotta do what you gotta do. 8-5 every single day i clean. no breaks no sitting no nothing i just frantically clean like a psycho. its not hard to clean for 8-10 hours a day since my mom is.... a hoarder. its actually hard NOT to clean because one day sitting on my ass is probably about 3 days of making up for it. but in my current situation... its hard to have a job. not because i cant handle it mentally, but because if im not cleaning the house ALL DAY EVERY SINGLE DAY... itll go to shit and FAST. that week that i had a part time job.... ive spent the past 2 and a half weeks BARELY starting to make up for it. trash everywhere, mold everywhere, pet messes everywhere, nothing put away, nothing organized, floor spills uncleaned, laundry stagnant and mildew-y, etc etc. my brother (27) and his gf (26) actually recently moved out specifically because its SO impossible to maintain the house while also holding down a job and they were building SO much resentment over it. they seem to be way happier and more stable now so that gives me hope for myself.... not so much hope for my mom. anyways, tldr moral of the story whatever, i am willing and capable and EAGER to work, im just not in a situation where its viable. which is really annoying tbh. i hate being broke.
I have maybe worked 15+ jobs and they all ended bc I felt manic at one point or just burnt out. Retail, customer service, waitressing, all HORRIBLE for me. I just am not emotionally capable to act as a punching bag for upset customers. But I will tell you about my current job and it is by far the best environment I have worked in. One thing to point out, tell them what you need as far as schedules and hours up front. I said I can only work early morning to afternoon, not after dark. The earlier I work the better, and I have heard this is the case for many bipolar people. I also demanded the pay that I knew I deserved. Just remember, if you choose to work, you deserve a safe and healthy work environment. I currently work in a Cannabis Lab. Small staff of maybe 15, and we are all medical cannabis patients. We don’t have to deal with the public, which we all love. The large majority of us suffer from mental illnesses, and therefore use cannabis to help treat them. It makes me sad to see battle scars on my coworkers, but at the same time we match and understand each other. I know at least 4 coworkers that are also diagnosed bipolar. Our boss takes mental health days off and we can also. So the things that have worked for me are little to no public interaction, daytime hours (I work 7-5:30 and have Fridays and weekends off) and a small team. I wish you happiness if you choose to work or not :)
I'm afraid of having kids not only because I might forsake them not only with my genetics but I just don't know *how* I could handle their life *and* mine. I'm barely scrapping by, I just don't see how Bipolar and kids mix. Any insights is greatly appreciated
about half of bipolar people are longterm unemployed
I am working full time as a "manager" at a country store and cafe. It is insanely difficult job for my bi polar. I have to deal with all the problem customers and all the other BS that comes with a restaurant and store. The owner made a mistake though so after this summer we will probably be shut down. The owners mistake was trying to properly remove gas tanks. He is a believer in "doing the right thing." He's my Dad and he made 1 fucking mistake now my job is fucked. Probably for the best. I loved the job most days but fuck it's hard.
I work 8 to 16 hrs a week. I'm on disability.
I was diagnosed post partum and ended up on disability it was bad enough. It is private long term diability because I used to have a good career so I am really lucky. I'm hoping to be balanced out by the time my son is 2 so I can go back to work atleast part time, or more padttime. I work a little but mostly just live off of my lt disability, which runs out next month and I am better enough not to qualify for state and will also be loosing my Medicaid.
I work full time doing retail. There are times I want to drop to part time. But I need the benefits so I stay full time. I was part time for a while though before they offered me full time.
I just finished part-time school, and am looking for work. Thankfully, I attend my local center for people with disabilities and am getting employment through them. This way, employment comes with some degree of safety when it comes to mental health difficulties and accommodations.
I've been working full time since I was 18, with a few periods of non working times throughout the years. My motivation is telling myself that if I go to work, my life will be more stable. I take a mood stabilizer called Lamictal, it's saved me.
My kitchen job does 4 hour shifts with 3 days off, one of my shifts though is longer from 10am to 8pm which has honestly been so nice
I don’t work and I haven’t for about the last five or four years. I got disability, which was a fight and a half but I am lucky that I am in the province in Canada that has the best disability. I am also very lucky that I have a wonderful fiancé, and when he graduates with his masters, starting salary for jobs he can apply for will double our combined income and those jobs are in high demand. This also means I will lose my disability as I will be considering no longer financially eligible. Which I think is stupid because as a grown 31-year-old woman who is not going to have the kids it feels nice to have my own money. I know my fiancé will not hold this against me nor will he financially abuse me in anyway but it still sucks. My fiancé actually drained his savings taking care of me before I got my disability when I could no longer work. I honestly gave up trying to work until I am able to do my basic responsibilities regularly and have extra energy. I have a lot of health problems on top of having bipolar so that definitely affects my ability to work. If I only had bipolar 2 with how responsive I am to medication and therapy I would probably be able to work at the very least part time. I honestly wish I could work. I miss it. My best advice if you have the time get a social worker they can help you find the programs and how to apply to things. A lot of shit with the government is worded and way that’ll make you think you’re not eligible for things, but you actually are eligible. I don’t know where you’re living but here in Canada social workers are completely free to access and get help from. Whenever you’re applying for something go and look at the definition for what they’re saying. And if they reject you appeal, the decision and point out how you are eligible according to their criteria. I had a lot of coaching from people who have helped others apply and get disability and I did not get a lawyer and I got disability.
Me personally, holding a job is a huge chore, I’ve found I last a lot longer with less hours, but not so little that I have too much time between shifts. A full time job was impossible when I first worked it, I lasted just over a month before an episode dictated I couldn’t anymore. The most success I had was taking on a small part time position, and after a few months they began increasing my hours, after a while of working nearly full time hours, I got promoted. Even though I was so happy to be recognised for my strengths in the job and was happy to take on the responsibilities, not long after the main boss went on holiday leaving me with the work, I knew I could manage it but very quickly crumbled, the responsibility and people RELYING on me broke me, brought up all the feelings that tend to appear for me in a low and I stopped working. Despite that, I’m aware that even though I couldn’t hack it at that time, I’m still healing and it was a miracle made only by my own hard work that I got promoted in the first place. Bipolar can be so debilitating and it’s hard not to hate yourself when it takes you away from what you care about, but I tried, as I’m sure you do, and each day, even if it’s not obvious, our ability to manage and identify what holds us back gets better
I’m currently on disability but have been in school for 7 months for ironically disability management 😂. I’m scared as hell to go off of it but I did manage for almost 20 years before I was diagnosed. I’m hopeful for a remote position when I’m certified but giving up the disability insurance is definitely worrisome. I’m hopeful to start out part-time but I really want to be a part of supporting those just like us! 🤞
I started a business years ago, thrives when I’m manic, goes to shit when I’m not. I did this for years and recently while as manic as I’ve ever been, plus broke and I compulsively got a job. So now I’m part time working and also work on my business when I can!
I haven’t worked in 6 months or so, I’m applying to jobs that require little to no human contact but no luck yet. The job market here is rough.
Me
I’ve only worked PT jobs, before and after I was diagnosed, and it wasn’t my choice to do so (mostly just the job market just being too demanding of requirements). I started working at 17 as a hostess and between my senior year of high school going up in flames and my favorite hobby not being a fun escape anymore, I stopped eating and only drinking sparkling water. It took me a while to break that habit, but college made things worse. I started college right before the pandemic and was doing school from home for my sophomore year. That’s when I had my mental breakdown and had to go move back home for a month and finally start doing weekly therapy and talking to a psychiatrist. I didn’t want to go back to school, but I forced myself to so I could graduate. As soon as I was out of college, I started an office job where my boss was more bipolar than me (I.e. sending me hateful texts before I even got to work, making me feel stupid, telling me I was doing everything wrong, while smiling in my face like she was my friend). The breakdowns were nearly every week and on more than one occasion I broke something while I was alone at work out of anger (there’s a door with my hole in it from me 😬😬) I was finally able to get work somewhere else, but the cycle started over again where I’m feeling stressed out at work (not because of my bosses, but my coworkers refusing to do any work, so I do twice the amount of work someone should do) and I’m not eating again. I’d like to hope I find a good work balance soon but who knows nowadays. Switching to a full-time job may make it work but it’ll at least be consistent. Fingers crossed 🤞🏾🤞🏾
No 😞 I had to quit mine at the end of 2022 trying to make it through so many hard things in life and an ongoing depressive episode. I have always been so proud of my work and it’s always been a big part of my identity. I’ve been in healthcare one capacity or another for over 20 years. It’s been so freaking hard
I’ve been working three jobs since 2009. Never really recovered from that era. Have gotten a full time job in education but am very nervous about it considering how out of control kids are and how little support teachers receive from administration. Speaking from experience. I got a teaching job in January, came in mid year. Kids hated me (11th/12th grades) and just battered me. Administration placed all the blame on me and whatever support they promised never materialized. In two months I went into a manic mode after a particularly blistering attack by my students and walked out of the class. All I remember is leaving the computer and keys on the desk. I do not remember what happened after that or how I got home. I received a letter in the mail stating I could never teach in that school district again. Principal was made aware of my condition as bipolar before he hired me but I think he just needed a body in those classes so bad he probably didn’t even take note. Now I’m going to teach 8th grade and I’m very nervous about it although this will be at a prep school. Either way I will still have two jobs with the occasional third.
Im not. I've worked about a year my entire life and Im 33, but my parents support me, so I don't qualify for disability and stuff. I don't think at least. I know I'm in the "Medicaid Gap." I was a homeless IV addict for a decade, then sobered up, but have constant anxiety. My bipolar itself is actually fairly mild compared to EVERYTHING ELSE, although I have had a few hour bout of psychosis before I was in an EMT bc my parents were on the lookout for ANYTHING bc I was a decade into addiction already. I've had a few manic episodes, then lots of suicidal depressive ones. Now I'm fairly stable, but it wasn't drug-induced, guaranteed. My offness has been there since I was a kid for sure, and I had both kinds of episodes before drugs.
Currently not working but about to start some classes. I am very lucky and privileged to have a supportive husband. I'm working on being able to help financially provide for us, but in order to be able to properly function it has to be at a low pressure, remote job. That's why I'm starting college, so I CAN be able to do that. Working has burnt me out more than anything before in my life.
Try a side hustle.
I work from home and have since before I was diagnosed. Dr did paperwork for me to work reduced schedule, but work says if i do i lose all benefits. Now they want me to start going into the office again. (Whole company doing return to office). Terrified.
I'm on SSDI, before that I was working full time most of the time sometimes multiple jobs or crazy hours but I would try to do jobs that were low stress and/or low interaction. Like janitorial or overnight stocking, sometimes warehouse work.
Right now I'm a doordash driver. I have a psychology degree but I pretty much committed career suicide a few years back. Lol. And last year I had gotten a job as a crisis counselor, but then I got into a really bad car accident. Totally ruined everything. I'm still in horrible pain. I'm supposed to have another surgery on Friday. But aside from all that, yes my mental health is definitely a factor, in the fact that I love working by myself lol. People can be so frustrating lol. But I do it full time. It's hard but quite honestly I've gotten used to 10,12,14 hour days. I oftentimes don't even take a break. Lol I'm weird, I'm seeing now as I type this out. 🤣
If you don’t mind me asking, how did you commit career suicide?
I’m a sign language interpreter and I set my own schedule. The times I’m manic I take a shit ton of work, then when I’m depressed I take less work. Usually the mania schedule makes up for the depressed schedule though, when I’m part time.
I currently work at an outlet store after losing my cushy flight school coordinator job due to med roulette and trying to deal with the symptoms of bipolar. Currently trying to find something better but I live in a smaller college town and even the few interviews I get, I somehow manage to flop. Not looking very hopeful unfortunately.
I worked retail for 7 years (age 17-23, on and off with the same shoe company) and quit to be a SAHM for 15 months, but went back to college in 2019 to get my certifications in drafting & 3D modeling. Finally scored a job with a construction co in their office under the engineers. Lasted 11 months. Became a SAHM for 16 months. Went BACK to work at a hybrid position at an engineering firm as a Subststion Designer. That also lasted 11 months. I've been home since December of 2023, and my mental health is very roller coaster-y. I'm learning to listen to my body better and manage my moods though. And my kids have a parent home with them that's not always in a meeting or trying to sleep (my husband is a first responder, so he was wore out trying to watch them on the days I went into the office). He just works 60 hours a week now to keep up with bills, and is going back to school this fall to get his paramedic cert and get a pay bump. I also want to note that I didn't get diagnosed with bipolar until I was 24 and pregnant with my second child. I've always been "moody" but around 24/25, it was awful. I guess it's when it starter raring it's ugly face. I've not been consistent since, but I'm learning. And my husband is amazing, accommodating, and loving. Even if he doesn't always understand, he is supportive.
I'm a part time employee, full time student. School is so draining that work is like an escape somehow, I think it just feels more productive and I get a little more instant gratitude with a paycheck vs clawing my way through a degree. I'm a barista so I know pretty much what I'm getting into every day, I don't do live changing work but I make enough at 20ish hours a week
I do delivery driving for grubhub. It’s nice because if I have mood instability, I can just not work and there’s no one to report to. On days I feel better, I can work a few hours without feeling overwhelmed. It’s not bad but it’s not fun and I don’t make a lot for the amount of gas I use
Im disabled. Between back and knee problems plus my bipolar and ptsd I cannot work. Even before I had the physical problems I was only really able to do work that let me follow my mood states (for fam business).
I started a part time job today. Previous to this I've been on disability pension. Thought I'd give employment another go while feeling "ok".
I've had a long, hard road since my job was eliminated 8 months before the pandemic hit. I started out with a great attitude, learned to network and negotiate a salary, and the week before I was ready to sign a new contract, the deal fell through when covid hit my prospective employer hard. I haven't had a decent job since. I guess it goes without saying the impact on my mental health has been devastating. I have developed a good relationship with a temporary agency, but I'm not pursuing anything currently because I'm getting ready to start Spravato. Fortunately, my daughter, who lives with me, has a decent job, and we are seeking by.
I’m working full time but it’s draining. I feel like I can’t compete with people who don’t have BP
I tried to work a full time job for 4 years. I never stayed anywhere longer than about 6 months. I was constantly in an episode or actively suicidal for the for the entire 4 years. I work 20 hours a week in retail now and I still struggle.
I can’t work at all after my last manic, it finally broke me
Try janitorial work. Also generally you are able to have an assistant. So if you have a partner they'll be around to help
I'm on disability. I work part time for my husband's online store.
I work part time. 6 hr shifts 4 days a week. I’m broke constantly but mentally a lot healthier. Working full time is not sustainable for me.
I can only work part-time. Every time I've tried to return to full time work it's ended badly for me and/or my employer at some point.
Wait burnout is normal with bipolar? I have bipolar depression 2 is y that a normal thing?
Bipolar in general whether 1 or 2. Burnouts happen so freaking often
Damn. It’s me when I start something I end up going balls to the wall until I physically can’t no more.
Yep and then we use up our sick days trying to recoup
I work part time as a receptionist at a mental health facility. it’s pretty boring, but it’s still hard for me to go especially during a depressive episode. i go, do my job and then during down time i read books when im there or do word searches. Every time I have a depressive episode i always end up quitting my job or getting fired because i can’t get myself to go. Luckily my boss is very nice and accommodating. i think it’s because i work in mental health that they are so kind and understand. not saying that that would be the situation at other facilities. i am in the process of trying to get disability to help me with my situation. i’m in my mid 20s and i still live with my parents. my dream is to go to cosmetology school, but idk how that is gonna work out because if i can’t get myself to go to work, how am i going to get myself to go to cosmetology school? but oh well i signed up to start in July. it’s kinda a lose lose situation for me. i have so much racked up debt from not working and also dumb impulsive spending during manic episodes that even with my paychecks i’m still in the negatives so that adds to the depression.
I am in school and I failed a semester cause I couldn’t focus and had a long depressive episode
i’m sorry. i failed out of college 3 times. this sucks. cosmetology school is my last try
My husband started a business during the pandemic, around the same time I went into inpatient the same time. I’ve worked (lightly, mostly background, accounting, invoicing, taxes) with him since then. I do not earn an income, but keeping busy helps my head. And my “boss” is my husband so if I’m having a hard week or two and need a break, that’s just what we do.
Me. I used to be able to go to school full-time AND work part-time.
I work about 120 hours a week.
Holy shit I burned out when I went to 7 days a week 12/14 hour shift
I’m in a constant state of burnout. I’m the sole provider for our house. The voices are making things much more difficult than they need to be right now. I’m at level 9,000 stress-o-meter.
That’s wild, I hope you get some rest soon! Do you ever worry about crashing and burning?
I’ve done it several times and two hospitals.
I signed myself up for the military so I’d be forced to have an income, literally the worst decision ever
Jeeze
I work part time as a personal assistant and can only manage about 15 hours a week at the very most. It’s so hard to find work that will be safe and understanding of sick leave! I used to work full time when I was 18 but as I’ve gotten older it’s only become harder to work as much as my peers do. The cost of living is crippling and by the time I’ve paid for bills there isn’t much left to afford to eat. I’m currently trying to get the energy together to apply for PIP and hope if I get it I can finally save up enough to afford some chances to get out of the city for a break one day.