What is your employment situation?

What the topic says. I have been unemployed and on benefits for 1.5+ year and I am applying for disability -- law here pretty much forces me to. I've been diagnosed in October 2012 and so far the longest stable time has been a few months. As of today I am again rapid cycling daily which kind of makes it difficult to get/hold a job. I'm curious how others are doing.

I was unemployed for about 5 years, living off my parents. Between my bipolar symptoms and my self-medicating I was unemployable. I applied for SSDI and after over a two year battle was finally awarded benefits in 2013 for bipolar disorder and anxiety. As of today I know I could not handle the responsibility and stress of a full time 9-5 job…I lack the stability. My disability gets reviewed about every year and it’s up to my doctors whether or not they think I can return to work.

I hold down two jobs (one which I started myself). I can't not work, I did that for years and I just drank all the time. I messed up my sleep clock, I was either out every night or drinking at home until the sun came up. I wouldn't fall asleep until midday, and even then it was only for a couple of hours.

Working has given me a schedule that I need to maintain. This routine is one of the reasons that I am doing so well now.

I can fully understand why some people can't work, one of my wife's friends also has bipolar and can't work at all, he can barely look after his daughter without help from his partner.

But for me, I have to be doing something or else I opulent leave the house.

Landor

I've been working full-time for 3 years. The routine definitely helps me also. It's not easy though, I've had a lot of conflicts with my colleagues and superiors, especially when manic, and I'm kind of stuck where I am in the company due to this. It is a constant source of stress, which obviously isn't great, but the money and stability allow me to experience more positive things in life also. I just need to learn when to take a step back more. Been signed off for several weeks recently, after going manic then mixed, and it has done me the world of good. Before I'd just battle through it while things escalated and inevitably I caused myself some problems.

But whilst time off has helped me in the short-term I need employment to help me long-term. Hopefully going back to school in September, now I'm finally on meds and getting some stability, so I can get out of this dead end and pursue something more fulfilling.

I worked all through uni and since then have worked a stressful job with long hours that was full time. 6 years ago I left work and have not been back. I did get a job a couple of years ago that was occasional work but I could not do it due to benefit issues. I really want to get back to work of some sort and preferably something meaningful. I am having a tentative look round tho this has been put on hold just for now for various reasons. I would like to be back at work tho as I am fed up with being broke. I am on a branch of benefit where I am judged ill enough not to have to look for work but I still want to look anyhow as I want to be back at work.

Cracked

I work part-time (about 30 hours/week) in a pet store and I also teach one or two fitness classes every week. I am in front of clients and customers almost every day, so keeping myself well is my top priority. I can't do my job when unstable. I used to just teach, which was easier to create a regular schedule. Right now, I alternate between first and second shift in the store a lot. It's challenging, but I make it work.

My meds work well, the only trouble I've had in six months has been with sleep and I'm talking to my doc about that soon. However, I can't maintain a full time workload without becoming unstable. I'm cool with that, actually. I just wish my husband understood more.

I work 40 to 48 hrs a week. I've worked since i was young. I have OCD's so it makes me a good worker, just a bad socializer and or people person. Most of my jobs didnt require much social interaction. I find it harder to deal with a work enviroment the older i get.

When I was 19 and my parents were both unemployed, my mom had me put on disability. Since then, it's been hard for me to want to work, as I was (usually) a full-time student. When I did get a job it was part time, I was 22, in college out of state, paying my own bills, only to have my father steal it from me because he "needed to pay the bills" (yeah sure, I bet none of it at all went to booze.) I've worked three jobs since then and am recently unemployed now. It sucks

Basically I'm having a really hard time figuring what I should do next. I want to focus on finishing school, but as my dad only wants me to work and help pay off his debt, and my mom's too drunk to even pay attention. So I feel like I'm in a difficult position. I wish I had someone who supported me in what I want to do instead of telling me what they think is right, which will make me even more miserable.

I receive SSDI benefits - lost my career and everything I owned with my last major mania in 2011. I cannot function well in a workplace yet, though I work hard at therapy and take my meds. I entertain the idea of doing something part-time, but I fear jeopardizing my benefits so I haven't tried it yet. I may go back and get a new degree so I can work in a different type of environment, other than a corporate one which is all I know.

SpacingOut wrote:Basically I'm having a really hard time figuring what I should do next. I want to focus on finishing school, but as my dad only wants me to work and help pay off his debt, and my mom's too drunk to even pay attention. So I feel like I'm in a difficult position. I wish I had someone who supported me ...

SpacingOut,
I'm sorry to hear you are in such a heartless situation. Our culture teaches us to respect our parents and love our family. Clearly, this should not always be the case.

If you can survive on your own financially, why not just cut your parents out of your life? I know it would be harder than it sounds.

I had no feelings for my father and hated his right-wing racist beliefs. I saw him as little as possible and when I did, I would just let him talk. He kept saying how good our relationship was, and that I was doing fine. When he died, I was relieved. A few days before he passed away, he said my brothers and sister had shed tears at his bedside, and wondered why I hadn't. I just shrugged and said people react differently.

You are an adult now, and you are not your parent's keeper. Leave them and build a good life for yourself.

Take care,

-- Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:34 pm --

My employment situation:
Retired at age 55 after working 32 years as a civil servant.
I'm financially very secure living on my pension and savings.

Work was not always easy, being bipolar. Anger, during mania at work nearly got me fired. I was lucky to have a good union.

Life now really is the best it has been for me.
I am really blessed, when I consider how it could have been.