So, I went to my psychiatrist today and he brought up the issue of work, as usual. He thinks I would be happier if I was working, but hasn't actually given me the okay to work. He was just thinking down the road I guess. But, in any case, seemed like a good topic for today.
I have trouble keeping jobs due to the stress level. Plus, since I have to be hospitalized every occasionally, it doesn't make for good employer/employee relations. Seems I always pick the wrong occupation too. My last manic episode coincided with employment at a collections agency (yeah, now I'm the one in debt) and my last depressive episode happened when I was employed as a high school English teacher.
On one hand, I think individuals with bipolar disorder need structure, regular bedtimes, exercise, diet, and the like, but on the other hand having a structure at work seems a tad difficult what with the unpredictability of episodes and having to take off time for doctor's appointments.
I think the ideal job for someone with bipolar disorder is one which is low stress and one where you are able to create your own structure. For me, that means working for myself while at the same time being employed as an independent contractor. I am a mystery shopper and have been since 2006. If you would like details on how to become a mystery shopper, e-mail me at bipolarfirsthand@yahoo.com and I will walk you through the process. Don't pay any fees to become a mystery shopper like those ads you see online all the time.
I found some other great ideas for jobs that I think would be suitable for bipolar individuals in a book called Weekend Entrepreneur. I found ideas such as being a personal concierge, designing and leading custom tours, being a virtual assistant, being a pet sitter, and being an eBay Trading Assistant. Those were just the jobs that appealed to me. You can purchase the book and read all of the great ideas here:
Other options you may want to consider include www.groovejob.com for part time work or www.coolworks.com for seasonal work. Also, you can work online at your own pace at www.mturk.com where you perform human intelligence tasks for cash.
If you are on SSDI you have to notify social security when you start a job, even if it is working for yourself. They will give you nine months in a 60 month rolling period to earn as much as you want in nine qualifying months. A qualifying month is any month that you earn more than $700. Once you have had nine qualifying months, you can continue to receive SSDI for 36 months as long as you don't earn more than $980 (2009 figures) in a month.
That's a little bit tricky, and while I thought that it would be simple, when I notified them of my employment as an independent contractor social security sent me a fifteen page form to fill out to determine if I was still disabled. They did determine I was still disabled and I am a couple months into my 60 month rolling period with no qualifying months yet (mystery shoppers don't really make as much as the ads claim, unless you work your tail off).
Whew, that's a long entry, but I know that work is one of those subjects that comes up over and over in a bipolar's life. We all desperately want to go back to having a "normal" life and that includes employment.
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