Your new blog is great, John... Congradulations. The issues of the imposed scheduling common to regular jobs rings a bell in me... In retrospective I went nuts (had a manic espisode) after working as a telemarketer for three months.. Working as an apartment manager went I could pick and choose my hours and scheduled worked for me for years.. also being a painter worked well(movement and variety of clients/projects), until I developed allergies to mold and latex paint. Now I'm terrified facing the job market.. What is it about schedules that impact bipolar? ***************************** Hi, Ilyana. A good friend of mine started unraveling shortly after starting a full-time high-pressure sales job. He had to quit, and now he has a raft of self-worth issues to deal with. Sometimes I really hate this illness. Thanks for reading, John

I've also been called for jury duty and thought I might not be capable. How do you know? I'm not good at handling stress, but I want to participate in life to the best of my ability. I was not called at that time. How should I respond if I were called? Do I admit I am bipolar? ******************************* Hi, Suzanne. If I got called again, I would do the same thing, namely: I would assume fulfilling my civic duty would take a day or two, three or four at most. Odds are I either wouldn't be called to be on a jury or I would be excused for a reason other than my bipolar. If not, I would serve without telling anyone about my bipolar. Three or four days I could handle. If I encountered the same situation as before - namely the prospect of a long trial - I would have no choice but to disclose. The one thing I would do differently is I would have a note from my psychiatrist as back-up. I would only use it in case of a long trial. You have to figure out in advance what your breaking point is, assuming you have one. One day? One week? The issue is your personal safety. If you feel it is being threatened then it is advisable to disclose, and you can do it with a clear conscience. Thanks for reading, John

Thank you for sharing those experiences. I would have ahd the same response and felt guilty and ashamed. I am doing fairly well right now and fantasize about going back to work but I am afraid of the stress bringing on a major depression or serious hypomania---but I feel sooo guilty because this illness costs a lot of money in Dr,s and perscriptions and income would help Lynne ********************************** Hi, Lynne. You and the others have clearly given me inspiration for a future blog. We talk a lot about returning to work in my support group, as well of the challenges that work poses for us. Thanks for posting and stay tuned ... John