should I apply for disability?

Hi Lazy,

I know you currently work in a hospice -- does your job involve changing shift patterns? That's a strong trigger for a bp episode, and is something that your employer should be able to help you with to get you back on track if this is the case.

You were saying in a previous post that you don't feel up to your hospice work's demands at the moment and that you're looking at alternatives. Could your "funk" be partly because this is not what you want to be doing at the moment? It's bad enough having motivation when you're depressed, but if you have underlying concerns about your job, this will just feed into the lack of motivation. You might find it helpful to write a few things down about how you feel about your job, what kind of things you'd like to do at work (or not do), and what would have to change for you to be happier. There may be some things that you could negotiate with your employer, or you may decide that what you really need is to change jobs.

Employers can't sack you for having bipolar. -- It does count as a disability if it affects your ability to work (which it often does). It is therefore a legal requirement that employers make any reasonable adjustments to help facilitate your working life. You should find more insight and willingness to help in the environment in which you work than many people find with their jobs -- after all, you work in care. Ok, so there's a limit to what an employer can do -- where we enter "unreasonable adjustments" territory! -- but there may well be things that they and you would be happy to change to help and it might help you break the cycle. Does your employer know you have bipolar? If you're going to try to negotiate this, they will need to know to be able to help. You may find more support than you anticipate.

I've not applied for disability -- but I'm sure others have experience here and can help. Sorry if my post went at a reply from a slightly different angle -- just felt that some of this other stuff might be worth exploring before you get too far caught in the "I will get sacked" idea.

Love to you,
Rosie x

after doing what ry suggested, gather all of the documentation you can get about your disability.  dr statements, test results, etc.  everything.  it also helps a lot to have one or more drs on your side.  after all of this, make your case for being so disabled that you canot work at the job for which you have been trained and skilled.  after this preparatory work, get the proper forms from ss.  fill them all out, providing the documentation that they ask for, and be prepared to spend $50 on photocopying.    after a few months you will get a letter back saying that you have been rejected.  follow the rules, to the letter, for filing an appeal.  again, be prepared to spend $75 for photocopying.  within about what seens like 6 months, you will get a letter from ss saying that you have been rejected again.  i once knew a parapalegic who was told in this second letter that he was malingering!  don't take any of this personally.  it's not paranoia, THEY ARE OUT TO GET YOU!  then you appeal this second appeal to a law judge. 

you can go though all of this cr** or get an attorney.  they work on a contingency fee basis (about 25%) and will handle all of the paperwork for you.  nice to know attorneys have at least socially beneficial use (aside from being the brunt of lawyer jokes).

good luck to you if you decide to go for it.   it is a long, painful, difficult, frustrating  -- you get the idea.

warren

Thanks so much to you all for your replies and your concern.  My supervisor knows I'm bipolar but I think she sees me as a liability so is trying to find other ways to get rid of me. I have to make sure I go to work no matter how sick I am (with non bp illness) and try to make it because I've been told that if I have more than 3 abscences in 3 months I can get fired. It seems like since I've been struggling with the bp I get physically ill easier.  I get more viruses and seems like I have a weaker immune system.  Does anyone else have this issue? Or is it just me?  I would rather not go the disability route, such a hassel but its nice to know my options. So once again, thanks to you all ...Luv...Lazy

Thanks Rosie:  The only new med I'm on is geodon and we all know that any medication can cause fatigue, etc.  But I've only felt better on it, not more tired.  Until lately, but I think there is something else going on, like anemia.  I went to the Dentist Thursday and he said that my gums are bleeding so much that my blood isn't even clotting, not normal even if my gums were unhealthy, which they weren't.  Just makes me wonder.  I do know that geodon can cause blood dyscrasias, so in a round about way, it could be causing me to feel so fatigued.  No matter how much rest I get, I can hardley move around, and I feel short of breath.  Since my BP diagnosis, I'm never sure if I'm just mental or if something physical is going on.  Tomorrow is a holiday (I'm the only one working in my department) but I'm going to call my internist on Tuesday and get in to see her sometime this week just to rule out true physical causes. I just need to get through tomorrow.  I've already been told that if I call in sick again, I'll get fired.

Thanks rybird:  I appreciate your input and your father is right.  The times I got in trouble for calling in sick were times when I was too sick to go to the doctor, therefore I didn't have a doctor's excuse, therefore, it was an unexcused absence.  Seems like there is something wrong with that system.  I have a doctor appt on Thursday and I'm fortunate to have an internist who  really listens to me and she is really smart so I always feel comfortable with her advice and decisions.  Will keep you posted. Thanks for your concern and your comments...Luv...Lazy