you might find more results via the SSA.

"Despite the fact that approximately 90 percent had high school diplomas and a third had completed college, almost 65 percent were unemployed and 40 percent were on welfare or disability. According to Mark Bauer MD of Brown University, speaking at a conference in 2001, thirty to 50 percent of bipolar patients remain chronically ill"

This is the only statistics that I've found.

oops I could go without the last part

"thirty to 50 percent of bipolar patients remain chronically ill"
I would ignore that

how do you get 100% out of those numbers?

i quit my highpowered, superhighstressed, ridiculously highpaying position in hitech a year early (we were socking $$ away for me to return to my art career full time) quite a few years back, right before my dx, because i told my huz, quote, "it's killing me."

i didn't know how literal i was being...and i can't possibly imagine going back to that kind of a soulsucking, evening and weekend demanding position and staying 'sane'...

though, like you, bradley, i could imagine take on a lesser position and potentially being successful...but the thing about hitech is that once they know what your capabilities are...they stretch you a little here...and a little there...and so on and so forth...until i'd be back where i left off...or going mad anyway because i'd constantly be telling them NO...which is exhausting in itself...they are generally so persistent in that field and tend to act like they're working in an emergency room instead of an office...thank god i got through a lot of it by telecommuting...and was then able to 'buy' my way out...

i know not everyone is so lucky to be doing exactly what they think they were put on this earth to do...

you wouldn't believe the shit i took for leaving, though. so many people value $$ over their dreams.

we'd live in a one bedroom with my studio as the living room before i'd go back, and the huz would be right behind me as i back him up on his dreams as well.

we've both lived on pennies for the bus ride before and would do it again...

but had this silly dream of being my own patron a long time ago (long before the huz, even)...and MADE IT come true...

but man. i'm pretty sure i almost died doing it.

i wasn't, like i said, dx'd yet...

but that's not to say i wouldn't have gotten there on my meds...it just probably would have taken longer...

xxxxxxxxxx, sL

I guess I should thank my lucky stars to have maintained employment pretty steadily, with a few disability breaks, since I was 20. It's hard as hell, and often I'm amazed I survive each hour, but I guess I am the exception.

I always had a hard time sticking with a job. I would get so paranoid and depressedafter awhile I would switch jobs all the time. Then I was diagnose and it all made sense. I knida became a family joke. Where does Jessica work now? Now I am on disabliity but tell people I am a sahm. I am thinking about going to chool alittle when my son starts school.

I worked as an engineer in high tech but I kept having psychotic breaks with my illness. I then worked as a high school teacher but again I kept having breaks and you can't do that when you are teaching school. I am now on disability. It pays me about $3000 a month but I am bored at home. I hope to go back to some kind of work but I don't think this is going to happen as I have psychotic breaks every two years it seems

I did search the SSA sight as gemiwig and the numbers I found were from 32 - 61 percent. Sounds like the 50% or so number you mention whisper is about right.

I once had a great career. It was really difficult because of my major mood swings, that came across as just odd rather than manic/depressive. I fortunately had a boss who thought I was just eccentric and worked around my oddness.

As my condition got worse I fell into the drug and alcohol realm and lost everything. Working early in sobriety I worked jobs much lower on the scale from what I did my bipolar wasn't finally diagnosed until last year after being on disability for a year when my condition worsened.

I was glad to finally get the diagnosis. It's humbling to know I'll likely never have the big career with the big office again, but there's comfort in knowing what your limitations really are.

Reply #4

65 percent were unemployed ///meaning the rest ARE employed

and 40 percent were on welfare or disability////
means 60% are NOT on welfare


Some people who are not working ARE on welfare and some are NOT.

Some people who are ARE working ARE on welfare and some are NOT.

Makes sense?

two different groups that is why it doesn't at to 100%

p.s. that's not to say that some people's dreams don't lie in hitech. one of my dads is an artist in his own way in biotech and an electrical engineer to boot (thanks for the genes, pop!!)...but though i have the skills and a general curiosity...my own passions obviously lie elsewhere...

which leads me to...artemis...so sorry to hear your story...if i wasn't able to do what i loved i would feel so frustrated being 'grounded' in that way...

or maybe I misunderstood your comment, I got confused at first too on my posting :]

Whisper, are the study results online? If so, do you have a link?

Even simple and mundane jobs ,can be incredably challanging.....people are less repectful to people who are in low paying jobs...that alone is enough to cause some terrible stress in a beeper ,who once held a highly placed posistion...and we are smarter than most of the "normies".yet they treat a lowly clerk (as an example) like dirt.

I was told that I wold never be able to return to my career ,so being a good and true beeper I went back to work despite them and with close counseling and medicatins I am doing well but the first 2 years of trying were terrible . I now am doing well and hope to continue to prove them wrong.........I don't like the word never it's just too final for me I always maintain hope in all things and when I didn't maintain hope that's when I wanted to kill myself so for me this is life and death.