Today was exhausting. I had mandatory overtime and had to work a twelve hour shift. You may be able to understand how difficult that can be for someone who has Bipolar Disorder.

Don't get me wrong. I feel very fortunate that I am able to hold down a job, even if I can't always give 100 percent all the time. I know many of you are not able to work. I can completley identify with you because I know how hard it is to work when you have a disability.

I actually got this job because of my disability. I work for the state and they have disability items.

I was going to complain in this blog, but I feel it will serve a better purpose to offer any advice I can on this subject.

I know some of you simply can not work and you know your limitations. I completley understand and empathize with you. I do not judge. I wonder sometimes how I do it myself.

However, there may be some of you out there who aren't working who feel like maybe you could at some point. I offer the advice to look into government employment. There are all kinds of government/civil service jobs. and they have excellent benefits which we all need. In New York they have special items for the disabled. They may also wherever you live. For me, I was able to bypass taking a civil service exam to obtain my job. In New York it's called a 55b or a 55c item. With this item I have been more protected because you can not discriminate against someone with a disability. I even was passed over to be laid off because those items were not targeted.

I will not offer the advice for someone to work if they can not. But, for someone who is thinking perhaps they could, I'd recommend giving it a try.

Having a job, even if it isn't what I dreamt it'd be gives me structure. It gives me something to do every day. It keeps me grounded. It has taught me more responsibility. Maybe you already have these things, but this works for me.

In short – I'd recommend to anyone who has a disability that wants to attempt work to seek a disability item in civil service.

I understand employment is not for everyone and not everyone is well enough.

Believe me – I could qualify for disability. However, I push past my disability and I feel better that I am able to do that.

I will repeat I judge no one on disability. I just thought this blog might be helpful to someone who is toying with the idea of employment. I never thought I'd hold down a job for these past 6 and a half years. You just may surprise yourself at what YOU can do.