Bunnylover

It is possible--I teach and am finishing my dissertation, and I do other odd academic jobs on the side. But sometimes will be a lot harder to keep going than others--when I'm depressed it's an incredible accomplishment for me to get out of bed, shower, get dressed and go to work (and I mean that in a literal sense.)

On a more positive note, work gives me a sense of purpose, sometimes a sense of accomplishment, and a reason to get up in the morning when I'm depressed (it's amazing what not having a choice can do.)

But everyone's experience will be different. I'm fortunate in that I don't suffer from mania--and I have been able to minimize the impact of hypomania, it causes problems, but usually nothing that reveals my bipolar to other people. It doesn't hurt that most of the world is blind to other people's suffering, so know matter how severe the depression usually no one but my husband notices.