so far, so good...
i've managed to work 40 hours a week at a regular job in my field. i'm trying to get off of SSDI.
the problem is that now my mood is slipping again, and i don't know how long i can hold on. i haven't been to work in a week.

i was thinking of asking for accommodations, but what could they be? also, my employer obviously isn't a charity. there needs to be something positive in it for them as well. what kind of stuff could i come up with to make the point, and make it beneficial for both parties?

my pdoc thinks that i need to work 4 hrs a day, 5 days a week. that would be fine,. but such jobs are difficult to find.

Although I'm in the UK, I've worked with my employers a lot to get accommodations for my depression and PTSD at work. I'll come back to this later.

I haven't forgotten, I was just tired out last night.

My main accommodation was being transferred to an office for some of my hours, away from the stress of facing the public. This relieved the pressure immensely.
With my managers I negotiated strategies of what to do if I felt distressed, this includes communicating with another staff member for example via email before I leave the room.
I'm informed in advance when strangers are to come into the office. I also don't have to attend trainings in group situations, and can do any training online, and get feedback from colleagues who attended.
I have 6 monthly review meetings of my accommodations with the disabilities coordinator and a senior manager.

If having a quiet place to work alone would help, that's always an option. I know I've carried work upstairs into the staffroom and work alone when I'm unable to face the exposure of being in an office.

I don't need to give as much advance notice if I need leave to have some space to cope, also depression-anxiety related sick leave isn't counted towards sick leave entitlement. Because my illness comes under the UK disability discrimination act, any related sickness is allowed separately.
If my managers get seriously concerned about me, they've referred me to Occupational Health. This has happened twice in 5 years, and both times has been very helpful, even though it felt like bitter medicine initially! I only had 3 visists with the Occ. Health department and was the discharged. I can always go back if I have a relapse. The more people you can have on your side, the better.

If I think of anything else, I'll add it later. :)

thanks for your ideas, achingheart.

the laws in the US are a little different than the laws in the UK. for example, they count it against my sick time/paid time off when i need a mental health day, and so until i earn more mental health days, i'm missing work without pay. i know- financial stress is GREAT for the already stressed-out!

i'd like reduced hours, but i highly doubt they'll give me that. they need someone working the normal shift, not coming and going. maybe they could hire a part timer to take my place in the afternoon, i don't know. i'm totally unsure as to what i'll need, and now far my company would go to keep me.

i work in a help desk call center, helping people wiht computer problems. i need to constantly answer the phone and think fast. there is NO down time. its's always the phone, and if it isn't the phone, then it's email or something else.

i could work at home i guess,. that's an option for me that may help my stress level. however, it doesn't always help. sometimes it makes it worse. the office environment isn't what gets me. it's the nature of my work.

my pdoc gave me paxil yesterday and told me to take my klonopin (havent been needing it), and we're going to see how things go.