wdc, I hope "this is it" doesn't refer to your not posting anymore!
I do have a grandchild. My son is an attorney (lol, one of the few not in DC though I have a second cousin who is an attorney there). My son married a beautiful (inside and out) woman with a young daughter (she will be two Oct. 10th). I am officially a grandmother last week as he adopted her. I'm 46 and he's soon to be 30, so I started young with my only child, a gift! Oh and to tell you about my granddaughter, she calls me BB and she's absolutely wonderful and is talking very good a few complete sentences, jumps and runs and we go to the park and to see Elmo, and to amusement parks - she is what little fun I have - but it is great fun. My son understands when the depression gets bad, I don't do those things or babysit when it is and he has to help me with my finances, home care and everything else but work! He has Power of Attorney over my affairs as I don't do so good with lots of things, I need that right now. Oh to brag on my son, he's a prosecutor!
I retired from the federal government on disability retirement. I was a counselor.. I can live off what I receive, but I need to work for my mental health. I have a full-time job but not in counseling. It is lowest level job but at a Mental Health facility so I couldn't ask for a more understanding work environment and I got the "pick of the litter" in terms of counselors there. I work as a monitor for residents in treatment for alcohol and drug rehabilitation. I applied for SSDI but I didn't qualify and/or pursue it beyond that - I wanted to go back to work eventually and that would have been a deterant to me. Luckily I was vested after 3 years and could get disability retirment. I was on FMLA the last year I worked there - worked part-time just enough to pay the bills. I make little more than minimum wage, scaled back on my expenses, drive a paid for car, and am able to pay my mortgage. Fortunately, the month my disability retirement came through, my son passed the bar exam - whew! A blessing (but I won't preach.) I don't know if you are familiar with a GAF on the DSM-IV-TR axis diagnosis, but it hasn't been above a 57 since this all started in 2004.
I have an opinion, they are plentiful - take 'em or leave 'em but you need a doctor you can see on a on-going consistent basis and be able to call and talk about how meds are effecting you and if issues arise that need immediate attention. I would encourage you, more opinion, to check out the John Hopkins thing. Maybe there is public transportation available. And in 1990, was the American with Disabilities Act. Your employer has to provide a reasonable accommodation if you can perform the essential functions of your job. I admire you for working in a day care - I know I couldn't do it - pre-depression!
You can go on-line to www.ssa.gov and it will calculate the amount of disability you would be able to recieve, I think. It is based on past earnings. Social Security Insurance is based on income and it is more like a welfare type program for people who have no income and no work history. Sometimes people are eligible to vote. Don't forget the years as a tax payer - so don't deny yourself, if you decide that is where you need to go.
Here, a town of 10,000 and no public transportation a car is a necessity to just get a loaf of bread! If you can get by without the added expense of a car, maintenance, insurance, etc., I would do that, especially with not having decided what is in your best interest in terms of job, disability etc.
I unde