In the old days, canaries were used in coal mines to warn of poisonous gas. If there were any gas, the birds would stop singing and drop from their perches; they’d be the warning that conditions were harmful.
Throughout my life, I have had many periods of unemployment when the symptoms of the disease simply made work impossible. When I was more stable,I often had trouble finding work because my work history was spotty. Once I found a job, I could usually work as well as anyone else. However, I was the new guy. I never had much time on the job.
When the economy would go into a recession, companies often had to lay off employees – even those who were good workers. Usually they would lay off the workers who had the least amount of time on the job – which was often me. Once again I faced unemployment and difficulties in finding work. In the meantime mood swings might very well leave me unable to even look for work. It was a never-ending cycle.
Just like the canaries, when the economy tanked, I was the one who stopped singing.