family and social business obligations are all good and fine but climbing this ladder is another piece of mindthey look back on the records that they have from yesterday and call it good for today standardsbut if you ever come up late or a dollar short there sure to let you know this is the real world after all and it really does showcuz the second you report that you have been out of work they think the worst of youor if you been in the hospital longer than what it needs to be they look down upon youso how do you climb the ladder back up not a mysterynobody climbs to the topit’s all done with electronics in words they say need a shoe in well I’m here to say good luck to you
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i’m not kidding zen that is the best post i think i have ever seen you write lol now i am either thinking you are doing really well at the moment or maybe you have taken elocution lessons from someone haha but to answer the question-
it is very hard to climb this social ladder especially when you have the mental health problems and i am still working on that, it is so difficult even to stay on this ladder that i don’t even know where to put my foot sometimes (normally walking under the ladder most times too) lol waiting for something to fall on my head,
on the ladder where could we be? we must be at the bottom 
i am ashamed to admit it but we must be really close to the bottom so what can we do about that?
It’s good to see you still posting DrZen. I missed your posts while I was away.
Climbing social ladder reminds me of the book Hope for the Flowers…when Stripe goes off and finds a pillar of caterpillars all climbing each other to the sky. He’s up there climbing and getting stepped on and stepping on others when I believe he realizes the insanity of it all and comes back down to find Yellow again…
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My first boss I only told that I was in the hospital, and never gave a reason for what for. He was weird and didn’t care. I somehow managed to work 4 days a week then. My second boss pulled me into his office and asked what was wrong with me because I looked like a zombie and I told him everything and after that he was a lot nicer to me. My third and fourth bosses (married and current bosses) I approached first and told them my situation. They are really nice to me.
As for outside the workplace, I feel it’s best to warn people who are attempting to engage in a romantic relationship.
As for friendships, that I think can wait until you are close.
according to this ladder i am near the top 
pretty cool huh 
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dude use punctuation
if you know him from previous threads you will know that this thread is one of his best x so i don’t care if he doesn’t use punctuation i still think he did really well on this thread and pls i am not trying to be patronising either.
You gotta realize that here, not everyone functions on the same level. He’s doing his best.
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Sometimes it’s more fun to shake the social ladder – see how tight everyone is holding on. 
10-96
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I’ve never gotten the impression that using punctuation was beyond him. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him use some in the past.
At the top of the social ladder is where those with a better education hang out.
I would like to talk to them, because I have a better education too. But I don’t have the social skills to get along with them, or anyone for that matter.
So I just continue to read and learn. Sometimes it makes me sad.
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i’m so posh the queen bows to me.
take care
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Sometimes I have tried to add some…
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I find I have no desire to climb the ladder. I’m happy with my simple life and feel no need to step on others to climb up. Besides once one gets into that race to the top… there is no end… they have to keep climbing.
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You know mortimermouse, you go on and on about how high functioning you are, but, I don’t think you are high functioning at all! You are socially inept! You derail other people’s posts to talk about high functioning you are, you insult people when they have done nothing to you, and you are blatantly rude! Your ego is through the roof. If you are so highly functioning, learn some social skills.
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I have real friends IRL and yeah I think I am one of the highest functioning people on here
This is sort of devolving into a unsettling competition for superiority, it seems. @mortimermouse, please try not to come off as so inflammatory.
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You were able to find some gym rats to work out with that didn’t mind you being a jerk, congrats.
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There is a famous book by by Dale Carnegie called How to Win Friends and Influence People.that may help.
I copied and pasted this from somewhere. I’ve no where, so I can’t take the credit
How to let people know that you’re mentally ill:
At some point you’ve been diagnosed as having some variation of a mental illness You know that it affects your life considerably, but those around you may not. They may not understand your actions when the disorder is actively present in your life. Thankfully, you can tell them about what you have, so that they may be more understanding.
Be selective. Only tell those who would truly benefit from knowing of your condition, such as your boss, fellow students and co-workers that you do a lot of work with, family members, etc. Other people simply don’t need to know. There are many misconceptions about mental illnesses, so you have to be careful with disclosing the diagnosis.
Make any explanations short and sweet. Don’t start using medical jargon in explaining what you have. This will only confuse the other person. Instead, break down any good descriptions you may find into plain English by replacing higher vocabulary terms with lower ones that will make sense to whomever you tell.
If you aren’t good at explaining things, don’t feel obliged to do so. Ask your counselor, psychiatrist or whoever helps you manage illness. for an easy-to-access and simple resource that you could refer your friends and family to. They will still get the message, but you won’t be the one explaining anything.
Don’t victimize yourself. Simply because you have a long-term emotional condition doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful life. Always remember that whatever affects you in life isn’t going to make or break you- it’s your reaction to it that counts.
Don’t make a big deal out of it. You might be mentally ill, but it doesn’t have to be the defining aspect of your life- if you don’t want it to be. People with this condition eat, sleep, and breath the same air like everyone else. You still have to manage it, but avoid ruminating over the diagnosis. It’s going to affect your life, but not necessarily in a negative way.
Don’t tell those who have a limited understanding of the world. Those types of people will be more likely to be judgmental, rather than empathetic, and may not be ones to count on to keep what you have shared confidential.
Some people might treat you differently after they learn about your condition. They might be victims of popular misconceptions, or they may not understand what the diagnosis means.
Usually, good friends and family won’t treat you any differently. But your acquaintances and those whom you don’t know well are the ones most likely to do so.