Depression goes hand in hand with many symptoms Denis as I am sure you already know.
Personally I have a fear of being in the company of other people, my mind is racing and I am convinced that everyone in that place is judging me, disliking me and one of them is getting ready to beat the living daylights out of me. Anxiety and paranoia are reasons I cant work. I stopped leaving the house unless my dad is with me bless his heart.
Bi polar is recognised in its own right, a person can be suiciday for months then totally opposite end of the spectrum they can be high and overly excitable. keeping a steady job is not easy in fact it can be impossible.
Staying focused when your head is all over the place is hard work so holding down a job can be challenging and dont forget the medication! trying to function efficiently while the meds make you sleepy or brain fogged is impossible.
There are so many ways that mental health can affect your working abillities Denis. Sometimes I think people should try walking in the shoes of others because anyone with a closed mind will only learn from experience.
Dont be too worried about how the family see your illness, You wont change their views, only they can do that.xx

I was a workaholic for years...very intense focus and physical energy required for hours. There was much emotional upheaval in my late 40's. I burned out. Marriage of 30 years over. I did seek professional help and slowly, with the help of meds and therapy, I was able to work again. But....not all the time. It would be after I'd been at a new job for awhile that I would become very anxious and not able to focus for long. After a few months I would often crash and had to take a medical leave. More analysis and a year ago along with my depression and anxiety...I was diagnosed with ADD. I guess it is not an uncommon piece of depression. Probably not apparent until one's resilience is used up. I now take a med for ADD along with 2 other meds. It has helped with focus so I can work a few hours, but I can not work full time. I try very hard to stay positive, but that only lasts so long. I'm at my best when I feel there are no forced set schedules. You are dealing with something very real. I was also questioned a lot. Luckily. the few people who are close to me do understand it.

The only thing that keeps me working is caring for others to forget my own problems and pain this past year iv lost everything my partner my home my job my entire life gone I hit rock bottom 19 times in my life and I'm 23 I tried to start the new year by not being a doormat but it didn't work I lost everything again until I found my one true love I thought I was a shit magnet but now its just the tablets that stop me working as they make me feel so drained of energy and doctors wont change them

I am able to work now ... but when I was NOT able to ... it was because just getting up out of bed was just not going to happen. I had to sleep and sleep some more. That is unreliable in the job force. Also, once I improved enough to get out of bed each day ... and have a shower (another progress) ... then I was unable to just hop in the car and get going. I found myself extremely slow. Unable to drive my car. So - those 2 things alone kept me from working.

I worked until I became disabled because of pain and spinal injury. I was a nurse, now I'm a patient. Anyways...I have always worked through my illness except for a one year period in my 20s when I just couldn't shake it off...but I recovered with individual psychotherapy and medications.
Each person is different. Some can work..some can not..
And disability here in the USA is hard for some people to obtain..
A lot just depends on who handles your case..unfortunately there are people who use the system. It makes it hard for others who truly need the help.