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Most people in general and not just those with mental illness are hard on ourselves, and often think we should be doing better or doing more—especially in relation to work, but also concerning other obligations. This is a form of guilt which can make us work harder or, surprisingly, can cause people to avoid tasks altogether. 

Any time we have the thought that we "should," "need to" or "ought to" do something, it immediately brings up the assumption that such a task is unpleasant. Thus, it can create procrastination even though the internal guilt message is saying that this thing must be done now. If the task were something we believed we didn't have to do, and thus if we didn't mentally categorize as drudgery, the very same task could be fun instead of unpleasant. In short, the pleasantness or unpleasantness of a particular thing depends largely on attitude. 

However, it is not accurate to blame oneself or be blamed because something is hard. Yes, attitude matters, but we can not always control our attitude. 

And besides that, some things are just hard. Even though things may be easy for some people with or without an impairment, that does not take away from the reality that some things are hard for some people. A secretary may be able to type ninety words a minute, while I could never do that because of the way my brain is designed. Attitude doesn't account for everything. At some point, physical reality enters the picture. 

It is my opinion that the side effects of some medications make it harder to perform gainful employment. Since we haven't invented a medication which is site specific, anti-psychotic medications slow one's entire nervous system, making it nearly impossible to work competitively in some positions. Psychiatric illnesses and their symptoms make it harder to perform, as do sedating or other effects of medications. 

In my twenties I tried to defy these impairments and was equipped with the attitude to do so. At times I succeeded in jobs. It took a lot of effort, and there were events in my life that repeatedly knocked me down. However, I kept getting back up to try again. At some point, after enough negative experiences happened, I reached employment burnout. 

If you are mentally ill, this disease isn't your fault. You didn't bring this upon yourself, it is not a sign of turpitude, and it does not mean you are a weak person. It is just something that happened. No one is to blame. 

You don't have to apologize for being ill. You don't have to agree with the condemnation that intolerant people may have directed at you. You do not need to feel ashamed. You do not need to hide your illness. 

It is probably unfair to expect a person with a major psychiatric illness to be able to perform at various tasks and endeavors at the same level as someone with no disability. It may not be something you should expect from yourself. Let yourself off the hook. 

The above paragraph is not intended to be a discouragement. A person with a mental illness deserves a chance to live as normally as possible and deserves a chance to compete in the world, if they feel ready to do so. If a mentally ill person chooses to compete in the world, they should still at least take allowances, one of which is some "down time" on occasion or when it is needed. 

Then there is a dichotomy concerning how mentally ill people should treat ourselves, how we should be treated, and how much should be expected of us. Certainly it would be nice to act and be treated "as if" there were no disability. However, this is not always practicable. A person with mental illness should not feel pressure coming from oneself or from others that says we must work harder. 

But it would be a waste of human potential not to expect anything.