in a few, very few, ways... disclosing has actually benefited me
the primary benefit being hospitalized for a "medical" procedure and wanting a private room rather than the ward or semi-private that, normally, i would receive
with 2 surgeries back in 2007/2008... disclosing to the hospital unit that assigns beds that I had bipolar so please, after surgery, do not put me in a semi-private or ward room.... that, and my surgeon's order written also... I got private rooms that I'd normally not have received
i do not feel bad about that... i had spent 3 weeks, trapped, in a ward room with screaming howling patients recovering from major life threatening injuries... such as I was at the time. it was a nightmare and my mood rapidly cycling due to the ungodly stress I was under, and all the pain meds as well... just made it a horrific 3 week stay. That was in 2007.
the surgeries thereafter, of which I had to stay upwards of a week... you bet I was needing a private room
outside of that... disclosing has not done me not 1 ounce of good... not 1
i've been forced to disclose at work... subsequently, i was laid off 3 weeks ago and it was a MH agency that I worked in as a admin. assistant
in fact.. each time I've been forced to disclose with a employer.. i've ended up unemployed. not all have been kind to "lay me off".
this most recent : they downgraded me into the front desk, meet & greet, answer the phone person... can't handle it what with the mild cognitive impairment and the bipolar
so, i disclosed both issues + the seizures that I also have and well... they laid me off
i suddenly became a "liability and a attendance risk"
as such... I've now lost approximately $850 a month of income when I didn't make that much to start... cause unemployment doesn't pay folks OR not as well as some would think and make out
can anyone say major anxiety & looming blackened stress triggered bipolar depression? but, on the bright side - it's better than 0.
I've also lost far weather friends in finally disclosing... boy do folks run quick when confronted with someone disclosing a "major mental illness"
i've had medical doctors dismiss valid medical issues as "conversion disorder"... when I rarely, if ever, go to a doctor for anything
because Bipolar or Major Depression is on my sheet (sometimes I would list it's just major recurring depression cause that is what I was diagnosed with for so many years when younger but, that no longer helps)
SO... i've decided not to disclose ever again less my life literally depended on it OR it just takes over, as it tends to do, in which case... I hide out at home
I disclose. I like people knowing. I'm usually the smartest person in the room aside from my manager who has ADHD . So here we are, two really smart people with major impediments to daily functioning. I think we are both good PR for functioning with disorders under extreme stress. I don't disclose first thing, however. I want people to know that I can fullfill their expectations, I don't want them to have to worry about me getting my work done correctly or in on time. So I disclose when I have some history with them and a track record they can count on. Of course I'm disclosing to people who are lower on the coporate ladder than I. But I still want their trust. And, at work, I have never had anyone (except M my second tier manager) use it to thier own selfish ends. And I have never been asked by anyone at work to be more normal than I am. So I'm never nervous there and so I function quite well. The attitude that will trip me up is someone expecting me to be "normal" - it will make me so nervous tht I end up saying something inappropriate. (of course, you know how that goes_) I have never been fired for my disorder and have only been treated like I have "mental health cooties" by M. But that has ended now that she has found medication for her Thyroid condotion. (thank God)
I never has trusted myself to serve on a jury - because of the BP disorder. If my mood started flying in all directions, how could I ever make a clear decision?!! My PDod always wrote a letter for me. He's retired now, so don't know what I'll do, if I'm summoned again.
Sitting in one place, for hours, days....EEK! What a frightening thought.
Get out of it - you have valid reasons to do so. Get a letter from your PDoc.
Hugs, M
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I was called for jury duty and needed to divulge something private and a little embarassing to the judge & attorneys.
So I asked to speak with the judges & lawyers off the record about my situation. It wasn't just that I didn't want my private business in front of a bunch of strangers in the room; I didn't want my personal business going into the court transcript.