I am a soon to be graduating student at Stanford University. I have been dealing with severe Bipolar Disorder I for nigh on thirteen years now, and I am very happy that I will finally be able to graduate. It's been an arduous journey fraught with obstacles at every turn. In addition to my mental illn...
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I hear you man, I hear you.
Steve Ledbetter
Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 06:50 PM
Every part of your story is saddening; but familiar to my own. A wish I had a better answer for you. I became officially disabled in 2005; was diagnosed that year and went downhill from there (for many of the same reasons you have indicated where your own illness has ruined your life). I am just now able to return to work but no one will hire anybody who is bipolar. I would have better luck having to explain 3 years in Prison rather than three years of disability/unemployment from Bipolar. If you disclose up front - interview is quickly wrapped up. If you don't disclose - they find out in the background checks that Include your medical records. You just hear "were sorry that position has already been filled. I have researched my "rights" with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 = which prohibits discrimination in hiring , firing, etc. for mental illnesses) and the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - who is charged under federal law to enforce the ADA) without any good news. The laws are there, but in the real world they provide you no protection at all. You will be discriminated against for your disease and there is no way to prove it. I like you need a well paying job - I worked as a management consultant for IBM for 12 years and made well north of 100K for most of those years. Now - I don't think I could "manage" the french fryer at McDonald's for minimum wage. So if anybody out there can provide helpful info to me or Wilford_Brimley; I would be eternally grateful.
Every part of your story is saddening; but familiar to my own. A wish I had a better answer for you. I became officially disabled in 2005; was diagnosed that year and went downhill from there (for many of the same reasons you have indicated where your own illness has ruined your life). I am just now able to return to work but no one will hire anybody who is bipolar. I would have better luck having to explain 3 years in Prison rather than three years of disability/unemployment from Bipolar. If you disclose up front - interview is quickly wrapped up. If you don't disclose - they find out in the background checks that Include your medical records. You just hear "were sorry that position has already been filled. I have researched my "rights" with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 = which prohibits discrimination in hiring , firing, etc. for mental illnesses) and the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - who is charged under federal law to enforce the ADA) without any good news. The laws are there, but in the real world they provide you no protection at all. You will be discriminated against for your disease and there is no way to prove it. I like you need a well paying job - I worked as a management consultant for IBM for 12 years and made well north of 100K for most of those years. Now - I don't think I could "manage" the french fryer at McDonald's for minimum wage. So if anybody out there can provide helpful info to me or Wilford_Brimley; I would be eternally grateful.