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Sunday, November, 08, 2009
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Work disclosure

ariK

ariK

Friday, January 04, 2008
View All of ariK's Posts
Almost everyone with bipolar disorder (or any other mental illness, for that matter) must face the decision at some point of whether or not to disclose their condition to people that they are professionally involved with. Though I had not intended to reveal my diagnosis to anyone at my new place of e...
  1. Who Would Have Thought...
    Stardust
    Friday, January 04, 2008 at 08:04 PM
    Your disclosure turned out great.  And now you have an "ally" in the office to boot!  Must be feeling  good about it, Ariadnek Ph.D.  Big Grin
    Reply
  2. Work Disclosure
    Judy
    Friday, January 04, 2008 at 09:24 PM

    It's funny how thinks work in our favor sometimes.  It must have been a pretty awesome experience for you.  And your coworker is likely pleased the way it turned out as well. 

     

    It's a small world, indeed.  Hope you can share time and experiences.....Judy

    Reply
  3. Disclosure.
    Hopeful mom
    Saturday, January 05, 2008 at 05:39 AM

    After my son's suicide attempt, I was really hesitant to share any information with people at work.  We admitted him to the hospital and I went to work the next day like nothing had happened.

     

    I felt so responsible for it and like a bad parent.  I did wind up having to share with my boss because I was a mess.  After talking to some people at his school, I just broke down and I had to tell someone.  As a teacher, you really can't sit there and cry.  So I told my paras I needed a minute and ran down the hall and talked to the principal.  She was very understanding, hugged me, and told me to take time off if I needed to.

    Later, I was talking to a coworker about it and found out she had a daughter with the same exact issues as my son.  She gave me the number to their psychiatrist and told me of their experiences.

    Their daughter is 17 now and doing well.  I was really thankful to find this out as I knew she was a good parent and a good person and she had the same problem I did.

    Reply
  4. To be or to have, that is my question
    Marya
    Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 05:08 PM
    I'm noticing that many of us who have bipolar disorder say, "I am bipolar," rather than "I have bipolar disorder." To me identifying ourselves as the illness subtly perpetuates the stigma associated with it. I've never heard anyone say, "I am cancer," or, "I am MS." Diabetics identify themselves as diabetics, but I think this may be questionable, too, because as people we are so much more than our illnesses or disorders. Am I splitting hairs or denying the link between who we are and the illnesses we have, or might it be a small but important step to start identifying ourselves as multifaceted people who happen to have a brain disorder?
    Reply
  5. Which one is "S"?
    Anonymous
    Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 08:52 PM

    which one is "S"?  shannon?  sheryl?  sandy?  inquiring minds want to know!

    Reply
    re: Which one is "S"?
    ariK
    Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 09:05 PM

    That is really a pointless comment, Anonymous...you're obviously just trying to bait me.

    Reply
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