I work in a nursing home as an Aide for now, and I'm attending school to become a LPN. When I went through my two to three weeks of call-ins, I plainly told my boss that I think I'm bipolar - and I just passed my three-month mark at this job. I went to the doc and got treatment.

I have three other coworkers who are also bipolar and on medication. My boss was very compassionate and hasn't said a word about my call-ins. She is RN and the Director of Nursing at the facility.

I have another coworker who is exhibiting bipolar behavior (manias and depression alternating), and I told her that she needs to seek treatment, but be careful with antidepressants b/c of what they can do to people with bipolar. She also thinks she's alcoholic, and I urged her that if she really thinks that on a consistent basis, then she needs to seek help for that, too - that alcoholism can be an act of self-medicating, which really isn't good for us b/c it can cause even more severe manias and crashes.

It all depends on the people and the environment as to whether you should tell your boss and/or coworkers or not. Some environments are more family-like and therefore compassionate and supportive. Others, not so much. Take it on a situational basis.