I'm estranged from my family - father died several years ago from cancer and never did have a funeral, mother resents me and siblings only stir pot every few years by contacting me through my wife.

My wife loves and supports me, but I think I've driven her to the edge one too many times. And by that I mean she's told me in fights - where we say the darnedest things - that she's prayed I would just leave her. We've been married for 15 years and I'm confident I've been bipolar all of those years - actually well into my youth and it went without a diagnosis based on my early behaviors as a teenager.

My wife will also be the first to admit she is an enabler, and for far too long allowed certain behaviors to go unchecked for a good while. I was also a good hider and could rationalize everything or so I thought.

My kids know nothing other than their father takes "happy pills" and I've been better to them over the last year than any other time of their life. That's kind of sad when I think about it. The one thing I wish I was more of is present in my children's lives. I'm sort of there, but knowing what they've had to deal with second or third hand through my wife and her family is heartbreaking at times.

My in-laws took me in as their son. I love them for it but they support from afar. We don't really get into my diagnosis or what it means for the wife and kids. My mother-in-law was there for me when I admitted myself for overnight observation after a suicide attempt. My sister-in-law and her husband as far as I know do not have any direct knowledge of my bipolar. I'm sure they would be supportive but my wife tends to keep information about my condition private (as she should) from anyone that doesn't need to know.

And here I am, ready to tell my employer.