The ADA has a companion law, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). If you are covered under an FMLA for the treatment of an approved medical condition (which bipolar 1 or 2 disorder are) you are allowed 90 days time off for treatment a year. It is unpaid, but it will save your job in the event that you need to take time off from work for treatment or appointments. HR legally can't fire you. I had a brutal manic-psychotic episode that kept me in the hospital for 8 weeks. My FMLA protected my job and allowed me to have an alternate work schedule so I could attend therapy and psychiatry appointments. There is always danger when HR finds out you have a severe mental illness. Depending on your corporate culture, some institutions will be supportive and others will be brutal. Your job will be protected, though, and you have legal recourse should you suffer workplace harassment. An FMLA is valuable, but does let your employer know you have a mental illness. It's a decision to make carefully with your treatment team.