Would anyone openly come out with their bipolar ?

Would anyone openly come out with bipolar ? To help others or would you think we would be shuned from society and are friends ?

I am selective on who I share my Bipolar with, I am not ashamed at all. I just pick and choose my battles. I refuse to even waste my time trying to convince someone that is never going to change there view. Beating my head against a brick wall is not a joyful past time.

This is my view as well!

I'm pretty open about being bipolar - but I also stress that I am in control and medicated; responsible and safe. That the stereotypes are not true. I feel that educating the general public is important.

If is would help someone else I would tell them about being bipolar and take a chance of not being judged. I don't tell everyone I meet but I would tell someone that might benefit.

I just made the mistake of telling my loudmouth landlord that I'm on SSDI now the whole neighborhood knows and is paranoid of me. Now their problem is my problem. Don't give people any ammunition is my advice. Mention it in the family only if someone else in the family has gone thru a mental disorder.

I'm pretty open about it. It's not something I tell someone I just met, but I tell most of my friends once I'm closer to them. They're all close to me by then and see nothing wrong with it because we've already been friends and it hasn't done any harm to them. But it's good for them to know because on off days, I can just let them know I feel off and they understand.

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It has never occurred to me to keep my DX a secret...

I, too, am pretty selective about who I tell. I'm not afraid to tell people in AA because I know I won't be judged, but as for the general population, I keep my bipolar to myself.

I'm pretty open- won't affect me in my job and my friends don't care if I am

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I know plenty of people that do openly disclose.

And they are quite happy to disclose their diagnosis.

For me personally, I look grumpy half the time so I'm have to vote NO:

When I was dxd with BP I did come out to friends and family or anyone else that wanted to know. I am having a more difficult time being open about my current dx though.

I'm more open on Facebook than anything. I want people to know, but I am bad at having serious conversations so I try to let people know just by figuring out themselves e.g. reading bipolar books and participating in chat and forums out in the open. People are so nosy in the south, so they notice.

I am an open book. I tell everyone. I try not to feel shame. I don't think it is anything to be ashamed of. I am like this about most things. I understand those who don't tell. Most of the time, people don't believe me anyway.

I recently, and when I say recently, I mean yesterday have told all my friends and family. And by all my friends, I mean all my friends I've remained connected do through social media. It was actually liberating. I was inspired to share by several factors. One, I work in the mental health and substance abuse field and I can see how the stigma affects people. Two, a "friend" of mine posted one of these most insensitive things on Facebook about how he has no sympathy for someone who had just committed suicide and they were cowards, etc, and it made me realize too many people, people that I know don't understand mental health or substance abuse at all. I spend 40 hrs a week with people who think like me in regards to MH is real, that I forget about those who really don't understand it. and finally, this past weekend I had a depressive episode. I was crying for no reason. And my boyfriend, who tries his best to understand, stroked my face and said, "I'm here for you, I know you're scared. I'm not going anywhere. I love you." and to just have his unconditional support helped me realize that there may be other people like that as well. And after I shared that I have a mental illness, that sometimes I'm energetic and happy and other times I'm depressed and sad for no apparent reason, that I cant control myself during really bad episodes, that I sometimes avoid people and I dont mean to but that the disorder can sometimes kill my joy and I don't want to kill anyone else's, but I mostly need people to understand it is an illness, but I don't want to feel alone... after I posted that I received messages from friends saying hey I have that too, Or I have borderline etc and commending me on being brave enough to share with my 900 plus facebook friends (and I know everyone of them personally). And then I thought, why should this be something about being brave? Why should we have to feel ashamed about something that isn't our control. People don't shame cancer patients. Now I'm rambling. My point is there needs to be more people like us to educate others on the illness. I don't tell every single person I meet, but I no longer am ashamed of it.

Great attitude, Madison. I agree 100%.

I'm pretty open about it mostly. I don't tell anyone unless it happens to come up in a conversation but have no shame in saying that I am. For example, a lot of my family does not know, but I told someone I work with today because mental health and meds happened to come up in a conversation we were having.

This really helped me thanks

Footnote.

My ex-employer found out about my diagnosis.

Wasn't happy.

I'm somewhat of a public figure in my community and I've thought about coming out via Facebook and letting the chips fall where they may. My employer and one coworker know and have never brought it up, but are very understanding about it when I'm a little off or have to take some time to go to an appointment (every three months now).

I've had an official diagnosis for about a year now, and I've been fairly open about it as well. The more I seem to tell people, the more I realise that people don't actually give a flying f**k - the biggest deal that's made out of it is in fact, internal

Even my employer knows and I'm lucky for them not to judge me, its helped having that extra support.

Probably wouldn't plaster it over Facebook though.

I'm glad this helps. On an unrelated note, is there any way you can get notified when people reply to you?

I do plaster it over Facebook. But I am a stay at home mom and I am very open. I can see where you might not want others to know work wise.

But I think it is great to tell and raise awareness. Especially if you are well managed.

What do you mean "wasn't happy". About what? Like wasn't happy because they cared and would have wanted to know so they could help? Or "wasn't happy" as in being assholes?

I tell very few people. Sadly, I have learned over the years, unfortunately from personal experiences, not to trust anyone completely. I have been stabbed in the back so many times not only by just acquaintances, but also by people I thought were my friends. Also, people are so judgmental anymore. Very few want to hear your explanation about the disease, or want to be educated on how it's not like everyone thinks it is. That's boring. That's not good gossip. That's not a good story. People are always out for themselves. And if they have something that will make them look good, make them look better, have the best story tell "at the water cooler", they will. I've learned that the hard way WAY too many times. It's very sad, and disgusting that people are this way. There are very few "real" people anymore.