[tipper1492]

Looked on the net, as I have a number of times, and yes stigma toward anyone with mental health issues is widespread. My family knows this, but honestly wonder if I should have kept my mouth shut.

Then I told two friends I had bipolar, and it was a pointless thing to do. You tell them to keep it hush, hush, but you know some can not help to spread such things, and who knows now, it's beyond anyone's guess.

I frankly wish I never said anything to anyone including so called close friends. Appears you don't see them as much, like they never come by.

I say never tell anyone at your work place. But this is my personal opinion, and in some cases it probably is. I'm retired now, so there is no work place for me.

I was age 61 before being diagnosed and placed on medications that did in fact work for me. Therefore I'd guess I am much older than most in any bipolar groups.

[Hashi/bipolar mom]

I would NEVER tell anyone at work or is not a close friend (like BFF) or immediate family members. I've told two close friends and of course my DH, son, mom, and brother. That's it.

[43camt]

Honestly if you're on the right meds i think you will be able to lead a pretty normal life. I dont think theres any reason to tell anyone other than immediate family

I just play it off as no big deal. It seems that if I make a big deal about it, so does everyone else. If I'm like "yeah, whatever", they take it like it's just another thing because I appear to act like its not a problem.

I really don't tell anyone about my MI anymore because it's gotten pretty goofy, all things considered.

[Keegan2015]

I only tell my close friends about the whole BP thing. I definitely would not tell anyone at work, just seems like it would lead to problems.

[gayleggg]

I only told my best friend and my daughter and husband. No one else needs to know. I did use it to educate my friend.

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[gina_re]

I let my immediate supervisor at work know just in case I go off the deep end and something at work happens. But I only do so after I've worked there a while (maybe about a year) so they know I'm a good employee and that the illness has no impact on my work ethic or productivity.

[BipolaRNurse]

I was diagnosed at age 53. I was going through a lot of crap with this illness at the time and made the mistake of telling people at work. BAD idea. It took a while, but eventually they managed to get rid of me. Stigma is still prevalent especially in workplaces; I don't expect it to go away in my lifetime, but I have hope that someday it will.

[crescent_moon]

I've only told a few people, only friends no family members. I definitely regret telling a couple of them. Some talked crap behind my back, a couple of those same ones were coworkers and one even posted on facebook that I needed to get my meds back into my system when she got pissed at me. And others can't expand their brain enough to comprehend that some people have a brain that doesn't function the same as theirs. Its such a huge stigma when you do say something because people are too ignorant to try and understand what we deal with

[hopeless2015]

I've told a few at work, kind of hard to hide when you disappear like I have this last year. My boss just asks that I keep in touch that there is some sort of communication, its hard but that's all she asks, that I'm not gone for a week or several days and no one has a clue what's up. That's fair, no one else can just disappear either. I'm good at my job and I have 21 years invested, I just have to get to 30 and I can retire. Sometimes I wonder if I'm going to make it but I'm trying. I'm hoping to get to a point where I'm stable for more than a few weeks at a time but right now we are playing the med game

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[SingDanceRunLife]

As a general rule, I don't say anything at work...but friends and family? I'm super open. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've posted about it on Facebook with "#stopthestigma" at the end of it. I personally believe it's important to educate the masses because if no one does, the stigma will continue. It's not easy, but someone has to do it.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

I'm already having issues with the caddy girls at work so I would never tell them. This means I have to be secretive when I have to come in late or leave for pdoc appointments. I've lost many of my friends due to BP or isolating myself from depression. I made the mistake of telling an aunt and cousin. They grew distant. My dad knows but he's ignorant and thinks it's just an excuse to why I suck at life. My brother is probably the only supportive person I have however his ex wife was BP and when he talks bad about her he'll say stuff like "she was crazy like you" or "she got bipolar on me". It really doesn't bother me when he says it though.

[mugwort2]

All my friends are consumers. So I fee I can be myself with them. If I go to a political forum my experience is when ever I mention parity or patient's rights people look at me as MH consumer and nothing else.