[GlamJane]

Hello! So I'm new here, although not new to the forums. I'm one for those people who kinda lurk until I can't anymore.

I have Bipolar 1 disorder and I've pretty much known something was wrong all my life. There just wasn't any name for it. I was misdiagnosed in 2014 and then a little bit after I was diagnosed with the right thing. I have a question and would love some feedback.

When do you tell people that you deal with this disorder? Do you tell employers? If so, how and why did you?

Yesterday at work I had some severe rapid cycling going on. It was so bad one of the patients I was working with called me out on it and I didn't justify her comment I just let it go. Her comment was loud enough for my boss to hear and my boss proceeded to ask me what was wrong. In that moment I got severely irritated and just overall aggravated out of literally no where. It was all over my face and I'm certain my energy was different.

I said to my boss, "If I don't get 10 mins to myself I'm going to snap." It wasn't until after did I realize what was happening. It's hard for me to keep a job because of this disorder, especially jobs where I have to come in contact with people one on one. Whether it be over the phone or in person.

So my bigger question is, should I tell my employer or no? And on top of that, do you think it's beneficial to people what you're dealing with?

[wildflowerchild25]

This question is posed here often and usually the general consensus is DO NOT tell your employer. I personally would never tell. Even in my last job I never came out and said I had bipolar. They were incredibly supportive of me when I had to take time off (a lot of time off) for bad episodes but I still never mentioned bipolar. I just said I had depression because I feel there is less stigma for depression.

The one time I did tell an employer, I was not asked to return (it was a summer camp). I was a model employee for five summers until a bad depressive episode. I told him what was going on so he would understand why I wasn't my happy self. I figured it would be ok because he knew me. But nope, I was let go.

As for telling people, well, I've been hospitalized so many damn times that it's impossible to hide from the people close to me. However, if by some miracle I were to make new friends I wouldn't tell them until we were close. I just don't trust people with that information.

But that's just me. Many others on here have told and it's been fine.

[Shazerac]

I would be careful about telling your work place. People aren't supposed to discriminate, but it still happens.

To answer your first 2 questions: I'm too nervous to tell my boss, so I've never told him. He's noticed my mood swings and has yelled at me for my "fluctuations in performance". I think if he knew what was really going on, I could possibly be fired.

I guess if it came down to it, I would do like wildflowerchild and say I have depression. I would never admit to having BP. However, that's just me given my situation and my asshole boss.

To answer your last 2 questions: It's ultimately up to you to tell your boss, but people do unfortunately lose their jobs over this type of disclosure. While it is illegal to fire someone for having an MI, your boss could say he's firing you for a BS reason, and there's not much you can do about it. So just be aware of that. For example, your boss knows you were about to snap at that patient, which means he could accuse you of being a "danger" to patients (or some f***ed up reason like that).

On the upside, your boss could be totally understanding and give you some leeway. It could go either way. I would consider how good you get along with your boss, how long you've worked there, and what kind of person your boss is.

[pirilin]

Don't ask-don't tell is alive and kicking.
Besides, I've had my diagnostic changed three times.
I'm not going to go around announcing the new diagnostic every time it changes.
"Hi, I have Bipolar I". "Sorry, Bipolar II". "It is MDD now." "Well, I'll blame it on me". "I'm an asshole, not the doctors.".

[Unrigged64072835]

The only time I told an employer about my MI was when I was filing for long-term disability and he had to sign off on some paperwork. I wouldn't tell anybody, even when I was in the hospital. Unless it's a vocational rehab situation I wouldn't tell. A lot of companies have a "fire at will" clause which means you can be fired for just about anything.

[StewieGG]

The most I'd ever tell an employer is depression. Depression is much more acceptable in society than bipolar, schizophrenia etc. These illnesses scare people and make them uncomfortable even though they'd never admit it

[BipolaRNurse]

Disclosing my illness at work has never gone well for me. Businesses have offices full of lawyers who know all the ways around the Americans with Disabilities Act. They cannot technically fire someone because he or she has a mental illness, but they can always make up some reason or another to reject a job applicant or fire an employee. So my advice is NEVER disclose your MI to an employer/boss.