[whimsicalman]

I have to fill out a health questionnaire for a new job, and two questions, that are related (in my case) have answers that refer to a suicide attempt I made via medication overdose ten years ago.

The questions are part of a list that begins with, "Have you ever had or do you have the following:" The two that I am concerned with are "seizures or loss of consciousness" and "Been hospitalized - give dates and reason"

When I was hospitalized, I was in a coma for a couple weeks, during which time I experienced seizures. I have answered yes to both questions, but I am unsure just how specific I should be regarding the reason. Should I actually write that I had a suicide attempt that put me into a coma, or do you think I can get away with saying something to the effect of, I had a bad reaction to medication that caused a loss of consciousness and seizure? Since I am assuming that my medical records are private and can't be accessed without my permission, would a civil service job entail a subpoena of records to verify the specificity of what I list on a questionnaire? Or can I safely be a wee bit vague, while still being honest?


While part of me is comfortable with being honest, the phrase "suicide attempt" sounds really intense, especially when they don't really know me yet to be able to see that I am stable and okay and that it won't affect my work.


I asked in a different thread about disclosing my mental health status, and I feel that I can comfortably list that am being treated for depression and anxiety, but it is these other questions that have me feeling a bit unsure.

Thoughts?

[piggy momma]

If it were me, I would simply indicate that I was hospitalized for undisclosed medical reasons and leave it at that. If they need more, that can probe.

You can always rephrase suicide attempt as "there was a threat on my life" as well...

[MickeyCheeky]

I don't think you need to give out all the details. Just say that you've been hospitalized for medical reason, or something similar. If they ask you directly, you can try to be more specific.

[healingme4me]

I'd fill in the dates. I like the idea of combining loss of consciousness into the reaction to medication that resulted in a hospitalization. I agree about leaving out further details. It's one thing to have a questionaire, another to be checked by a medical professional during a clinical exam.

[Lefty Seven]

As much as you seem to want to share your history of severely stigmatized crises with a prospective employer, I would disclose exactly nothing. Your medical status and history are private by law for good reason.

[Deejay14]

If that was 10 years ago I would not disclose it. Your health status is protected info and you are under no obligation to tell them. Actually I think it is against the law to ask.

They can't ask those questions where I am. If it was me though, I wouldnt put anything unless it was directly pertinant to my position and current health status.