Do your employers know you're Bipolar?
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Do your employers know you're Bipolar?
| Fri, 12-01-2006 - 1:46pm |
I've decided to go back to work instead of pursuing disability. I'm a peditatric respiratory therapist, and I love my job. I'm wondering whether or not to be honest with my supervisor when I do return??? Or would that be a reason for her not to rehire me???
Thanks for your help!.......Renee

In my case no....I hold a security clearance and would probably lose it if they found out.
tk
This one is a real toughie. Some bosses don't discriminate, others do. Being bipolar and having my employers know it has cost me two jobs, so I usually don't tell unless I feel the boss is really trustworthy. Sometimes, it's impossible to keep secret- one of the jobs it cost me was in a situation where I didn't tell, but I was in a small town and somehow word got out.
How comfortable do you feel with your boss? That's the burning question here. If thinking of your boss makes you hesitate in any way, don't tell!
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Hi there! No, I would never tell my bosses about my BP. The world is too discriminatory, especially when it comes to mental illness.
Good Luck! Kelli
as a school bus driver, i probably should tell my boss. but i am afraid that they would find some "reason" to let me go. they can't fire me because i'm bipolar, they'd have to trump up some reason like performance or too much time missed from work or such things. i think my immediate boss would understand, but i still prefer to keep that part of my life out of my work place as much as possible. yeah, there are days when i'm at work and i really shouldn't be. like recently my concentration has been shot and i zone out when i'm driving. NOT a good thing when i'm hauling around precious cargo. but i only have so much sick leave saved up and i'm trying to keep that for when cold/flu season strikes because my kids usually get something that time of year. so i try not to use it on myself.
anyway, got off on a mini-tangent. no, my employer doesn't know and unless something major changes, it will stay that way. as someone else said, it is a very personal decision and if you trust your boss implicitly then tell him/her. however, if you have the slightest twinge of hesitation, i'd think twice about telling them. just my 2 cents worth.
traci
Hello Girls, You know that a real tough question. My older brother just recently married a pdoc. (funny huh)! But we were talking the other night and it's like she said, we have a mood disorder, just like a person with diabetics, or whatever. I'm very open with my BP, but I don't work. So I'm not sure what I would do. I am thinking about going back to collage next fall, I like less than 2 yrs graducating with a 4 year degree in business. I'd like to change to and do something like give talks to the schools and groups of people about BP and also my 15 yr old is ADHD and has been since 2nd grade.
You know the problem isn't us, the D#$@ world isn's educated, and heck everyone has a least 1 issue. I love to talk, I don't meet a stranger so why not use this to help educate the stupid even if they don't won't to hear it. I'm sick of hearing "My God you know there crazy" "there BP"! So many times I tell them go educate yourself then come back and talk to me. Same goes for ADHD.
Good Luck
Shelia
Legally, you are not required to, although doing so AFTER you're hired can qualify you for adjustments in your job--like time to see your pdoc/tdoc regularly, regular hours.