Hi,

I just wanted to plug my friends site, www.survivingbipolar.com Check out the Community of Hope, there are not many posts but maybe you can help change that. We're trying to build a thriving commuinty. I will be writing a regular column there as well.

The first column I will be writing will be dealing with if you are mentally ill and if you should tell your employer or not. If so, why and when? If not, why not?

If any of you have personal stories about coming out to an employer about a mental illness feel free to PM me or post below.

Thanks!

Honestly I think it's situational, Lottie.

Like -- is it really necessary and how will it make a difference?

Also depends a lot on your boss, what s/he is like, and actually on your entire working situation.

My boss freaked out when he found out I was on antidepressants and also on major narcotics for pain. Hey, they made it possible for me to work, and that's what I eventually got thru his uber-A+-personality total freakout.

But I didn't tell him; one of my employees did, the little shit. She knew because she had been my friend for years before I hired her for what I thought was gonna be a temp position. And she told someone whom she KNEW would tell The Fat Man (our director's' nickname, lol).

It took awhile for the storm to calm down and I had to endure some looks and whispers.

Honestly if your BP is well controlled -- I'd think twice.

Jmo of course!

Luck,

Chyia, faintly dubious

I told a previous employer about my depression and I regretted it greatly. I would never tell anyone with whom I worked on a professional level again.

Thank you for posting the site. Even though I have a history with depression, I was diagnosed as bipolar a few days ago and I'm a bit confused.

don't tell. no one will ever take you seriously and you will never be provided with any oppurtunities to enhance your work level.

This is too true. I came out about a related problem I have to my college lecturer and she was really supportive because it was affecting my work and life at college. The only reason she was so supportive was because she was part of our Social Care coarse and she felt it a duty not to be an a-hole about the situation. Employers will never react in the same way. Its just better to talk to someone else about how to cope at work with the problem.