Careers and Job Restraints

Is it / was it difficult to get a job with this? I am not sure if you have to state you have it or not and the meds also. I am afriad because I have been told that I may have this and I don't know what to do. I am looking for a job at the moment and am afriad that it will affect wether anyone decides to employ me...Has anyone else had trouble here with employment?

It's worse because I am ok on meds and I want to be a mental health worker but if I am classed as having a mental disability myself does that mean I can never do this? I really want to help others like myself is all.

[Xila31]

BP is protected by the Americans with Disabilities act. I don't know if you live in the states. Also, as long as you can function and do the work, they cannot discriminate against you because you have BP. I work in an office as a receptionist and we have patients come in and out all day. I have some reasonable accomidations to help me out.

I don't know about disclosure at the interview, but eventually you will have to disclose to someone like an HR person in case you need reasonable accomidations. (i.e. the ability to call your psychiatrist during business time if you are having trouble, the ability to take short breaks, sick time for mental health days, things you may need.)

It is pretty hard for me some days, but I do okay. Right now I function well enough althoughI can tell when I was working on something and hypomanic. We have a person ILADVOCATE on the forum who knows a lot about this, I'm sure he will have better answers for you.

[ILADVOCATE]

Well I would add define your reasonable accomodations first and remember not to disclose your disability at the initial interview but you have to disclose any reasonable accomodations you need when you are hired and only to your supervisor and by law they can't repeat that information to anyone else.

[Almaria22]

Thanks so much everyone this has helped immensely.

[morbidlyeuphoric]

I work in the mental health field, and have been for the last 6 years. I've never had an issue before with any supervisors concerning my BP. I did not disclose the info at the interview, but I did tell them after I had been working there for a short amount of time. As long as you can function, it's fine. Go for it!!

[Weney3777]

When I was in my last interview, he asked if I would need special accomodations for my disabilty(I'm on disability and wanted to work part-time). I told him I had a couple of doctor appts. a month and would need time off for those, but nothing else. I probably should have told him more information up front, because he then asked if my BACK was alright now. When I told them my back was fine(which is what he thought it was for), he gave me an odd smile and never called me. Maybe it was all in my head, but I think that's why I didn't get the job. I believe you should be upfront first. Also, when I did get sick at my last job, and couldn't go in to work, my boss fired me on the spot for not showing up for my scheduled hours. I think I could have gotten a doctor's note and brought it in, but I didn't bother. I'm still worried that disclosing that diagnosis at an interview would deter anyone from hiring me.