Bipolars Need Not Apply

I recently found myself behind a man's desk, filling out employment papers that stumped me and angered me at the same time.

"Do You Have Any History of Mental Illness?", the application said.

I looked up from the application, and said, "I didn't think they could ask you this". He glanced at me, did a once over, and shrugged his shoulders. Apparently I didn't look like I was mentally ill, so he was not concerned.

I sat there a few seconds more just thinking, stumped- then I said, "I do have a history of mental illness. What should I write?".

He looked shocked. How could this intelligent, well groomed, young woman be mental, he must have been thinking. "Well, you are not schizophrenic or bipolar are you?" he asked. I lied, and said that it was "only" major depression that I "once" suffered from. He let out a sigh of relief and advised me to lie on the papers.

I put the papers in my bag, and told him I'd get them back to him in the morning. I brought those papers home and pondered that question half the night.

The bottom line is that I AM bipolar in every sense of it's definition. And, no, I am not "mildly bipolar" or "cured", etc. etc. Right now I am doing pretty well, but life with bipolar is not always as you hope.

I never did finish that application, I decided to hold onto the safe job I have, at least for now.