(This is Part IV in a five-part series on bipolar. To catch up, see Bipolar on the Job Part I: “Will I Be Able to Return to Work?” Part II: “To Tell or Not to Tell?” and Part III, “How to Talk about Bipolar Disorder.” )

When you receive a bipolar diagnosis (and disclose it to your employer), you gain protection under the law via the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As long as your employer is on notice of the problem and you’ve expressed some desire to get help, your employer is required to engage in a dialogue with you to determine whether reasonable accommodations would enable you to perform the essential functions of the job.

(This is Part III in a five-part series on bipolar. To catch up, see Bipolar on the Job Part I: “Will I Be Able to Return to Work?” and Part II: “To Tell or Not to Tell?“)

Most of the population has managed to overcome obstacles in talking about a host of healthcare issues previously considered taboo in “polite company.” Some people, however, still have hang-ups when it comes to discussing mental health issues. They can’t seem to accept the fact that the brain, like other organs of the body, can become ill. When they observe the symptoms of an ill brain – which can manifest as socially unacceptable language or behavior – they blame the person rather than the illness. Most of this is due to ignorance, and the best way to combat that is through education.

By definition, a holiday is a vacation – a break from work for leisure activities. In reality, however, holidays can become more like a disruption of comfortable routine, a time when annual stressors and triggers slither down the chimney in the form of irritating relatives, unresolved family matters, or an overwhelming urge to be everything to everyone.

Although Dr. Fink and I are most active on Bipolar Beat, we continue to maintain our original Bipolar Blog. We rarely post to it anymore, but it has evolved into a place where people can go to share their bipolar stories. Just today, Nicole posted her story. Following is an excerpt of Nicole’s Story.

I was born in 1979 to a bipolar/mildly schizophrenic mother, with a long history of mental illness on her side of the family and a father who suffered from chronic depression. From about the time I was 8, he was in bed all the time. I knew something was wrong with my mom since I was little. “She is sick” I was told. I didn’t really understand but I knew they didn’t mean that she had a cold or needed surgery. While sick she would scream in the middle of the streets, dress odd, wear an entire bottle of perfume, diet excessively, not sleep, had extreme anxiety, not eat and disappear.

(This is Part II in a five-part series on bipolar. To start at the beginning, see Bipolar on the Job Part I: “Will I Be Able to Return to Work?”)

The question of whether to disclose one’s bipolar disorder to an employer often causes anxiety for the person with the illness. Of course, it shouldn’t be that way. If you were ill with cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, you would probably disclose it without reservation. You might even get some sympathy. People with mental illness, however, often fear the real possibility of being stigmatized. Stigmatization can take several forms:

We have three cats. Since our dog passed away several years ago, I’ve been the one holdout in the family in our decision to get another dog. I like the freedom of being able to take off for a couple days without having to figure out “what to do about the dog.” Besides, bringing a clueless dog into a house with three crafty, conceited cats seems to me to be borderline animal cruelty.

Nobody can tell you whether you will be able to return to work. The answer hinges on several variables, including the severity of the illness, the effectiveness of the treatment you receive, how much support you have at work and home, the stress level (and your capacity for handling it), and how eager you are to return to work.

Both poles of bipolar disorder – mania and depression – can make it tough to achieve peak performance at work. Depression can sap your motivation. Mania can trigger conflicts with colleagues and drive you to start dozens of projects you never finish. Appointments with doctors and therapists add to the burden, and many of the medications used to treat bipolar can sap your energy and dull your thinking, especially during the time you are first adjusting to them.

You’re cruising through life with a pretty clear idea of where you’re going. You have dreams, goals, aspirations…. Then, wham! Bipolar disorder T-bones you. When you finally wake up, you don’t know what hit you. You’re still in shock, walking around in a daze, trying to figure out what happened.