Hi Juz~~

The title of your thread kinda cracked me up, as if admitting to mental illness is like copping a guilty plea or something.

The people in my life who need to know (my family, close friends) know but as far as everyone else in my world -- nope. I don't get what purpose it would serve for me or even how/why the subject would come up.

Does it come up more for those on disability?

I admit it freely. I don't however yell out for the world to see. I do this because I want to be able to be taken seriously in society.

There is a difference between wanting people's approval and radical acceptance of living with this disorder and knowing that historically people are afraid of mental illness. So I use my wise mind and share when it is appropriate.

i'm not mentally ill, i just have an evil spirit living in me.
him....now he's bugshit koo-koo.

I wouldn't deny it, but I don't go around telling it. I think sometimes I don't even believe it myself or understand it so I just can't trust that anyone else will understand and be nice about it without judging me. I don't want everything I do to be seen as some decision or accomplishment or failure due to a mental illness. I just want to be normal but I think I missed that boat.

I feel uncomfortable when people talk to me about their small problems. I don't know if it's partly my Midwestern reserve and a big part my quiet personality, but I've practically talked to two people total about my BP apart from parents and docs.

In real life that is. Right now I'm chatting on Facebook with someone from another forum who is in the same boat as me and it's helping a lot since I'm in borderline crisis right now.

What's left to hide? My family knows my job requires a disabilitymost people can tell I'm off

I try to hide it. No good ever comes from admitting it to other people, including family members.

i mostly admit it! im not ashamed of it and it is part of me. i dont admit to my "professional" world of nursing bc of the stigma

Sometimes I admit it just for the shock value.

Hahahaha, Rich!!! I almost put that as one of my favorite quotes!!!

"You talking to me?"

Depends on my mood, the people involved, and the circumstances.

If I was working, I wouldn't tell a soul.

As it stands now, I'm pretty open about it. But I usually have no reason to announce it; I just cop to it if it happens to come up in the conversation.

IMHO

If we want to end the stigma...we need to come out of the BP closet.

There are tactful and simple ways of introducing the subject into a conversation.

I am always surprised at the positive responces I get from people when I tell them , I am mentally ill.......it's sorta like

OH that nice lady we've been talking to is BP..NOT a raving loon