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[hmprescott63]

As a person with bipolar disorder, I've become increasingly discouraged by the reporting on faculty mental health in the Chronicle following the shootings in Alabama last week.  The comments are especially disturbing suggesting that all "crazies" are potentially violent and their rights should be compromised in the interest of public safety.  Do others share this concern or am I overreacting?

[prytania3]

Yes, I'm bipolar as well, and I'm afraid we're going to end up with the "sane police"--those who patrol everyone seeing who's sane and who's not. Also, if mental illness becomes any more stigmatized, people just won't seek help.

In the case of Amy Bishop, she had a clear history of violent behavior that somehow got swept under the carpet.

[mended_drum]

I think, perhaps, that it's not just about the media's depictions of mental illness.  While there is plenty of prejudice against those with physical limitations, it seems to me that most people are ill-equipped to relate to someone exhibiting signs of a mental illness, both in the workplace and in their personal lives.  In other words, I think it's fairly common to understand that opening the door for someone or lifting something down from a high shelf is a way to assist someone who needs help.  But what, exactly, do I do when my colleague seems to me to be catastrophizing a situation?  Or speaking to me with hostility?  Or who can't let a thought or situation go, as it keeps running through her mind again and again?  I was taught as a child to assist those with physical needs, but, aside from comforting those exhibiting signs of sorrow (tears, in particular), I've received no guidance in how to respond to someone with a mental illness--once I know that someone has one, which is a whole different problem. 

I've had friends and colleagues with mental illnesses who tell me what to do under various circumstances to help them.  It may not always be easy to do those things (it's hard for me, in particular, not to get angry at being treated with hostility), but in those cases I can learn how to be most helpful.  But it takes a certain amount of trust to establish the kind of relationship where someone can share what works best, and that kind of trust isn't going to happen with everyone I work with.  In some workplaces, it may not happen between colleagues at all. 

[macaroon]

Is it known if Bishop has been diagnosed with a mental illness, or has been undergoing psychiatric treatment?  I haven't seen any reports stating that she sought treatment for a mental illness.

[inthelab]

I have no idea who among my colleagues is bipolar or has another problem (being treated I would assume).  Some things can be kept relatively private.

[hmprescott63]

Glad to hear it's not me.  @mended_drum -- I agree that this is a difficult issue.  My recommendation is to treat the person as you would like to be treated in a similar situation.  I had the good fortune to have compassionate colleagues who took me to the hospital and covered my classes while out on medical leave.

My disease is fully in remission -- no one would ever know that I was bipolar if I didn't tell them. I imagine there are a lot more of us around but no one knows because who would want to out themselves given such prejudice?

[sikora]

Yes, yes, yes, it exists.  Once you've had an episode, you will never be fully trusted again, no matter how solid your recovery.   The best description I've seen of this is a short piece  entitled "Normal is a place I visit" by Suzanne J. Fiala, a physician with bipolar disorder. Here's the citation and the url.


JAMA. 2004;291(24):2924-2926 (doi:10.1001/jama.291.24.2924)

 http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/24/2924

Here's an except: 

If my colleagues knew that I was bipolar, I fear that I would
never again be taken seriously, that I would be viewed as
the “impaired physician” who, at a display of passion or emotion,
would be seen as having an “episode.” My hardearned
credibility would be gone. My right to express even
normal anger or irritability, happiness, or my effervescent
sense of humor would be suspected as pathological. I would
lose the right to just have a bad day.

If I had lost a breast to cancer or had Parkinson disease,
I would have the concern and sympathy of my community.
But this illness is perhaps harder to bear because it is yoked
with shame and secrecy. I am not missing a body part nor
do I have a resting tremor. Yet I still struggle with a chronic
and debilitating illness associated with a high morbidity and
mortality rate.

[spyzowin]

Yes, yes, yes, it exists.  Once you've had an episode, you will never be fully trusted again, no matter how solid your recovery.   The best description I've seen of this is a short piece  entitled "Normal is a place I visit" by Suzanne J. Fiala, a physician with bipolar disorder. Here's the citation and the url.


JAMA. 2004;291(24):2924-2926 (doi:10.1001/jama.291.24.2924)

 http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/24/2924

Here's an except: 

If my colleagues knew that I was bipolar, I fear that I would
never again be taken seriously, that I would be viewed as
the “impaired physician” who, at a display of passion or emotion,
would be seen as having an “episode.” My hardearned
credibility would be gone. My right to express even
normal anger or irritability, happiness, or my effervescent
sense of humor would be suspected as pathological. I would
lose the right to just have a bad day.

If I had lost a breast to cancer or had Parkinson disease,
I would have the concern and sympathy of my community.
But this illness is perhaps harder to bear because it is yoked
with shame and secrecy. I am not missing a body part nor
do I have a resting tremor. Yet I still struggle with a chronic
and debilitating illness associated with a high morbidity and
mortality rate.

I'm sorry, but "normal anger or irritability" do not have a place in an academic environment.

Normal anger? No way. If someone shows normal anger at work and I'm phoning security.

[ideagirl]

But what, exactly, do I do when my colleague seems to me to be catastrophizing a situation?  Or speaking to me with hostility?  Or who can't let a thought or situation go, as it keeps running through her mind again and again?      

I hear you. There certainly is some knee-jerk prejudice about mental illness, but it's not fair to blame all negative responses on prejudice. The analogy to physical disabilities is far from exact, to say the least, because unlike physical disabilities, mental illness can directly affect your personality, your ways of relating to others, your thinking, feeling, and communications. In short, it can affect other people's ability to relate to you, and to the extent that the particular illness in question makes you either unstable or subject to delusions, it also affects people's willingness to rely on you or to trust your judgment. I hope I'm not sounding horribly negative or hopeless here--AFAIK there is hope (i.e. treatment) for most mental illnesses. I'm just trying to say that not all negative reactions to mental illness deserve to be called prejudices.  

[post_functional]

Yes, yes, yes, it exists.  Once you've had an episode, you will never be fully trusted again, no matter how solid your recovery.   The best description I've seen of this is a short piece  entitled "Normal is a place I visit" by Suzanne J. Fiala, a physician with bipolar disorder. Here's the citation and the url.


JAMA. 2004;291(24):2924-2926 (doi:10.1001/jama.291.24.2924)

 http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/24/2924

Here's an except: 

If my colleagues knew that I was bipolar, I fear that I would
never again be taken seriously, that I would be viewed as
the “impaired physician” who, at a display of passion or emotion,
would be seen as having an “episode.” My hardearned
credibility would be gone. My right to express even
normal anger or irritability, happiness, or my effervescent
sense of humor would be suspected as pathological. I would
lose the right to just have a bad day.

If I had lost a breast to cancer or had Parkinson disease,
I would have the concern and sympathy of my community.
But this illness is perhaps harder to bear because it is yoked
with shame and secrecy. I am not missing a body part nor
do I have a resting tremor. Yet I still struggle with a chronic
and debilitating illness associated with a high morbidity and
mortality rate.

I'm sorry, but "normal anger or irritability" do not have a place in an academic environment.

Then please refrain from displaying your irritability on this academic forum.

[spyzowin]

Yes, yes, yes, it exists.  Once you've had an episode, you will never be fully trusted again, no matter how solid your recovery.   The best description I've seen of this is a short piece  entitled "Normal is a place I visit" by Suzanne J. Fiala, a physician with bipolar disorder. Here's the citation and the url.


JAMA. 2004;291(24):2924-2926 (doi:10.1001/jama.291.24.2924)

 http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/24/2924

Here's an except: 

If my colleagues knew that I was bipolar, I fear that I would
never again be taken seriously, that I would be viewed as
the “impaired physician” who, at a display of passion or emotion,
would be seen as having an “episode.” My hardearned
credibility would be gone. My right to express even
normal anger or irritability, happiness, or my effervescent
sense of humor would be suspected as pathological. I would
lose the right to just have a bad day.

If I had lost a breast to cancer or had Parkinson disease,
I would have the concern and sympathy of my community.
But this illness is perhaps harder to bear because it is yoked
with shame and secrecy. I am not missing a body part nor
do I have a resting tremor. Yet I still struggle with a chronic
and debilitating illness associated with a high morbidity and
mortality rate.

I'm sorry, but "normal anger or irritability" do not have a place in an academic environment.

Then please refrain from displaying your irritability on this academic forum.

*snap*

[prytania3]

Glad to hear it's not me.  @mended_drum -- I agree that this is a difficult issue.  My recommendation is to treat the person as you would like to be treated in a similar situation.  I had the good fortune to have compassionate colleagues who took me to the hospital and covered my classes while out on medical leave.

My disease is fully in remission -- no one would ever know that I was bipolar if I didn't tell them. I imagine there are a lot more of us around but no one knows because who would want to out themselves given such prejudice?

Well, in my case, it's pretty evident that I have a screw loose. I go from being totally charming to well, not as charming. I wouldn't have to tell anyone for people to know. Telling people alerts them to the fact I do take medication, however.

[prytania3]

Yes, yes, yes, it exists.  Once you've had an episode, you will never be fully trusted again, no matter how solid your recovery.   The best description I've seen of this is a short piece  entitled "Normal is a place I visit" by Suzanne J. Fiala, a physician with bipolar disorder. Here's the citation and the url.


JAMA. 2004;291(24):2924-2926 (doi:10.1001/jama.291.24.2924)

 http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/24/2924

Here's an except: 

If my colleagues knew that I was bipolar, I fear that I would
never again be taken seriously, that I would be viewed as
the “impaired physician” who, at a display of passion or emotion,
would be seen as having an “episode.” My hardearned
credibility would be gone. My right to express even
normal anger or irritability, happiness, or my effervescent
sense of humor would be suspected as pathological. I would
lose the right to just have a bad day.

If I had lost a breast to cancer or had Parkinson disease,
I would have the concern and sympathy of my community.
But this illness is perhaps harder to bear because it is yoked
with shame and secrecy. I am not missing a body part nor
do I have a resting tremor. Yet I still struggle with a chronic
and debilitating illness associated with a high morbidity and
mortality rate.

I'm sorry, but "normal anger or irritability" do not have a place in an academic environment.

Then please refrain from displaying your irritability on this academic forum.

*snap*

Man, you'd be calling security on me all the time. I would never have taken you for being a wuss.

[spectacle]

I'm sorry, but "normal anger or irritability" do not have a place in an academic environment.

Normal anger? No way. If someone shows normal anger at work and I'm phoning security.

Oh amnirov, don't be silly.  I can't get angry when I've told a student for the 19th time in one class period to put his stupid iPhone away?  I can't be "irritable" when I've had someone else's work dumped on me or when my classroom has been changed but no one's told me?

We all get angry and irritable at work sometimes, don't we?

[hmprescott63]

I just had an article on this issue accepted by History News Network (http://hnn.us).  It will appear on Monday.