Bipolar is certainly a misunderstood illness. Even those of us who deal with it everyday have a hard time understanding bipolar disorder. As the old saying goes ?People mock what they don?t understand?. Just because you suffer from Bipolar Disorder doesn?t mean you have to let yourself get pushed around. Stick up for yourself. There are people to help you if you?ve been discriminated against. Here?s a personal illustration.
Two and a half years ago, I went to be an audience member in the Dr. Phil Show. Like everyone else who was there, I had called in advance and received free tickets. All I had to do was come to Paramount Studios a couple of hours before the taping of the show, wait in line, go through security and then go in for the taping.
Well, I followed all the instructions, waited in line for over an hour and then started to enter the studio with all the other potential audience members.
Once through security, I was handed a piece of paper to read and sign. I figured it was your standard television release and sat down and started to read it. That was when things got heavy.
Item #2 on the release read something to the effect of, ?I certify that I am not under psychiatric care and do not suffer from a mental illness.? Needless to say, I was shocked! To be an audience member in the Dr. Phil show, it seemed, I had to deny the fact that I have bipolar disorder. How ironic, I thought, that TV?s most renowned psychologist wouldn?t let people in his audience who had legitimate psychological troubles. Being greatly disappointed, I asked to speak with a staff member to discuss this issue.
Ten minutes or so later, I was approached by a Dr. Phil staff member who didn?t identify herself to me. I explained to her that I had been successfully treated for bipolar disorder, that I took medication and that I was not comfortable signing a piece of paper that denied my condition. After several minutes of discussion, she said the following.
If I would initial #2,! she wou ld initial #2 and then we would both sign the bottom of the studio audience release. Then, she said, I could go into the show as an audience member, but that I would not be allowed to speak with Dr. Phil, to ask questions, or to in ?any way? participate in the taping of the show. Needless to say, I was appalled.
I told her I was not comfortable denying my condition and also not comfortable signing the release and going into the show without the same rights as every other potential audience member.
This was my first circumstance experiencing the great discrimination that those of us with mental illness have to bear every day of our lives. I took the studio audience release, folded it up, put it in my pocket and proceeded to leave the studio. There was no way I was going to hide my condition to appease the legalities of the Dr. Phil Show.
Months later, I filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court, claiming violations under the American Disabilities Act of 1990, Title III, Section 32. They had no right to demand that I disclosed my mental illness. And they had no right to refuse me equal access to the show, as they offered to every other audience member.
Before we went to court, the case settled. They took out the discriminatory wording from the studio audience release and, at my request, put a disclaimer on the show that viewers can see at the end of each televised episode.
The disclaimer reads to the effect of, that the show is for entertainment purposes only and that the advice that Dr. Phil gives is intended for those on stage alone and not for the viewing audience.
I?ve told you this story as an example. If ever you are asked to disclose your mental illness, and discriminated against because of that, fight for your rights. File a lawsuit, get assertive about it and show those who are discriminating that discrimination against persons with mental illness will simply not be tolerated.
If you feel you've been discriminated against, visit http://www.usdoj.g! ov/crt/. Also, you can visit http://www.bipolardisorderweb.com to learn more about bipolar disorder and its treatments and we'll point you in the right direction.
Neal David Sutz is an author and film maker who has successfully been treated for bipolar disorder. He runs, http://www.bipolardisorderweb.com, a great blog with the latest information on bipolar disorder and it's treatments.
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