Hypoxia and Medicine

Should I list bipolar disorder as an existing medical condition on a school medical form?

I am going away for the weekend on a retreat through my college's campus ministry program. Should I list bipolar disorder as an existing medical condition on the Medical History form?

Public Comments

1. Yes you should
2. Yes, they need to know all medical conditions. From experience, I know bipolar can be not only a mental condition but can cause some physical conditions. You also need to list all medicine associated with your condition in case you need treatment while you are there
3. You should list all medical conditions you suffer with.The paper work should be confidential anyway.It is used if need be if you become ill or need medical help while away with the colledge.
4. Yes, they need to know all meds you are taking in the event of an emergency ( not necessaliy related to your illness). lets say you pass out or are involved in an accident...they need to know all meds.
5. no, the reason why they are asking for your medical conditions is if something goes wrong they'll want to know how to treat you if you are in an accident or have a seizure. Bipolar disorder won't be considered when emergency crews are taking you to the hospital. They'll want to know if you need insulin, if you have heart condition, if you are epileptic.
6. Unless you are on medication specifically for BP, or are prone to sudden problems then I would say not really There is a lot of prejudice about this disorder still and really if it is not going to affect you while there least said the better
7. No, not unless you want people to think you're crazy or dangerous and they will, especially church people. In fact, they might try to get the demons out of out after announcing your problems to the whole group. Bipolar disorder isn't going to cause a sudden emergancy and your medications interact with anything, as in cause you to be unable to be part of certain activities or anything like that and you know how to take care of yourself if you have an interactions. There's really no need to tell them if you're not comfortable. Then again, you could feel comfortable and go for it, but if it gets out, don't be suprised with a loss of friends or a getting yourself a bad reputation. It's best never to tell anyone except your doctor and a significant other, but not right away. I do think it's safer to tell a church group than a future or current employer though. Sure, it's illegal to discriminate, but it's not as if they can't find some excuse. If you're worried about medications, just list your medications without disclosing your diagnosis. In the event of an accident a doctor would know what you're taking and guess why, but most people wouldn't know what anything is for.
8. Yes you should. and this is the reason why. I have a 10 year old son who is bipolar, and back in the summer he got into some poison ivy at his older brother's. Since he is highly allergic to it and it rapidly spreads over his entire body, their doctor not knowing he was bipolar, gave him prednizone to help with the swelling and itching.I found out the hard way that giving that drug to someone who is bipolar is the wrong thing to do. We had 48 hours straight of him seeing things and people who were not there, as well as hearing them. Not until I mentioned it to his psychiatrist did I know bipolar people are not supposed to take that drug. My point is this---- if it's not in your medical history portion of your paper work, and you don't say anything and something happens that you need treatment and medicine, you could be given something that may cause more problems or even a hospital stay.