So life has been getting better and better, I think the may have hit the nail on the head with this medication. Anyway, with my new lease of life, I decided right there and then, spur of the moment to go and apply for a job.
Now I had seen this job advertised in the local paper and it would be right up my alley- it was in a hotel.
I decided to get out my sunday best and make my way down, cv in hand and approach the mananger.
So here I am in the lobby, looking like a lighthouse on overdrive, trying to see if I could place him. After a while I decided to go in and ask the barman for a cup of coffee and a read of the morning newspaper. I get my coffee and newspaper and sit down and stay on look out again.
I see the manager and he calls me over for a chat. We run through the usual formalities. We come to the 'Why the gap in your cv?' question. 'What have you been doing recently? ' Even though I was expecting the question, panic set in. I wanted to explain my situation, that I had recently been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and was getting a handle on it, medication wise, but instead, for some crazy reason, I blurted out 'I had a heart problem, at 29 years of age!' I walked out of there, shaking my head in bewilderment!
Looking back at this, I realise that I was afraid I was going to be judged unfairly because of my true medical condition. I wonder to myself, should I have been completely honest? or would honesty completely ruin my chances of getting the job? I am sure there are so many other people out there like me trying to cross this hurdle. Will the stigma of mental health issues ever be broken?
