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I will be having a home study by the State of Georgia and I have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I am so fearful that I won't be able to adopt, if I share this information during the homestudy. The truth is: I'm on medication and am highly functioning. No one I work with knows or even suspects anything, so I'm sure I could "pass" during a home study. But is there any way the state would have of finding out? What should I do?
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i think you need to be honest, and i doubt that will be a problem because you are being treated. they cant discrimanate on a disability...mental health is considered a disability.
the most important thing is the references....
if they come across 'perfect people' on a homestudy, that brings up red flags for them. we all know, no one is perfect.
so, i think you should tell them, and of course they might want you to get a letter from your psych to state that you are fine and can parent children, and they do that so they can put a period at the end of that.
good luck.....
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Thank you, Dadfor2. And I know what my psychaitrist would say, too: he'd say I'm a great mom to my 3 year old. I'm just so afraid of peoples' reactions to mental illness. It's a "disability" -- true. But it's viewed very differently than, let's say, if I had asthma. I'd love to hear from anyone out there who actually has a mental illness and what/how much did you share during your homestudy?
I have suffered and been on medication for depression for 14 years. I am no longer under the care of a psychiatrist or psychologist and receive my medical care from my internist. We were very upfront and honest about everything. No one ever batted an eye during our homestudy done by a private agency. When the homestudy was transferred over to DFCS, they never said a single word or had any questions. about my medical history.