Well, I was recently diagnosed as bipolar and now I'm being threatened with expulsion from my very conservative Christian college if they think I'm not getting better. I could be a danger to the community, they say. If they think I'm not trying to get better they are going to boot me.
I don't feel comfortable. I mean, I understand I was pregnant last semester and I could see how people could judge my faith based on that, but to change how they see me as a person for an illness I can't help? Where's the justice in that? And to threaten me with expulsion? I told them I was going to work very hard to maintain my illness, beause in all honesty, I don't want to be manic or depressive. I'm going to stay on my medicines because they really do help me.
I'm an outcast at my school and I hate it. I don't even feel comfortable at church anymore and that should be the one place I'm most comfortable at and don't have to worry about people judging me.
I am sorry you are feeling so ostracized right now. I am glad you are getting help and have made a commitment to getting well.
At school I had some issues. I am also friends with some of the people that have the power to expel students. I know that if I was a serious danger to myself or others they would have to ask me to leave. Even though it would have felt as though they were judging me or abandoning me it would have good intentions. They would want me to focus on my health away from school and the pressures that it presents.
As for church. that is your time with God. You are not alone there. Only God has the true ability to judge you. Take comfort in your faith. Try not to worry about what others are thinking or saying. I know it is hard.
(((hugs))
listen and learn
the universe speaks
as we crawl and crave
as we love and weep
there is no fate
there is only what we make
Regardless of what religion people believe in, no one has the right to expel someone from school because they have a diagnosed mental illness! You say that you are trying to maintain your illness and that's all you can do and that's all the school should expect. Discriminating against people because of mental health issues is just as bad as doing the same to someone with a physical disability. It's not acceptable and if you feel you are being treated unfairly then you have the right to complain. You can't control what students think of you but teachers should be respectful.
Previous username: Miss-Ruby
R.I.P my budgie Bubbles 26/01/09...in my <3 forever.
i'm sure they are not allowed to make you leave due to mental illness. it is the same as discriminating someone for pyhsical disibility, its not on.
i'm sorry you feel uncomfortable in church.
i'm sure if they make you leave you can push it with someone higher up, as its unfair discrimination.
hope it turns out ok xxx
I'm sorry things are so difficult for you at the moment.
Is there any chance you could get your psych team to speak to your tutor at college and explain you are getting help (I'm assuming you are getting help as you recently got a diagnosis, please correct me if i'm wrong) and trying to work through your illness?
Some people are just so clueless about mental illness and if your psych team think you can cope at college, hearing it from professionals could help to convince them.
All the best and i'm here if you want to vent!
Take care
xx
Well pushing it higher up isn't going to do any good. They're going to take the dean's word over mine.
The handbook says if I am a danger to myself or others that a leave of absence may be requested, or expulsion. It's up to the dean's discretion. I don't know if I have a legitimate discrimination case, but I don't see why, all of a sudden, because of a diagnosis, that I'm dangerous? I mean, I go to class every day. I make fairly good grades. I'm respectful to my professors. Students like me. I'm nice. Heck, I don't even litter. I have to see a therapist and a psychologist, and I want to see them anyway. My therapist is going to release to the school's counselor everything we talk about and the dean will be notified if I'm working through my problems and following through with therapy. Can anyone say invasion of privacy? I dislike the school's counselor. Why does she have a right to know my personal feelings and thoughts when I refuse to see her?
It's hard enough to deal with being bi polar without freaking out about the possibility of being expelled. How do I address my dean and tell her that I felt very singled out when we had our meeting?
I think that's horrible... it was similar attitudes which made me leave the church altogether...
I think you should alert someone outside of the school to this, some sort of authority that could put a discrimination charge out there. Sadly but true, if they look bad enough, they'll quit harassing you. and maybe if people outside saw what was going on, the church would be forced to see that mental illness is an illness and nothing else... i do know how insanely strict and unfair religious schools can be, i went to one and you could get kicked out for things you did off campus!!! but mental illness is nothing wrong, so i think if you start talking to the right people, they can't kick you out.
However, have you ever self-injured at school that they are aware of or had any recent suicide attempt? if so, i still think its unfair, but it'd be harder to press discrimination charges. but if you haven't, i think it'd be pretty easy to complain... i'm not sure exactly who you'd go to cause i don't know where you live... also you mentioned the pregnancy... is there anything in their rules that says you can be kicked out for that? if so, you'll have to make sure and show they didn't kick you out until the diagnosis, but you'll have to be more aware cause they might throw that in. but if it's not in the rules, that shouldn't even be an issue. i think it's really sad how much into your life religious schools get. (i'm not down on religion, just down on religion controlling & hurting people)
is there any way you could switch schools of your own choosing, or do you really want to stay? personally, i couldn't stay if they were doing something like that, but i don't know if that's an option with you or if maybe you really like the school. either way, i think it's wrong that they're doing this and you should try to fight it.
