Thank you for your ENCOURAGING words of wisdom. It appears to me that not one of you have ever made a mistake or did something you regret, or is it that you need to ask yourself why you are so unhappy that you have to talk down to people who are seeking your help.
Thank you Tyris for your response. It made me realize that even if some department did “take a chance” on me that I am and will always be a diagnosed bipolar. With that being said, there is always a possibility that I could again, in the future, do something impulsive that is against the law and I respect the field of Law Enforcement too much to bring embarrassment to the very people that try to instill good in the world. As much as I have dreamed of being part of the criminal justice system, I would be very ashamed of myself if I chanced this and lost because I know in my heart that I can’t say with 100%- NO it won’t happen again. I would not want to be known as a hypocrite or a dirty cop.
Luckily, I have an excellent lawyer that got the charges dismissed today at my hearing. So it looks like I was worried too much. Now, I must focus on a new career.
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ZIPPEYSGODDESS- You wrote:
I also don't think that being bipolar is an adequate excuse for shoplifting. I know quite a few bipolar people, with and without meds, and my DH used to work in the mental health field, never had a problem with shoplifting!
Obvious to me that you don’t know JACK about Bipolar Disorder so I took the liberty of looking a few things up for you. You probably need to do a little research in the future before offering your unfounded opinion.
These are different psychiatric sources from the internet-
*In my clinical experience shoplifting is often associated with bipolar disorder. It is a way of stimulating excitement to either help fight depression or fan the flames of hypomania.
*Conduct disorder overlaps with bipolar disorder on symptoms such as: impulsivity, shoplifting, substance abuse, difficulties with the law and aggressiveness. However, in bipolar disorder, some distinguishing factors include: antisocial behavior with elevated or irritable mood and lack of peer group influence.
*Bipolar disorder can be accompanied with obsessive compulsive behavior such as: shoplifting, washing hands repeatedly, gambling, substance abuse and impulsivity.
