Over the weekend, I managed to catch a quick news blurb while flipping stations that Sarah Palin is resigning as the Governor of Alaska eighteen months early. She will be leaving her post sometime here in July. Not too surprising from my point of view.

What I did find surprising was a tweet I received this afternoon sharing a blog on An American Day about Why Sarah Palin is Not Bipolar. Did we ever think she was? Was this somewhere in her dossier or disclosed in an interview? I cannot imagine the depth with which the media and rival contenders probe political candidates would leave something that politically career-shattering undiscovered and unreported.

I’ve done a bit of internet searching trying to find more information. I found quite a few political commentaries and blogs about her career, her run for the White House with John McCain, her family and, of course, the various scandals and such that have surrounded her. I did turn up one blog on the Daily Kos in which jhastings detailed his supposition that Sarah Palin has bipolar disorder; however, this was pure conjecture. I also found a considerable number of comments to various blogs in which readers use the term bipolar to describe some action or another by Palin.

However, I found no actual information or evidence that Sarah Palin has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The blogger on An American Day sums up the situation quite well, “Increasingly, lay people feel free to sling the term bipolar around as a pejorative, and seem to believe they have, through pop culture osmosis, become experts on this very complex illness.” As we’ve discussed, Called Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder Stigma Persists. ~Kimberly

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Do you remember the last time you updated your driver license and how they ask you all the various questions? Do you need corrective lenses? Are you currently holding a driver license from another state? Is your driver license currently suspended revoked? Do you want to be an organ donor? Do you have any condition that may impair your ability to drive? And so on.

Apparently in some states, the required disclosures include statements about mental or emotional impairments that may affect driving safety.

A mother recently shared with us that her twenty-one year old son was asked on his driver license application if he had any mental illnesses. He was honest and said he had bipolar disorder. He was issued a license, but pending an investigation of the extent to which his mental illness might impair his driving. Medical forms were sent to his psychiatrist, but they were never returned to the department of motor vehicles and the state suspended his license. Ouch!

A couple of years ago, PegHost divulged a personal experience with learning the fact that the laws do apply to prescriptions as it relates to driving under the influence. She shares, “I am writing to share with you a harsh lesson I learned through a personal experience. I hope my incident will help others avoid a similar debacle. DUI means driving under the influence of not only alcohol and illegal drugs, but also medications prescribed by our doctors. If you don't know your meds, find out about them. Then get a second opinion before you get behind the wheel of a car!”

We haven’t talked about driving and mental illnesses a lot so I thought I would see what your experiences are with this. Have you had run-ins with law because an episode or a prescription messed with your ability to drive? Does your state’s department of motor vehicles ask about mental or emotional impairments to driving on their application? If so, how have you answered this question? Share your experiences with a comment and take our poll.

In continuing the previous discussion, another point Chris from our Forums raised is concerning health insurance. He disclosed, “I am currently self-employed and I have no health insurance. I've wanted to get insurance but now that I'm going to need mental health care. I want to get something suitable. I understand if the insurance companies knew I was bipolar, they would not pick me up or it would be expensive.”

Health insurance, particularly for mental health coverage, is a sticky wicket from any perspective. For more than twelve years, mental health parity – the requirement for health insurance to cover mental illnesses at the same levels as physical illnesses – has been a topic of political discussion. Many states have enacted their own state laws requiring parity and in October 2008, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 was enacted into law by President Bush. This is the closest to actual parity that federal law has mandated to date; however, it is not fully in force until January 2010 and even then with some caveats. So even if you have health insurance, you may have limited coverage for psychiatric hospitalizations, psychologist visits or even prescriptions.

If you’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, or any illness, you will need to pay attention to “continuous health insurance” clauses. These clauses in health insurance contracts hold that if you’ve had a period (usually defined as more than thirty days though they can be shorter) in which you’ve not had continuous health insurance then any condition with which you’ve been previously diagnosed is considered pre-existing and not covered. If you are going to lose health care coverage, it may actually be worth the rather pricey premiums to maintain COBRA insurance.

If you are trying to acquire insurance, as is our friend Chris, there are a couple of options. Kelly Montgomery, the About.com Guide to Health Insurance, offers some advice for how to get started on your search for health insurance coverage. “You may be able to buy a policy as an individual. Individual coverage is harder to obtain, more expensive, and less consumer-friendly than job-based coverage, but it is better than not having insurance at all.”

And here is another option I just learned about from Kelly, High Risk Pools. “Currently, 31 states operate high risk pools, which are designed as a safety net for those people whose health condition makes it difficult or impossible for them to buy a health insurance policy.”

Chris, a new member of our Forums shares, “I have been suffering for too long now, but I've never been diagnosed. I can't believe I've been feeling this way for 15 years without telling anyone or seeking help. It's nearly ruined my life and I need to get treatment - like yesterday!”

Chris, if you need help now there is no reason to delay. There are quite a few resources available for those even without insurance:

Counseling & Mental Health Services

• The National Mental Health Location Center by SAMHSA offers a state by state directory of available government services including financial assistance programs.
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers an Information HelpLine and referral service which can be reached by calling 1 (800) 950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday, 10 am- 6 pm, Eastern time.
• Catholic Charities offers counseling and mental health services to people in need.

Crisis Resources

• Befrienders Worldwide has an international network of crisis hotlines.
• There is also the National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-TALK.
• In the United States, any emergency room is required to see you if you are in a crisis situation.