Emotional support animals and bipolar disorder
By condition
An episodic condition raises one question the others do not: what the accommodation is for when you are well.
Episodic conditions and the housing test
Bipolar disorder runs in episodes, and people sometimes assume that an accommodation only applies during one. It does not work that way. A condition that is episodic can still substantially limit a major life activity, and the disability does not lapse between episodes any more than a seasonal allergy stops existing in winter.
A diagnosis is not the test and does not decide this. The question is whether the impairment substantially limits a major life activity, and whether this animal alleviates a symptom or effect of it. Both halves have to hold, a licensed clinician decides, and the answer can be no.
What the animal is reported to do
Usually two things: holding a daily structure, particularly sleep and morning routine, which is clinically significant in a condition where sleep disruption both signals and drives episodes; and providing continuity of responsibility through periods when very little else stays constant.
Documentation
For an episodic condition the documentation is stronger where it establishes that the disability is ongoing rather than describing a single episode. It still should not disclose the diagnosis, and a housing provider is not entitled to one.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is free and available at any hour. An assessment on this site is not a crisis service and is not a substitute for one.
Common questions
- Do I still have an accommodation when I am well?
- The accommodation attaches to the disability, not to whether you are currently symptomatic. A granted accommodation does not lapse because you are having a good month.