Host Is an UNMEDICATED bipolar woman

Carol7337
Level 2
Canada Creek, Canada

Host Is an UNMEDICATED bipolar woman

Here is the precursor to my question at the bottom of this post in order to provide context: 

I've been staying at a host's in Medicine Hat (Alberta, Canada) who told me at the start of my 30 day stay that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and doesn't take ANY medication to control it.   

I know first hand about bipolar disorder because I grew up with an adoptive mother who herself was bipolar - It was awful. 

My stay with this woman here has also been awful as she has all the classic signs & behaviours of a bipolar woman including but not limited to:
Grandiose bragging & self importance, doesn't stop talking about herself & her opinions even when I asked her to stop, won't stop talking at all unless I go to my room, thinks she's right about everything, has a VERY HOT TEMPER, not interested in listening to others speak, easily irritated & agitated, abuses drugs & alcohol (daily & often).   

She smokes weed ALL DAY LONG and drinks alcohol daily.  ** Studies show as many as 60% of people with bipolar disorder abuse drugs & alcohol - Maggie (host) is one of them.  She needs to get proper treatment for her disorder and she isn't fit to be a host.
I didn't dare say any of this to Maggie while in her home because of her volatile temper. 

 

In the first 3 days of my stay, when this lady found out I'm a Christian, she said, "Christians are to blame for most the problems in the world"  and barked "God doesn't exist".    (I have never criticized her or said anything about her drug & alcohol abuse or her negative personality & hot temper)

I reported some things she said at the start of my stay and Airbnb offered to move me but moving is a lot of work b/c I'm travelling with everything I own in my car across Canada and have been using Airbnb for my stays .  I've had a couple very bad experiences with crazy hosts which meant I had to pack all my stuff and leave early from those places to get to a more sanitary home, or to get away from a dysfunction screaming husband & wife.  These moves & lugging heavy bags & luggage around is very hard on my spine (I have spinal stenosis).    I've gotten coupons for my trouble but the $ isn't worth the grief or the fact these hosts ruin my travel experience.   Don't get me wrong, I had some GOOD hosts too, but that's not what this thread is about. 

GOING FORWARD:  I asked Airbnb to wait until I've left this current host's to address her discrimination & hate speech against Christians because if Airb were to talk to her while I'm here, I'd be put in a position of having to deal with her bipolar fueled bad temper and heaven knows what else.

 

On Aug 4th when I asked her (again) to stop talking to me about religion & politics (she loves to rant about American politics), she told me to F**k Off!  
Then she criticizes my faith or Christian lifestyle but can't see her own issues.  When she says things like this to me I shut myself into my room again where I counsel women on my laptop (I counsel women who actually want to change). 

There's much more I could say about her behaviour and nasty remarks but for the sake of brevity I'll leave it at that. 

It's now getting close to the time for my stay here to end (thank heavens!) and I will move to a place in BC but am not using Airbnb because of these bad experiences.  I also have found another way to travel back East across Canada renting rooms which is much less expensive than Airbnb's astounding prices in which hosts are gouging guests and charging as much or more than hotels. 

 

All of that said, here is my Question = = WHY does  Airbnb allow people with non medicated mental illnesses to HOST?  ==  Doesn't Airbnb screen potential hosts before allowing them to operate through them?    

 

22 Replies 22
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Carol7337 

 

Everyone who has already responded here has already answered your question. 

 

You got a straightforward answer to your question, i.e. 

 

- No, Airbnb does not screen hosts before they can list.

- No, you cannot expect Airbnb to ask a host for medical records, their mental health history, which medications they are being prescribed, nor for proof of if they taking them. That is an insane suggestion.

 

What part of this do you not understand?

Mika8
Level 10
Zürich, Switzerland

 

@Carol7337.. sorry .. as your question was already answered (which I wrote) from serveral people I did not assume that l too should repeat it.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Carol7337 

 

PS, you are the one being 'defensive'. You are refusing to actually read/comprehend any 'logic' here and accusing everyone else of being ignorant and defensive. 

 

I am truly sorry if you had such a horrible experience. It is not okay for a host to tell a guest to "F off", although I am starting to wonder what you maybe did to drive the host to that... but that is just speculation... Even then, she should not have done it, if that's what she did.

 

However, your 'new' question on this 'new' thread is the one that is completely illogical. I notice you have not made any attempt to respond to the several responses that point out the bleeding obvious, i.e. that Airbnb cannot ask hosts for medical history, especially relating to mental heath, and instead you choose to accuse everyone else.

 

Your account of what happened might be 100% truthful, but your posts indicate that it might have been you that traumatised the host rather than vice versa.

Jennifer1897
Level 10
Irvine, CA

@Carol7337 

 

First and foremost,  there are many laws and regulations that protect individuals in a number of circumstances from being required to to disclose their current mental or medical information, including psychiatric diagnosis or use of psychotropic medications.  AIRBNB can not ask hosts to disclose if they have a mental health condition and whether they are receiving medication related to their dx. If they forbid host (or guest) from using Airbnb on these grounds that would be discrimination.   I currently practice in CA, so there will be slight discrepancies within laws and regulations, but I am almost 100% sure Canada has similar statutes in place to protect medical and mental health information. 

 

From a non legal perspective, I can understand the challenges of working with someone that is Bipolar, as many of my patients are. Drug and alcohol are definitely not encouraged as they can exacerbate symptoms esp manic episodes.  My advice to you as a host and someone who works in the mental health field, find alternate accommodations. I understand you have an injury, but she is likely not going to improve upon the way she acts and treats you and could likely get more erratic as time progresses. 

Sudsrung0
Level 10
Rawai, Thailand

@Huma0  I wouldn't want to be in the house with them two, After reading the post I get the feeling Carol has thrown her toys out of the pram because she is not getting the answers She wants so who is the drama queen here, Well spotted her previous post on the same subject, 

That would be funny all us host having to go down the medical center for a Fit and Proper persons certificate, 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Sudsrung0 

 

To be honest, the host sounds like a nightmare, but so does the guest. Bad situation all round.

 

Yep, imagine us all having to undergo some kind of mental heath examination. I wonder how many of us would pass!

Julia0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Carol7337 

 

So, is this a different stay to the one in Grandora, therefore a different host, but almost identical "problems"? 

What's the old saying? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". 

What ARE YOU doing to these hosts??

And - you sell "small birds" to pet shops along your travels? Whilst the ethics and morals of this leave me wondering about your "Christian" qualities, you then expect hosts to accept to house these poor creatures.  Ethics aside, Psittacosis comes to mind.

I agree with others here, you need to take some time to "counsel" yourself, or better still, go to a professional.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Julia0 

 

Well spotted. Wow, I hadn't read the reviews from that stay. It seems that perhaps @Carol7337 has some issues understanding boundaries. There is only so far you can push people, even those who are your hosts, before they will snap.