I'm currently looking for a job, and hopefully should get some callbacks once the holiday is over.  However, I'm struggling with whether to talk about or disclose my mental illness struggles during the interview. My mental illness has a had a big effect on my work history, but I feel like it's not viewed favorably by employers. 

When I left a job due to something mental illness-related, like a hospitalization, I mark my reason for leaving as "personal".  In the past, I've had employers who wouldn't take that as an answer when interviewing me. They would push me to elaborate, so I did. I've also brought up my mental illness on my own, since it could affect my work schedule and how I act at work. I didn't get any of the jobs I interviewed for when I disclosed.

Now, I'm not saying they discriminated. My job history is kind of crap (I job hop a lot). At times, I also had obligations limiting my availability. I know employers tend to go for the most-qualified and available candidate overall. I also know that disclosing my mental health status would open up the door for me to have accommodations, something I've never had in the past. Having accommodations could potentially help me stay in a job long-term.

In the jobs that I've had in the past, I really never brought up my mental health until there was an issue...and at that point it was too late. My bosses questioned why I hadn't told them from the jump, when I knew it could potentially affect me. In a way, I feel like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

What's the right thing to do here? I want to give myself the best chance at finding or keeping a job, but I also don't want to let my (potential) employer down by not telling them.