* Freelancing & consulting could be beneficial in your situation.
* Applying to smaller companies without HR departments could also work in your favor. They probably won't have any kind of background checks or standardized lists of questions they ask everybody. Don't lie, but you don't have to volunteer info either.
Agree on freelancing and consulting. OP, you've got a (fairly) unique qualification you can trade on -- not many folks have been through what you have. That's got to be a valuable asset. I'd encourage you to go out there and wave it around rather than hope it doesn't get discovered.
* Applying to smaller companies without HR departments could also work in your favor. They probably won't have any kind of background checks or standardized lists of questions they ask everybody. Don't lie, but you don't have to volunteer info either.