Hello all. I am currently struggling with this. I have had depression for over 10 years, since I was 13. I am currently in grad school (I went straight from high school to college to grad school with no breaks) and not once have I ever had to tell a professor that my work ethic was suffering because of my depression. I have always kept it to myself because I don't want anyone saying I am using it as an excuse, and I just work harder.

Things have been quite hard lately. I am involved in an externship that is giving me hell and I can't focus or concentrate on my work at all. It's really difficult. I takes me hours just to complete hw that should take me 1 hour at most. I have never had problems with school to this extent. I've always worked hard (maybe too hard, according to my friends), I don't miss any classes; I'm always in class on time or early, I try my best to get As or Bs all the time. I've always been like this since I was a little child. I fear that I am burning out and with everything that is going on in my life, it's affecting me in a bad way.

I've never had to talk to professors about my mental health before. Or about anything really. I'm the type of person who will be in the hospital one day and be in school the next (true story, unfortunately). I have only asked for extensions once in my life and that was just last semester in December 2015 when I had a seizure that caused me to end up in the hospital during finals week.

Should I talk to my professors about how my depression is affecting my work ethic? I'm afraid and I don't want to come off as if I'm being lazy...I do go to therapy and I stopped my antidepressants since they were giving me the seizures, but I have not been on any medication since. My psychiatrist just prescribed me Prozac but I am afraid of getting seizures...However, I am thinking of taking it. I am also thinking of having my psychiatrist write a letter so I can give to my professors, just in case they want proof...Any insight would be appreciated.