[lenjan]

I'm not OCD, but I do have a tendency to obsess/over-worry about things. I'm not sure what to think of this one.

I always tell my boss the results of my shrink appointments, just to keep her up to date. Here's what she wrote back today.

<<Thanks for the update, Candy. I'm sorry that things aren't going well -- I
sort of suspected that. Hope you can get it corrected, soon.>>

I told my therapist last night that I thought she was starting to get annoyed with my mental health issues. (Up to now she's been very supportive and understanding.) Do you think I'm in trouble? We're too small to be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act -- it has to be a company of at least 15 people (there are 12 here). So I have no grounds for lawsuit if she dumps me because I'm nuts.

In the email, she went on to say that she's given me a very light week this week, so that I can work on some other things that have been on the back burner for a while, and so if anything comes up before Monday, someone is available. (I'm a reporter for a weekly newspaper.) She only gives me light weeks if I have some huge project coming up, which I don't.

Am I paranoid or justifiably worried? I'm in deep financial doo-doo as it is -- I need this job!

Candy

[lenjan]

Oops, it ate part of her reply when I pasted it in. It said that she was sorry things weren't going well and she'd sort of suspected that.

[Wants2Fly]

I don't know what to say. I *never* tell employers what kind of doctor's appointment I have. I don't think it's any of their business, and I fear stigmatizationa and worse. On the surface, your boss sounds understanding and as if she's given you a light week to help. Will keep my fingers crossed that's what it is.

[lenjan]

Well, I find that it makes for a convenient excuse when I start screwing up or slacking off, so I usually tell them. ;-) When I first told my current boss, her reaction was, "I've never been depressed or known anyone who has. Please help me understand." I mean, she's always been great about it. She even keeps track of my med changes and asks questions! But I've been sliding lately, and screwing up a lot, and it seems to me that she's about had it. I could be overreacting, but I'm very sensitive to getting people annoyed with me.

Candy

[Myzen]

Hi Candybear,

You've raised an important issue. I think that everyone with any sort of mental health problem tends to worry about stigma at work.

Your boss sounds cool though. Maybe it would set your mind at rest if you could have an evaluation meeting and clarify any worries. We do that here in the UK, but I don't know if you have the same system in the US.

Above all, I would say to go easy on yourself. It sounds like you have an interesting job and I'm sure your good at it.

Good luck