[JustJace2u]

First of all, hello everyone. I'm sorry I keep going silent, but my mood has been so erratic lately I can't think straight most days.

I'm just curious, for those of you that do work, have you disclosed anything about your mental health status and if so how did they take it? I ended up telling my immediate supervisor last week after an incident that occurred and I'm not quite sure how she took it. I'm just curious to know what experience others have had.

[Polibeth]

Well, my circumstances are a little different.

I went to work full-time, while using my Trial Working Months on SSDI. I did NOT disclose my status to my work. After a few months I could not do the work anymore and gave notice. They asked me to stay on as a contractor and work on some projects. I did that for about 6 months and they kept wanting more and more hours out of me (more than I could mentally handle) so I emailed the owner of the company (it's a small business) and told her EVERYTHING: bipolar, hospitalizations, ECT, all of it.

She was very understanding and offered me a low-stress position at 10-12 hours a week. I am allowed to take off whenever I want for bipolar-related reasons.

I'm very lucky. I don't know how this would have gone if I had disclosed earlier. Generally, I do not recommend disclosing.

[wildflowerchild25]

My summer job decided not to rehire me after I disclosed. I understand because I ended up not being able to work that summer so I'm sure they didn't want to take the chance I'd flake out again.

At my teaching job, I had to take a few extended periods of time off. I never told them exactly why. I was vague and said I had depression issues. Depression is less scary than bipolar. But they knew I was hospitalized several times and put in partial and IOP. They were very supportive of me. I was lucky. If the job wasn't so stressful and surely contributing to my issues, I would have stayed.

I didn't have any issues this past year at my new job but I wouldn't have told anyone. There were too many rumors about me at my old job. I wanted a fresh start. Unfortunately they didn't renew my contract at the end of the year so I'm looking for another jo I don't think I would disclose to another employer unless absolutely necessary, and I think I would do what I did before and just mention depression. That's where the trouble is for me anyway. When manic I can generally keep myself together enough at work.

[Daonnachd]

I have been extremely lucky with my boss. I felt I needed to disclose when I was going in for ECT. Not only was I missing work, but my performance was seriously compromised when I got back. ... Time passes and I have maintenance ECT, in discussing the time I would need off and inability to drive the day after the treatment, my boss offers to drive me to and from ECT if needed.

I realise I am lucky in this.

[liveforsummer]

Thought about it but nope, haven't disclosed. Not sure how it would be received. Though I'm annoyed I don't feel like I can discuss it like any other illness.

[Wild Coyote]

Just wanted to give you a hug!
Sorry the challenges continue.
Hope you are okay!


WC

[JustJace2u]

Originally Posted by vertigo

I have been extremely lucky with my boss. I felt I needed to disclose when I was going in for ECT. Not only was I missing work, but my performance was seriously compromised when I got back. ... Time passes and I have maintenance ECT, in discussing the time I would need off and inability to drive the day after the treatment, my boss offers to drive me to and from ECT if needed.

I realise I am lucky in this.

I too have been lucky in that my boss has been supportive of me because of some other health issues that I have. The 2 times I've been hospitalized all I told her was I had an anxiety attack. Like you, I feel that my work has been compromised in that I don't feel I'm doing my best job performance.

[JustJace2u]

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

Just wanted to give you a hug!
Sorry the challenges continue.
Hope you are okay!


WC

Thanks

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I disclosed at one job and went from "doing great" to fired for made up reasons very quickly. The next job I felt forced to disclose and essentially the same thing happened although that job would have fired me anyway; they are well-known to everyone but me for firing experienced employees and replacing them with much cheaper new grads. I was fired twice in 10 months. The next job I had no intention of telling anything when I had to go IP to go on my MAOI. I told them depression but my boss was a former psych nurse and figured it out. She was fantastic, going to extremes to keep it private and never using it against me. In fact she probably was extra willing to defend me. It was great but it was never meant to be a permanent job and I changed from contract to permanent after 18 months. I was doing great then with no need to tell. But eventually I did for some reason and again they were fabulous. That job was my last and they went above and beyond. I went off on disability to have surgery but had a bad problem with my bipolar post-op. I tried to come back at the end of my FMLA and they gently let me know I wasn't ready. They somehow finessed a full 6 months off before I knew I wasn't coming back and resigned; company policy said I should have been let go but my supervisors convinced cooperate (and this was a huge company) to keep me until I used up my short-term disability and realized it was time for SSDI. They were awesome.

In hindsight I don't know what I'd do. The 2 bad experiences were really bad but I also think it was the people involved and I trusted them too soon. If I had to do it again I'd be very sure I was trusting trustworthy people but if I was sure they were I would do it if I needed to.

[Naynay99]

Hey. Sorry u are having a tough time.
Regarding disclosing to work, I never have and probably never would. In my job i do not think it would be well accepted, and I could never again just have a bad day.
I understand why some people do disclose, if they need accommodations or to explain a significant change in work habits, etc. But you can't Untell and once you tell somebody u have no control over what happens to that information.
I hope that your supervisor took it well and that all works out for you. Hugs.

[raspberrytorte]

I didn't disclose at my job. It's none of their business.

[BipolaRNurse]

Never, never, NEVER disclose your bipolar to your employer unless you are asking for accommodations. It's none of their business, and your medical history is protected information. With few exceptions as noted above, nothing good comes from discussing mental illness at work, whether it's with other employees or management. I was burned very badly TWICE, and even if I were ever to go back to work (I'm on SSDI) I wouldn't share my MI with anyone if it's not absolutely necessary.

[Sunflower123]

On the first job impacted by my illness they knew because I had to go IP for awhile and had to take FMLA. They didn't know what it was but they knew it was psychiatric in nature. I did tell Human Resources eventually. I resigned when I became too sick to work but then was offered a much better job 3 days later with another company. For me, the job was too good to turn down even though I was pretty sick. My boss knew about MDD, again before I was diagnosed bipolar II. I lasted 5 months on that job before I had to resign.

If I go back to work, I will not disclose my illness unless I need accommodations. Best wishes.

[BadNews4321]

The last time I chose to disclose, my employer took all my responsibilities away and treated me like an infant. She thought she was being helpful, but it was humiliating.

On my current job, when I applied, there was a question of if I need any special accommodations. The options where yes, no, and prefer not to say, which is what I checked off. It came up in the interview, and all I said was my job performance will not be compromised in any way. That was the end of the discussion.

What I do when I come into work is first say hello to everyone, and if I'm not feeling it that day, I just announce I'm not myself. I feel supported and everyone respects my privacy, and I'm able to do a good job every day. It works well for everyone.

In fact, before I disclose to anyone, I ask myself if I think I would listen to that person when they start to coach my life.

[Woolly Bugger]

I am a high school teacher. Six years ago, when I started a new job, I told a fellow teacher that I was BP in a moment of weakness. It never came up again, and I never told anyone else at the school. A month ago, I applied for a new job at my high school for which I was highly qualified. The person I originally disclosed to was on the interviewing committee. I did not get the job, did not even come close, and I wonder if it had anything to do with my disclosing BP in the first place.

Unless I absolutely had to do it, I would never disclose my disorder at the workplace again. There's just too much stigma attached to it.

[benzenering]

Nope I have never disclosed and I have been working 30 years. Not through daytime php not through a siucide attempt that landed me in a regular hospital for two days, a psych ward for thee weeks, and rehab for four weeks. It is not necessary to disclose and still get what you need from your employer. As others have mentioned, it is none of their business.