Advice on the job!

[prayerbear]

Even though I am not working, I often look back and wonder if my jobs would have fared better if I had not mentioned my having a mental illness.

I know OCD gets in my way of staying on a job because I obsess about how to answer people, how they may anticipate my responses, etc.

What I can't stand is when word gets around that you have a mental illness and then people look at you like you really lost it! I have been discriminated against and told to "take my Paxil", etc. I can't stand the discrimination! (the stigma)

If I am allowed to work with my disability payments, is it EVER a good idea to mention that you are being treated for a brain disorder? I overheard a stocker say, "What does she have, schizophrenia?" OUCH!

The second thing that bothers me about this is you dont really know your interviewer so you dont know how they are going to react to you!

At my last job, the manager said I was "weird"! I didnt tell her I have OCD!

What do you think about this?

 

[prayerbear]

Even though I am not working, I often look back and wonder if my jobs would have fared better if I had not mentioned my having a mental illness.

I know OCD gets in my way of staying on a job because I obsess about how to answer people, how they may anticipate my responses, etc.

What I can't stand is when word gets around that you have a mental illness and then people look at you like you really lost it! I have been discriminated against and told to "take my Paxil", etc. I can't stand the discrimination! (the stigma)

If I am allowed to work with my disability payments, is it EVER a good idea to mention that you are being treated for a brain disorder? I overheard a stocker say, "What does she have, schizophrenia?" OUCH!

The second thing that bothers me about this is you dont really know your interviewer so you dont know how they are going to react to you!

At my last job, the manager said I was "weird"! I didnt tell her I have OCD!

What do you think about this?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I think we had a similar discussion about this issue not too long ago. I know theree were diverging opinions offered then but my feeling is (1) that, like it or not, there is still a lot of fear and misunderstanding and, yes, discrimination about various "mental disorders" and that is an important factor to be considered; and (2) people have a right to privacy regarding their medical conditions. My general advice is to say as little as possible -- for example, if you need to see a therapist or your doctor regularly, it is important that your employer know that you have a medical condition that requires such appointments, if they take you away from the wrokplace during working hours -- however, beyond assuring the employed that it is not life-threatening nor contagious, I don't think one should feel any obligation to say more than that.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I think we had a similar discussion about this issue not too long ago. I know theree were diverging opinions offered then but my feeling is (1) that, like it or not, there is still a lot of fear and misunderstanding and, yes, discrimination about various "mental disorders" and that is an important factor to be considered; and (2) people have a right to privacy regarding their medical conditions. My general advice is to say as little as possible -- for example, if you need to see a therapist or your doctor regularly, it is important that your employer know that you have a medical condition that requires such appointments, if they take you away from the wrokplace during working hours -- however, beyond assuring the employed that it is not life-threatening nor contagious, I don't think one should feel any obligation to say more than that.