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Advice re divulging diagnosis at work

mrs.snooks

I was hoping I could ask for some advice.

I have been working in my new job since mid-April and have noticed that my work mates have become more and more frosty with me. On Friday, I told one of my colleagues about me having bipolar and she admitted that that could explain a lot about how I behave. She told me that I have come across as stand offish and as if I think I am better than everyone else. The thing is. It is not so much low mood and irritability that is the cause of this appearance. It is my autism.

I did not put down my autism on my job application or occupational health assessment. 

I have a three month meeting with my line manager this Wednesday. And I wondered what advice you would give about being totally open about what is going on. Pretending that it is my bipolar that is causing the problems. Or what?

Many thanks.

Parents

  • Regardless of whether or not to disclose at work, as many people still do not consider mental health issues as real issues, they still put it down to “behavioural” issues or “negative attitudes” on the part of the person disclosing - this shows the very reason why post-diagnosis assessments to both assess and determine level of autism and any relevant and appropriate supports required going forward are so important - since my own later in life diagnosis, while I’ve not had active or other forms of discrimination, what I have had is an almost zero level of awareness, much less any understanding of autism (as I hardly understand my diagnosis myself) and what basic understanding and awareness there is our there is usually based on misinformation and misunderstanding couched in euphemism (especially when I go home to Ireland) as most of the focus is on children’s autism - the very fact that state and other bodies are failing to take on board latest research on autism and related issues from around the world, citing cultural and other issues is something that must be robustly challenged at every level and in every way, because there is simply no excuse for their laziness in not wanting to take the time to understand something that is impacting an ever increasing number of the adult population as more people are being diagnosed at all ages and in all sectors of society 

Reply

  • Regardless of whether or not to disclose at work, as many people still do not consider mental health issues as real issues, they still put it down to “behavioural” issues or “negative attitudes” on the part of the person disclosing - this shows the very reason why post-diagnosis assessments to both assess and determine level of autism and any relevant and appropriate supports required going forward are so important - since my own later in life diagnosis, while I’ve not had active or other forms of discrimination, what I have had is an almost zero level of awareness, much less any understanding of autism (as I hardly understand my diagnosis myself) and what basic understanding and awareness there is our there is usually based on misinformation and misunderstanding couched in euphemism (especially when I go home to Ireland) as most of the focus is on children’s autism - the very fact that state and other bodies are failing to take on board latest research on autism and related issues from around the world, citing cultural and other issues is something that must be robustly challenged at every level and in every way, because there is simply no excuse for their laziness in not wanting to take the time to understand something that is impacting an ever increasing number of the adult population as more people are being diagnosed at all ages and in all sectors of society 

Children
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