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Coming out / disclosing

Deleted User

Not long after my diagnosis I told a handful of people at work about it, people I’m relatively close to (in work terms) and that has been okay.

But as I have become more aware of what challenges me, I have found masking with other coworkers more and more frustrating. Having to either suffer unnecessarily or justify myself to people.

I’ve been close to another full on burnout for a couple of months and I know if something doesn’t change, I’ll end up having another extended absence.

So it feels like the risks of “coming out” are now outweighed by the risks of not.

Have any of you “gone public” at work and, if so, how did it go? Am I about to commit an act of liberation or self-sabotage?

Parents

  • I am very particular about who and what I say. I tend to substitute my conditions with generalisations such as neurodiverse. Even so, I only tell people who are close to me and need to know, like my line manager. I keep my personal challenges quiet in order to prevent prejudice and discrimination. This has been my previous experience, and it has affected how I approach sharing my conditions. Fortunately, my company has a private adjustment/accessibility system overseen by the occupational health staff. This system enables me to receive the accommodations I require without disclosing my conditions to my coworkers.

    Just because a company has managed to receive a Disability Confident Employer badge, is not to say their employees uphold those standards. It is more of a tokenism to many. You just have to be careful with the battles you take, and some are worth it, others not so much. I have been fortunate enough to have a great line manager, as he often checks on me, never pushes for more details, and always approves time off, extra breaks, and further support such as the company paying for my therapy. He even fought with HR over a sick day “violation” for months, which was eventually expunged.

    You will find allies in a sea of adversaries, but you do have to be tactful.

    A positive article I enjoyed reading re ASD:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp954ep948lo

  • in reply to Olivarius

    That’s a really good article. Thank you for sharing it.

    I think it will take people like the person in the article - and people like the rest of us - to put our heads above the parapet and show our colleagues that autistic people are people, capable, useful and likeable (or not!) just like everyone else.

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