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Positives and negstives of disclosing.. can anyone share their reasons for and against being open about your diagnosis?

Ellie1984

I know I ultimately need to make this decision for myself but I just can't make my mind up. I'm feeling very alone because I haven't told anyone my diagnosis but at the same time i'm really worried about people's reactions so it might be easier to just keep it to myself. I'm obsessing over disclosing in work and who to tell. I work in education so a field in which people should be fairly well informed about autism. Part of me feels it could help to explain things I struggle with but part of me worries it would change things /peoples view of me and its easier just to keep things as they are. I work in a supportive workplace and my boss has helped me a lot in the past so my hestance around it isn't due to an unhelpful or unsupportive work environment. Just not sure if it's necessary to disclose. 

Parents

  • I have told my work colleagues, but there are only 7 of us in the team. I really struggle with so many aspects of my job so felt I needed to explain why I often get overwhelmed. I have told a couple of friends who knew I was going through the assessment process, and knew about my mental health journey. I have a complicated family situation and really don’t want to tell any of them, I know the comment “but you can’t be, you don’t look autistic” will just piss me off. So it’s  a difficult decision to make, I was say choose carefully who you tell. 

Reply

  • I have told my work colleagues, but there are only 7 of us in the team. I really struggle with so many aspects of my job so felt I needed to explain why I often get overwhelmed. I have told a couple of friends who knew I was going through the assessment process, and knew about my mental health journey. I have a complicated family situation and really don’t want to tell any of them, I know the comment “but you can’t be, you don’t look autistic” will just piss me off. So it’s  a difficult decision to make, I was say choose carefully who you tell. 

Children
  • in reply to Orangegnome

    Thank you. In considering disclosing , I am being careful and very selective about who I'm thinking of telling. I thought maybe my boss as he has been very supportive of some health issues I've had and is legally obliged to keep it confidential. Or a couple of colleagues who i know have autism in their family or are generally very kind people who always seek to support others and I know are good at keeping things confidential.