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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 think that I asked myself whether telling people would have a useful effect. My immediate family knew I was seeking a diagnosis, so they automatically were told. I have also told my extended family - mostly so they knew why I would not be forcing myself to endure large family social occasions in the future (anything major, such as weddings I still attend). I also told my close friends, their reactions were positive, and one former work colleague who thought that she might be autistic herself.

    If I had still been working, I took early retirement, I would have informed my employers and my trade union. My former employers have relatively good support systems in place for disadvantaged staff and informing invokes anti-discrimination legislation, or at least gives them a heads up that they have to take this legislation into account.

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  • I think that I asked myself whether telling people would have a useful effect. My immediate family knew I was seeking a diagnosis, so they automatically were told. I have also told my extended family - mostly so they knew why I would not be forcing myself to endure large family social occasions in the future (anything major, such as weddings I still attend). I also told my close friends, their reactions were positive, and one former work colleague who thought that she might be autistic herself.

    If I had still been working, I took early retirement, I would have informed my employers and my trade union. My former employers have relatively good support systems in place for disadvantaged staff and informing invokes anti-discrimination legislation, or at least gives them a heads up that they have to take this legislation into account.

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