Disclosure

One of the more difficult choices we face in regards to mental illness is whether we should disclose our illness to friends, family and coworkers. On one hand disclosure can help us build a wonderful support system, it can help with explaining certain behaviors that others might find troubling and can even be a great way to educate others on the topic of mental illness. People can see that someone who suffers from a mental illness can have a fulfilling life, a job, engage in social activities etc. It also gives the chance for others to see the person and not just the illness

Unfortunately there can also be negative consequences to disclosing. One risks facing stigma, being ostracized or being treated differently or worse things such as losing friends, or your job can happen. There are still people who think the worse and only see the media portrayal of an illness and not the reality. They may even doubt that you are ill, wondering why a person with a serious mental illness is able to have friends, a job and a life.

There is no wrong or right answer when it comes to should you tell others but there are things that can help improve your odds of a more positive outcome. I myself am selective in who I inform of my own illness, schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type. Friends know, some coworkers know but family is still in the dark due to their antiquated views of mental illness.

Before I do disclose I always start by testing the waters. I will discuss mental illness in a general way, gauging others reactions so as to see if it “safe” to disclose. If I see negative beliefs about the mentally ill I'll start a subtle education campaign. I find that education is one of the best ways to combat stigma and gives a great forum for discussing a variety of mental health issues. Education also gives a voice to those who are silent or unable to speak up.

I am fortunate in that I work in the healthcare field so many of my coworkers already have a basic factual background on mental illness. Illness such as depression and anxiety are already openly discussed and some of my coworkers are even open about their own battles with them. This doesn't mean that everyone at my job is stigma free, it just means that they have some exposure to people with mental illness and can see first hand that a lot of what is portrayed in media is fiction. What isn't represented as much are illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar, and Schizoaffective disorder. These three still have a lot of misinformation and stigma surrounding them.

By being open you give others a chance to see first hand that having a mental illness is not necessarily a life ending diagnosis. It might help them to better understand and demystify both the illness and its treatment. When I first came open at work it allowed my coworkers a chance to see that a person with a serious mental illness can work and it also explained why there were times wheres my energy was lower than usual. For the most part they have been understanding and a few have even been supportive and have taken a general interest in mental health issues. My disclosure also gave at least one other worker the self confidence to disclose their own battle with depression.

I have chosen not to disclose my illness to my family because of their false beliefs about certain illnesses. My self esteem was shot to hell by them when they thought I was merely Bipolar. I heard things like I would never be able to do anything in life, that I would be on disability and in and out of hospital. Me telling them that I in fact have Schizoaffective Disorder could lead to more of this type of negativity and might have a serious impact of my own well being. There is also the fact that my mother shows some signs of being anti-psychiatry which is a shock as she is a retired nurse. I have worked steadily over the years to attempt to educate and hope that in the future I might be able to disclose my true diagnosis.

The choice to disclose is yours. I always tell people that disclosure is a very personal thing. Weigh the pros and cons and be prepared for facing stigma for even the most intelligent among us can fall prey to it.