Who do you talk to/tell about your mental health issues?

[Oscar_]

I'm 18 and have OCD, anxiety and depression. I'm unsure of when and who to share this with however and was wondering what other do?

I have my psychiatrist to talk to, my parents know my diagnosis (although I share no details with them) and two of my very very closest and most trusted friends know. It would probably be easier day to day for people to understand how and why I act as I do sometimes, if more people were to know, but personally I've always seen mental health conditions as private and not something to tell the world.

I fear for being treated differently, judged and being attention seeking. Personally, I can find it rather off-putting when people share their own conditions continuously with everyone.

So, what does everyone usually do when it comes to telling others about you condition/s? How, who and when do you tell people?

[Maya-D]

Hi Oscar,

I know how you feel. Its hard to know who and when is the right person or time to share these things with. I think this is why we are here, its actually a good feeling to know we can tell people about how we really feel here and there are a lot of people who are happy to write back.

I struggle to open up to people, I have big trust issues and the thought of being open doesnt sit right with me, I have shared some things with others but there are a lot that has stayed a secret only to me. I have learnt not many people have the experience or understand people with mental health, and thats fine. Its good that you have your family and close friends who are so understanding and you talk to them, they also get how it is to suffer from your conditions.
I personally find it hard to let others know how I feel deep down, I am so used to putting a mask on and pretend everything is fine, this has made me very closed to myself, I am the only one who lets myself in deep, I am the one who is always there.
But I am so glad I am here, the fact that we can talk to one another without knowing who we are in person is good for us. We are strong for being here and trying. We should be proud of ourselves.

Hugs,

Maya

[Doolhof]

Hi Oscar and Maya,

Welcome to you both. This forum is a safe place to share how you feel, like Maya said as we are all anonymous, we don't have to be concerned about any kind of judgement.

I believe there will always be people who do not understand mental health and do not accept it as a legitimate illness. That can make it difficult for those of us who experience mental health issues.

Family and friends may try to understand how we are feeling. People will often say things that may hurt us as we feel they just don't comprehend how difficult it is sometimes. Telling someone with depression to "just get on with it" is not very validating nor understanding.

As to whom to tell, that is a hard question. Guess it all depends on the situation and the people you are trying to communicate with.

These days everyone is supposed to have rights and should be covered by work place policies and procedures if they are employed, even still there are some cases of discrimination due to mental health issues.

I agree with Maya, we should all be proud of ourselves. There is no shame in admitting we have mental health issues.

Cheers, from Dools

[Munroscout]

Hi oscar,

I was in the same boat as you for almost 5 years. Bipolar, anxiety and OCD. The way I started feeling comfortable was to tell people about my OCD tendencies and see how they reacted. If they were ok then after I was comfortable with them I’d tell them the other diagnosis. Depending on your relationship with your boss I’ve found that telling them also helps when taking mental health days. When they understand they may not assume there your having a sickie.

Best wishes,

MS

[Busguy1631]

Hi Oscar,

I have experienced the same issue over the past few years.

My advice is to only tell people you feel comfortable telling (eg close friends/family, your manager or any work colleagues you can trust).

I use to be scared to tell my boss I was suffering from anxiety because I thought I would be treated unfairly. They were actually so supportive when I worked up the courage to tell them. It helped them understand why I sometimes needed a day off or why I was feeling a bit down. They helped make a plan to support my anxiety whilst balancing the needs of the business.

Remember just be yourself and take care.