When you have any mental health condition, it can be hard to know if you should disclose your diagnosis at work, particularly to your boss. It’s a thorny topic.
For instance, you might be worried that others will judge you negatively because of the pervasive stigma in our society. Yet, you might need certain accommodations that you’d like to ask for. Also, many people are relieved to get their diagnosis — finally having a name for their disruptive symptoms — and want to share it with others.
So what can you do?
ADDitude Magazine has an excellent article on this topic by Wilma Fellman. I interviewed Fellman a few years ago for an article about succeeding in the workplace when you have ADHD.
Her take?
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Margarita,
An excellent piece on an important topic! Thank you for referencing my blog posts about my own experience. I especially hope readers will take the time to read my perspective as there is no other expert referenced here to give the opposing view, i.e. to offer reasons why one WOULD choose to disclose to their supervisor or employer.
I fully recognize that it is a very personal experience, and that every situation is different.
There are MORE reasons to disclose than just the desire to ask for accommodations. For the record, I did not disclose to ask for accommodations, nor have I done so.
I encourage those who have a strong desire to share their status to honor their sense of personal integrity and authenticity; to build self-acceptance and self-esteem; to work for social change via advocacy in mental health, to weigh the risks and gains carefully and then to follow their heart.
As an update, I am still at the part-time job where I have disclosed and now I rarely think about it.I still love working there but have the added benefit of no longer carrying around the burden of, “should I or shouldn’t I?” I am proud of what I did, I know it’s not for everyone, but change and acceptance has to start somewhere. I don’t mind being the sacrificial lamb. It feels better than being the black sheep.
Thanks again for your post!
Zoë Kessler
Blogger, Psych Central, ADHD from A to Zoë
As one who has benefited from having ADHD, I say absolutely. But before you do, figure out why its a benefit? I know for certain that it has made me much more creative. Also, it might help to mention that the billionaire Richard Branson is one of us!
These are great suggestions. Telling anyone your diagnosis can really make it seem that it’s your lone identifying mark, and it can be such a limiting quantification.
ADHD in the Workplace
There is huge a need for those who have ADHD in the workplace to understand how their specific brand of ADHD manifests in different situations at work. So many people who have ADHD have not clearly identified the situations where their ADHD challenges of inattention, impulsivity and cognitive hyper activity consistently gets in their way. The fact is that 4% of the world’s adult population is estimated to have ADHD and 85% are undiagnosed. That’s a huge number of people walking around who are not aware of the invisible challenges of ADHD.
Once they have specific evidence of where the challenges show up they can then go to their boss and talk about the issue without mentioning the specific diagnosis. Many times, I have found that the solution to the problem can be identified and presented to their boss. For example: If you know that your office is located in noisy part of the building where there are always people talking and it distracts you, tell your boss you would be more productive in another office.
Another example: You have lots of great ideas that are difficult to get down on paper but you find that when you verbalize them in brain storming sessions they are clear and well received. To capture those ideas you may request voice-activated software program that captures all your ideas by speaking into a headset/ microphone. One of the best is Naturally Dragon Speaking, preferred #10.
My experience has been that most adults with ADHD in the workplace know there is a problem but they don’t know the source of the problem and have not clarified it. Once they know the specific situations where their ADHD challenges show up they can identify potential solutions they can present to their boss without mentioning the ADHD diagnosis.
Well-trained ADHD coaches are often a pivotal part of a comprehensive plan to support individuals with ADHD in the workplace and can support them with identifying their workplace issues. Identifying the specific issues and situations that challenge the individual are key elements for workplace success.
I also think Wilma Fellman’s work is fantastic and it has personally been a great resource for me and my clients. I highly recommend any of her books on ADHD and the work place. They have been transforming.