This is why you should talk about mental health in the office

This is why you should talk about mental health in the officeThis is why you should talk about mental health in the officeStaying cognizant of your mental health is incredibly important, but it often takes a backseat in the office, when everyone is trying to look powerful and invulnerable.Whetzu sich youre seeing a therapist for something like depression, zweipolig disorder,or anything in between, bringing this subject up can feel isolating, depending on what youre managing and your workplace.Thats why a positive email response from a CEO about taking time off for mental health- posted on Twitter last month byMadalyn Parker, an employee at remote, live-chat software company Olark- stands out.The CEO shows his support for Parkers choiceHere are the emailsParker posted on Twitter.Olark CEO and Co-Founder Congleton recently wrote about mental health at work in a LinkedIn postfollowing the response to the tweet.Twitter users weighed inIts so rare for companies to acknowledge that their employees might be whole humans - and not just workers - that many people could barely process Roses anecdote.This person welches surprised and envious.This Twitter user, however, questioned it.https//twitter.com/dpetereit/status/883040164838330368This was Parkers response.These were just a few of the many comments on Parkers post, but they help illustrate the ongoing debate about the topic.How to discuss your mental health with your bossHere are some tips.Read the roomParker wrote about how she brought up her mental healthwith Matt, one of her companys cofounders, outside of any depressive episodein a 2015 Medium post(which has a trigger warning at the top fordepression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts).This interaction set the precedent for all other experiences Ive had with sharing my obstacles with my colleagues. I brought it up somewhat casually, as its difficult to admit these kinds of problems to people when you are so used to internalizing them. I explained my anguish over my technical performance and how passionate I was about my job. Matt didnt mention my performance at all. The conversation was quickly focused on my well-being and health, and the teams willingness to work with me during my low points, Parker wrote.She added that her mother was absolutely horrified that I would put myself at risk for marginalization, but she had to explain why that wasnt her situation.No, you dont have to share every detailWhether or not you choose to tell your boss is most likely up to you, but maintaining your own privacy is important.After writing about disclosing her depression to her manager, Betsy Aimee continues in an article for The MuseObviously, not everyone has that kind of relationship with her supervisor, so dont feel obligated to disclose details. If youre taking a lot of time off or youre worried others will wonder whats going on, you can tell them that youve been dealing with some health issues and leave it at that. Or, consult with HR to determine the best approach. If dont want to discuss specifics with your colleagues at all, request a few days off and do whatever helps you cope with your symptoms and re-group. Really. It may mean the difference between maintaining your professional reputation and having a breakdown at the office.Consider talking to HRMarc J. Romano, Psy.D., assistant medical director at Ocean Breeze Recovery, and Katherine Glick, licensed professional counselor, certified holistic health coach, and therapist at Talkspace told SELF about this topic.If youre not sure how your boss will respond, go to HR first. Romano tells SELF that sometimes its a good idea to talk to HR from the get-go. If you suffer from chronic and severe mental illness, you probably want to share that with HR and not wait until theres problems at work, because then it could look like youre just bringing it up because you dont want to get in trouble, he says. An HR rep can also can help you, or even go with you to discuss it with your manage r. Glick suggests this could be helpful just so the HR person can monitor any responses that are unethical or inappropriate, the article says.Keep what the law says in mindAlison Green wrote about the American Disabilities Act in a story for U.S. News World Report about discussing mental health with your boss.The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal law that protects employees with physical or mental impairments, may offer you some protection at work. Its important to keep in mind that the ADA doesnt contain a list of specific conditions that constitute disabilities. Rather, the law has a general definition of disability it covers a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. What that means, in practice, is that whether or not youre covered will depend on your specific symptoms. However, if you are covered, the law says that you are entitled to reasonable accommodations from your employer if such accommodations will help you to maintain your job performance. However, you still must be able to perform the essential functions of your job, with or without accommodations, Green wrote.