Posted by pseudoname on June 7, 2006, at 12:04:31
In reply to Putting life BACK together after stopping meds???, posted by MSWGradStudent on June 7, 2006, at 5:39:53
(This shouldn't get re-directed, IMO, since it's about med-use disclosure, not withdrawal per se.)
> I'm here to ask for advice about disclosure. How much do I tell my supervisor, professor, friends, etc about how the medication changed my life??
Every situation is different, Your Mileage May Vary, ideas not instructions, but...
I would be VERY cautious about disclosing psych problems or psych med use to ANYONE in an employment or education hierarchy. Obviously, there will be exceptions, but the fact that you are asking total strangers about your own work environment suggests that you haven't seen a lot of supportive responses there.
As an unfortunate general rule, psychiatric disclosures can be used against you by co-workers, supervisors, supervisees, professors, etc for years and years to come.
Explaining a year of underperformance or 2 weeks of absence can be accomplished just as effectively (or ineffectively) with "I wasn't feeling very well" or "I had a medical problem" or even "I had a problem with a medication I was taking" as with telling anyone that you had PSYCH problems or were taking PSYCH meds.
People will not, in my experience, be more mollified by an explanation that includes psychiatric information.
If anyone asks for details, wouldn't that be inappropriate? You can reply that you don't think it will be a problem in the future.
If they're complaining NOW about your performance, let them know that you hear the complaint and understand their feelings. But be careful about ceeding any ground or admitting any guilt right away. It kinda sounds like you're feeling a little spontaneous internal pressure to take blame or to evaluate yourself negatively. You may have been performing better than you think. How great a job are these other jokers doing, anyway?
If people aren't asking questions or making complaints, it may not be necessary or wise to offer anything. Maybe you can save those responses for when they're needed.
With friends who aren't in those hierarchies, it's a different story. If you feel you can trust them, I hope you will be able to be honest with them and find support from them -- perhaps in degrees or stages. If you're not sure how much you can risk disclosing with them, I would advise NOT lying to them. Just let them know that you've had problems and you appreciate their nonjudgmental support and that you're sharing as much as your pain will let you.
poster:pseudoname
thread:653934
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060604/msgs/654024.html