Let's say, purely hypothetically, that you had to fill a form in for work that asked do you have any serious psychological problems, if yes please give details. For arguments sake let's also say you were diagnosed with anxious personality disorder, possibly BPD and recurrent depression.
Would you tick yes or no? Realistically is there any plausible deniability from the word 'serious' in an 'I ticked no because I didn't think those things counted as serious (honest)' type way?
I think it depends on wether(sp) your illness will/could impact on what your filling the form in for. (ect with work)
But if it was no relavence i wouldnt tick yes.
hahaha i dont think i explained that very well.
xxx
After all this has passed, i still will remain
After i've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain
sometimes the label 'serious mental illness' means bipoloar and scitzophrenia - which bugs me cus it implies that other problems (my problems) arn't serious, and so i'm making a fuss about nothing.
i think that you could check either 'yes' or 'no' depending on how much you want to disclose. ticking yes could mean that you can get support there, or could lead to being discriminated against. i know discrimination is illegal (disability act?), but it still happens, and even if you're not fired for being mentally ill, ppl may act oddly around you.
I'd say yes, and have done so, and get adjustments and support.
If I were you, I'd simplify it to depression and anxiety.
I'm also 'officially' diagnosed with Recurrent Depressive Disorder, [although everyone knows it's complicated by a whole bundle of other stuff due to my past..] and it indeed comes under the DDA, which means support and help.
i would maybe phone the occupational health department (if there is one) and just asked anon...anomal...anomylose... oh i cant spell that word anomalously(??) what they classed as serious and then you will have a better idea of whether what you have been diagnosed with is what they class as serious.
or/ maybe you could tick no, but then write next to it that you have been diagnosed with??
x
this pic is so i can always remember jen who was my l'il sock monkey friend who has left ryl and i miss her!!!
I would probably tick yes, if I knew it would affect me at work & such. If you tell them what you have, they may be able to support you a bit better. They might not even think it's that serious either.
Heartbreak, incarnate, I'm nothing if not your memories.
Sorry to have to ask, its probably a stupid question but would I have to put down my C-PTSD in similar cases? It wouldnt probably come under serious though :|
I think Complex PTSD is serious... In fact I know it is.
I think they're more interested in your primary diagnosis, which would probably be depression...and anxiety due to past traumas. It depends on who you're telling, how specific you are with diagnosis.
Unfortunately, my experience with Occ. Health is that they don't even 'get' PTSD, never mind the complex kind... :(
i have quite severe mental health problems plus a seperate physical disability.
Before i was given this job for one of the others id applied for id been given a form like that and i filled it in honestly and also enclosed a statement explaining in detail about my physical disability but also very much in detail about my mental health.
i actually think the statement i included by my own choice went against me in the end - not necessarily ticking yes on their form.
i think perhaps i actually ended up giving too much information perhaps by enclosing my own statement but i didnt know what to say at the time but now im not sure what i said in my own statement as explanation was very useful or helpful to them and probably did go against me.
i was almost accepted for the job after interview and everything until occupational health received the health forms and that statement from me.
It was really something i wanted to do too jobwise but it was probably my own fault anyway they turned me down cos of my mental health and how unstable i am but hopefully i will learn.
As it happened the whole thing has worked out ok reasonably ok after that though cos soon after that i got the job im still doing now - and i answered totally honestly on their form and gave an explanation but less of one but still accurate and answering honestly - i just didnt include the statement with so much extra detail!
And got through and am now very happy where i am too.
My needs regarding my physical disability have been met very well and regarding my mental health i also feel a weight has been lifted from me that wouldnt have been otherwise cos i know i have been totally honest with them about my health.
What i think im trying to say is that you have to balance it and not give them too much info but also not too little if that makes sense.Something along those lines anyway i think.
As i think people have already said here and as was on the forms i completed it said you can be sacked for lying or holding back information.
i really do think its best to be honest [though NOT necessarily telling them too much and trying to let them know your life story a bit like i almost tried doing at first!] and then just go from there.
Personally i think it is best ideally to find someone who will work with you for who you are not someone you have to hide things from.
But i know it is so hard to know what to do with forms, situations like this etc.
Good luck.
i do not always manage to be around but i wish you all the very best - love and luck to you all!
i have faced this problem a lot... and i think its counted against me a lot. problem is, something like a pd isnt really covered by the disability discrimination act... and its a horrible label - to someone that knows nothing about it, 'personality disorder' is probly really off-putting...
Meh. as you can tell im bpd and unemployed :p
Beth
It is a bit of an odd one since the form isn't for a new job but an assignment within my existing one and I already checked no on my original employment forms (no diagnosis at the time, hence the title).
I still have a couple of weeks to ponder but I think that I am hedging towards the no/I didn't think it was serious unless I find out there are medical checks. earthbound_misfits reply worries me slightly. I am seeing my psychiatrist next week so I will ask him what his definition of serious is.
As to whether it affects my job isn't so straight forward. I tend to go between periods of low and high motivation so over the year my work balances out to what it should be but creates an impression of working very hard (which is the only reason I can think of that I still have a job).
It depends on how serious the problems are. If they affect you day to day, you should report these things (I would report my problems because they affect my daily living abilities), but if you can manage them very well, there is no need.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
If its with the NHS forget it. Dont tell them a thing.
You should have said that before I sent off my forms lol. I wrote down "paranoid schizophrenia" and "Asperger's syndrome". Oh well.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
I wonder if it will help you all if you think of it as:
"Do i feel my condition(s) will effect my work?"
If not, you don't need to reveal,
If yes you really do think hmm i might have some differculty, then put which differculty with which problem down.
Mind you, i don't blame you all,as like myself you still get "squirmy" about it, do i? dont i? oh god i wont get an interview? what if ect.
Very true. Very true.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
this pic is so i can always remember jen who was my l'il sock monkey friend who has left ryl and i miss her!!! 
