Telling boss about depression

[BrickingIt44]

I'm having a really hard time with my depression at the moment. I haven't seen a doctor because you can't get an appointment for love nor money. I've tried so hard to not let it affect my work but it is in a big way. I keep messing up, making mistakes, being late with reports and just being generally useless. I think I need to tell my boss I need some time off but I'm really nervous about it. Has anyone here told their boss about their depression? How did it go? I've already had a couple of days off last month for a stomach bug. I don't want to be that person that's always off sick but I can't go on like this anymore.

If it is affecting your work then yes I think you need to say something or you could end up on some kind of performance improvement plan.
I think it depends how approachable your boss is, or if it is a big company you could look into whether there is any kind of staff support, counselling provided or speak to occupational health.
If your boss is supportive and approachable they will likely welcome you speaking to them before things reach crisis point. Sometimes taking time off now can avoid worse problems further down the line.
I have some days when I just sit looking at my computer and can't get any productive work done, but others where I am hugely productive so I tend to kid myself it all works out but I'm sure my manager knows I suffer with anxiety. I hope you get things sorted and feel back to your old self soon.

I think if you do then you need to have an idea what you are hoping they will do to help you, and tell them that too.

My general rule was never tell your boss how you are feeling unless it's with a specific work related outcome in mind. Just because they are not your counselor and they can't help working it into an overall picture of your performance and employability (even the nice ones).