Do you talk about your depression/anxiety with colleagues and acquaintances?

[Lottapianos]

I've been struggling massively for the past couple of years with depression and anxiety caused by coming to terms with childhood emotional abuse. I see a therapist and have done for the past 4 years, I have a very supportive DP and friends. I was on ADs for 6 months, since I came off them I have been managing quite well with a healthy diet, lots of sleep, exercise and just generally working hard at taking care of myself.

At work, my line manager knows my situation as I have had some time off, just a couple of days on a couple of occasions. I have told 2 close colleagues but haven't told anyone else at work.

My new healthy lifestyle has meant a fairly significant weight loss which means I have had a lot of wildly enthusiastic comments about how much weight I have lost. I absolutely hate this because the weight loss comes from a very sad and painful place. I know that the person congratulating me doesn't know this but I still find it really hard. When people ask me how I've done it, I usually respond with 'well I've been unwell actually', which doesn't make a jot of difference to their enthusiasm

I'm wondering if it's easier just to say 'well I've been suffering from depression actually and I'm controlling it through exercise and diet so hence the weightloss'. I guess I'm wondering if it's time to 'come out of the closet' as it were!

Please share your reasons why you did/didn't share your mental health issues with people you don't know that well and how it worked out for you. Thanks all

No. I say not one word.

People are too quick to label those with depression etc.

Don't depend on colleagues, keep it out of work. Just tell them you've started eating healthily.

I think you're probably right scarlet. It's a big thing to trust people you don't know very well to respond sensitively to a disclosure about your mental health. Probably too risky.

Personally no. But then I do not share about other physical illnesses with people I do not know either - it is not relevant to them for me.

Yes I talk about it if an opportunity presents itself. The stigma around mental illness will never be broken down if we all just keep quiet. You would also be amazed how many people will confess that they too have problems / are on meds when you start opening up. Having said that, I have friends and family members with mental illness who choose to keep it quiet and I will never, ever judge them. You do take a risk when disclosing and only you can decide if it's worth doing so.

I do talk about it. I feel that if I don't, its reinforcing the idea that depression/anxiety is something people should be ashamed of.

If people start to view me differently, I try hard to not be bothered by it. In my opinion, the only people who stigmatise mental health problems are those who have never had first hand experience of them (either themselves or through a friend or loved one). And if they don't know what its like, who are they to judge?

Can't you respond "I have been working hard at taking better care of myself" and leave it at that?