How much should I share?

[Therins]

I’ve recently become a Mental Health Champion at work. I have a diagnosis of Bipolar 2 and high anxiety which at times can be a real struggle for me.

Working part time helps with the stress but should I share my diagnosis with
my colleagues? Am I under any obligation with work either?

From experience, don't share a fucking thing. All these 'mental health days' 'brew monday' things at work are 99% of the time virtue signaling bolleaux and mental health is still very much stigmatized.
If its affecting your ability to work and only then, tell your manager in confidence. Not other colleagues.9

Nothing. Why risk the prejudice and judgement?

I have ADHD and only disclose it on a strict need to know basis. A colleague told me and possibly others, that she was diagnosed with a PD , i dont judge her for having a PD but I fo question her judgement, as a manager, for going round telling people and it may possibly harm her career.

Definitely say nothing. I felt I could trust my colleagues and manager with just a few bits about my mental health ( depression) and they booted me out for being 'negative' while I was on probation. They freely admitted I could do the job very well and my immediate colleagues are very shocked that this has happened. I feel very misunderstood and I know there's no redress. I'm past retirement age (just) but I have been pushed back into major depression and I am crying all the time. It's a bitter pill especially as this was in an NHS setting. Say nothing.

This.

I have never had anything positive come from being open about my diagnosis.

Virtue signalling bollocks is exactly right.

Nothing. Zip it.

Thank you everyone for replying, much appreciated. I’ve given this some thought and I think I’ll hold this one tight against my chest. I do have some doubts it won’t do me any good x

Hi I'm bipolar and I do disclose but not until I get the lay of the land.

I waited about 6 weeks in my last role before telling my line manager. I thought carefully about the level of disclosure. In the end I said, I'm bipolar, it is well controlled by medication the vast majority of the time it does not impact me nor my work. Bipolar means that my mood can go high or low, this usually doesn't happen quickly and I get put things in place to mitigate it. He responded as I expected, thanks for letting me know, I'll be guided by you - if you don't need support or adjustments continue as you are going let me know if this changes.

Two people in my work place already knew as I had worked with them in previous roles where I had been acutely unwell and received my bipolar diagnosis whilst working with them. I told a few colleagues about a year after working with them. I then started to speak more openly about it after being there for 3-4 years. I had a severe episode after having my daughter and spent 10 weeks in a mother and baby and had 3 months off sick.

My reason for disclosing is I would rather have these conversations when I am well as it then puts across the impression that it's not something that is going to cause massive issues day to day. It also means that I don't have to contend with "big" conversations whilst unwell. When I was diagnosed I experienced discrimination from my two supervisors and part of this was because they were constantly assuming that I was unwell when I wasn't and that they couldn't talk to me in the same way they could talk to others. They didn't want to tell that a project was getting behind as they didn't want to stress me out. Until it was so far behind that I couldn't get it back on track by the deadline. It was a ridiculously stressful 3 months to meet a new deadline. They did learn their lesson though as it didn't trigger an episode. One of them was less discriminatory after that, the other was difficult as he was the person I had to report his discrimination too.

I am open with a lot of friends but not with family. I have a good feeling about people and I haven't misjudged anyone yet. If I feel comfortable to disclose to a person they usually are of the understanding variety