Started a new job recently and after being treated like shit in my last job due to my ADHD, I had decided not to disclose. But - life had other plans. A week after I started my Access to Work referral came through 6 months after I applied for it in my last job and they said they could only hold the referral open a few weeks or they'd have to close it. Then I found out that someone I manage also has ADHD and I just couldn't pretend to her that I didn't have it, I would have felt really bad. So I decided to disclose to my boss who had seemed to be ok about my colleague having it - no negative talk and the company are striving to be diversity friendly with loads of diversity and inclusion stuff .
I told her I was having my Access to work assessment as she had to sign it off, I then get sent a big list of equipment, coaching etc which the company are happy to sign off as AtW are paying for 100% of the cost. I'd downplayed my ADHD as didn't want to make too big a deal of it but during one very long (2.5 hours) meeting I had to take a break as I'd been struggling a bit in the new role and my boss had left me to get on with a lot of things that were new to me with little support (boss is extremely busy).
I thought maybe if she knows that I struggle with things she will give me more support. I can do the job if I have support but I can't just go in and hit the ground running, it's a step up for me and also a new industry - which they knew at interview but then since I started I was just chucked in at the deep end without a life jacket.
Now I don't know if I should have been so honest. The Access to work report probably played up my symptoms a bit as it's to justify government funding for equipment and it makes me sound like an absolute numpty saying i struggle with memory, concentration, organisation, communication... pretty much everything.
This is a mid-senior role and whilst I have some employment protection now (although I know it's not a carte blanche against dismissal) I just feel like she's thinking 'oh my god what have I taken on here'. Can't quite tell if she's being supportive or just pretending. I'm aware that I'm probably paranoid and/or projecting my own insecurities but I just feel like I'm damaged goods, and the cats out of the bag and I've got to battle now to prove that I'm not as bad as that.
I wasn't going to even disclose I had ADHD at all as last employer was terrible about it so I'm very touchy about it - but I have been struggling in the new job (I think I would have struggled even without ADHD as my boss has just left me to it) and I was thinking this would be a way to get a bit more leeway and support.
Did I do the right thing?