Although mental health parity has long been overdue with regard to insurance coverage, it’s still a sticky subject. The world is not easy, and the best thing I could comment on is for people affected by mental illness is to receive treatment from a medical doctor, and to check their employer sick leave plan, especially with the FAMILY LEAVE MEDICAL ACT. So far I still have a job that sucks, but they haven’t fired me yet, but they would have if my diagnosis was simply alcoholism, rather than bi-polar. Time will tell.
Hugs, blanche

I’m in the middle of making an ADA disclosure at my job now, because I really need some extra flexibility in my schedule for doctor’s appointments, etc.
The truth is, though, that I know this will limit my professional future at this job (where there have already been some tugs of war — ironically, why I want to focus even more on my mental health).
My sad experience is that the Americans With Disabilities Act, ultimately, isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. (And this is from someone who would LIKE to self-disclose and stigma-bust from the beginning — if it were reasonably possible.)

Hmmmm. To disclose or not. The answer, from past experience, is easy. NEVER, ever disclose. Do all you can to keep it your private life and secret.
I disclosed, out of necessity, when I was hospitalized for a major depression and suicial ideation. This after self referring and being told that there would be no repudiation for self referral. Not so. What a putz I was to believe that to be so. I’ve since been denied opportunities to progress and to take different jobs within my “company”. Though, I’m fortunate I was not fired. I’ve watched others be pushed out the door for any form of mental illness. It’s just the reality of this world. I accept that and realize my mental illness is just that–mine.
What I cannot come to terms with though is how it may be different if I had a physical illness. I think of a co-worker who has cancer. We all felt sorry for and accommodated in whatever way possible. She was set up with a home office of sorts. And given time every few weeks to recover from treatment, which make her, understandibly so, feel horrible and unable to work. I’d never be given that consideration. I’m not asking for it, but I do find it interesting the difference in peoples understanding. Sure, cancer can kill. But so can some forms of mental illness.

A few months ago I went through a really bad patch with my depression. At the time I was working at a minimum-wage retail job, and I’d made the decision to tell my boss that I had depression and sometimes would experience anxiety attacks. On two occasions, I was so struck down with depression that I had to call in sick. Both times, my boss told me that there was no one else to replace me, so I came in to work anyway – both times.
But after the second time, my boss sat me down and told me that if I couldn’t warn her in advance of when I’d be ill, she’d have to cut back my hours (like to the point where I was only making one-half of my rent each month). In the first place, this did not help my anxiety levels. But also, if you substitute “chronic migraines” for “attacks of acute depression and anxiety”, it becomes obvious how unrealistic it is to ask when I’ll need my next sick day. As a result, I got even worse, but felt disempowered to call in sick . . . which led to occasions where I came into work suicidal, and had to get someone else to drive me because I was afraid I would deliberately crash my car. I would come in to work still bleeding from cutting myself, but as long as I was there and doing my job, that didn’t seem to matter. Ultimately I had to quit because the total lack of understanding was making me even more sick. Now I will never work there or even shop there again.
I think employers need to be educated about mental illnesses. It set me back a lot in my attempts to heal when I was punished for my inability to “suck it up” or “deal with it”. It’s also really not very good business practice: my mother and I both loved that store, but now I don’t think either of us will return because of the way I was treated. And you know what? Other than the two days when I was sick, I was an excellent employee, and that company has lost me. I won’t apply there again after what I experienced.