When and Why I Told My Boss about my Schizoaffective Disorder

Disclosing a mental illness to an employer is not something everyone should do, that much is clear. But sometimes it needs to be done, and this video is about what that time was like for me. As someone with the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder, I know that it affects almost everything I do, including work. So, it was time.
Enjoy this video, and if you have any thoughts on it, let me know in the comments!
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Disclaimer: I am not a qualified mental health professional. This channel exists for educational purposes, and I do my best to provide accurate and up-to-date information. In order to create content, I combine scientific resources (peer reviewed studies and easy-to-understand articles) and my own personal experiences/advice. I seek to make complicated topics easy to understand, but I am no substitute for a doctor, therapist, or other qualified mental health professional.
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[@LexiHurley-f1x]

I work at target and told my boss and they've been absolutely wonderful. Ive had to be hospitalized a couple times this year and each time they've said "thank you for keeping us in the loop. Let us know if there's anything we can do to support you. We hope you're okay".

[@damnablethief]

Mad respect for your boss

[@SchizoKitzo]

Such good vibes with this one!

[@leonard_spunky]

Lucky!!! Im on disability right now but I'm hoping to go back to work soon.

[@Love_Yourself4830]

I lost my 13-year-old daughter to suicide last year. In the wake of the traumatic loss, I was diagnosed with PTSD and GAD. I changed careers earlier this year and was very apprehensive to open up to my new boss about the event and the mental disorders I now deal with. I was lucky enough to have been placed somewhere that the people in my workplace, including my supervisor, are empathetic and understanding. Thanks so much for sharing your story and creating a safe space for others to do the same. Connections like this are all that we as humans truly have. Sending you all peace and love.

[@postcodeox278]

I'm glad you got the support you needed

[@SchizoKitzo]

So glad they are empathetic! Having the right support makes all of the difference.

[@andrewoats]

I told my boss before I was even diagnosed with bipolar. My therapist was talking about hospitalization so I gave him the heads up then later texted him while being transferred to hospital. He’s one of my favorite people in the world and so supportive, he might be the only person who could ask if I took my meds without making me mad.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Super glad you have that supportive relationship!!!!!

[@PuttingOnTheFoil]

I'm an autistic who can mask my traits quite well most of the time, but that is exhausting and isolating. I joined my company's disability ERG, and gradually started opening up and it's been really good.

[@TheUrbanAdventurer]

First of all, glad you were able to tell your boss. So about a year ago my mood swings fired up so bad at work that my boss pulled me aside and asked: "Hey, what's going on with you" so I felt I had to talk to him about them. We had a lengthy conversation about this and he encouraged me to get psychiatric help. Shortly after this I was admitted to the mental hospital so I told my boss about it. He thinks I was there for my mood problems but doesn't know I was actually there for psychosis and delusions. To this day I haven't told him that I hear voices in my head and have delusions that my coworkers are out to kill me for fear I might come across as a risk factor.

[@SchizoKitzo]

And it’s totally okay to not tell him even when you’ve already confided so much. There’s a certain comfort and safety to be had when they don’t know the whole story. I felt that myself for a long long time after all! Thanks for sharing this, and I hope you have a good rest of your day!

[@horizonblack]

One boss I had recognized my mental illness and gave me extra space. I was very thankful.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Nice!

[@Syncere20]

I told my boss I had depression, and later on he would make fun of me for seeing a psych doctor. Never I will tell anyone again.

[@TheUrbanAdventurer]

I'm so sorry to hear that.

[@SchizoKitzo]

I can totally see why you’d never want to speak to someone like that again. I wish the world was kinder 😔

[@maureenp2248]

If you're in the U.S., you can report that boss for an ADA violation

[@waceyseufer7083]

Thank you so much for this, Kit. This is something I've been thinking about a lot since I got diagnosed earlier this year. The tiny little community I live in has a huge stigma, not just for mental illness, but for people who they consider different in general. It's a very rural, hick, and pretty stubborn community, to say the least. Especially employers. I'm planning on relocating but I'm hoping, as in your case, that my future employers really understand and help me out with it like your boss did. Thank you for always giving us hope and guidance. You're definitely a light in a dark place. Keep going, dude. You rock. 🤘

[@SchizoKitzo]

I hope your future plans go well. Thanks so much and I hope you have a good rest of your day!

[@DrAlFishman]

Your very brave! I'll never tell my employer, got fired for it the one time I told them

[@Syncere20]

That's not cool.

[@thaliakalli4207]

Is that legal?

[@neithere]

Isn't it illegal what they did to you? 😱

[@claremiller9979]

I've been the most open about my anxiety issues with both my boss and coworkers in the past year because I can't go into the office anymore, going on a train triggers a panic attack for me. They've been really supportive and understanding, it doesn't affect my work in any other way but I want my team (who I'm the manager of) in particular to know I'm not being hypocritical when they go into the office and I don't - not that there is a policy that they have to, thanks to our new enterprise agreement. Being open about it has helped, and I do hope one day to get back in there and enjoy socialising and seeing people in person.

[@gckinsey]

Your boss sounds awesome! It's so cool that he had actually heard of schizoaffective disorder without you having to explain it. I wish everyone could have a boss as understanding and supportive as yours has been. Giving employees time off for health reasons whenever they need it, keeping their information private, and refusing to believe in any stigma should honestly be the standard. (I hate that it isn't... I've had several friends either get fired or lose promotions after disclosing health issues at work, both mental and physical, and it absolutely sucks.) I really like the approach you took of only saying something when you knew your mental health was going to affect your work. And I think it made perfect sense to test the waters by first just saying you had a mood disorder, then later disclosing that you had schizoaffective disorder. I hope everything keeps going well for you at your job!

[@SchizoKitzo]

This comment actually helps a lot. The mood disorder confession haunted me for a long time but I also think it was the right call in the end even if it wasn’t the intended effect. I’m glad he’s understanding too and the time off is soooooo helpful. Hopefully I won’t have to take it again anytime soon! Thanks for the comment GC!

[@lisatomihiro3488]

I am glad you felt you were able to talk to your boss and that everything went well during the discussion. ❤️🙏

[@mandyr5896]

I'm so glad you were able to talk to your boss and he was understanding. I disclosed to a previous boss that i was struggling due to a PTSD diagnosis that was exacerbated by my brothers recent suicide. I received a bizarre phone call from corporate HR the next day to inform me about the national suicide help line. I was then systematically railroaded. I've luckily found a respectful workplace and a wonderful boss. I have been having less impacts to my work, but I've only mentioned taking time off for grief meetings. I hope if i need to, i can bring it up.

[@canuckistan5979]

I love your channel. I have OCD (essentially entirely intrusive thought based) and spent 4 months in hospital in 2018. I feel like your content is relatable to me even though we have different disorders. I also felt that kind of nervousness telling my boss. In my case, i guess I kind of let them assume what they think OCD is. I might tell them I have intrusive thoughts but never the exact nature of them, for fear of being deemed a threat or similar. I'm glad you told your boss and it was received well. ❤

[@stoneyvowell1239]

It is an awesome thing when you can count your employer as part of your support system. I thought my last bosses would be more understanding because of some of their family history, but as soon as I told them they tried to create a situation to get rid of me. Lucky for me, I had more evidence and understanding about the situation than they did.

[@damnablethief]

When I had my first psychotic break, I was surveying for an engineering firm. I had to be IVC'd because I was suicidal, because "the voices", whoever they are, and I do believe they are someone, somewhere. These guys, my brothers ALL came through for me. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of how they just accepted me. And guess what, I am still surveying and I love it, albeit with a differenr company. I tell every boss, but I wait until AFTER they see my top notch work.

[@damnablethief]

Yo props to you for being able to talk about this stuff. For real, I love your channel amd it has helped me so much. Best wishes.

[@SchizophreniaSurvivor]

Thanks!

[@SchizoKitzo]

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!

[@SapphicCode]

2:03 that's completely fair, I also don't tell mine about my PTSD. I could have the best job in the world, but as long as my livelihood depends on it, I'm not rolling those dice.

[@dannyllerenatv8635]

I agree that it depends on the situation. In my case, I work for the Department of Psychiatry at an academic health system, which means my PIs and management chain consist of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, so there is no hiding it. I am glad that you have an extremely understanding boss. I cannot imagine how difficult those intense mood shifts and psychotic episodes can be.

[@MarkFive-ec7ig]

Kit, your honesty is so touching. I have a huge desire to hug you. 😊

[@katryonkelly3772]

Unfortunately I didn't know enough about my conditions to tell my former bosses. Glad you had the strength and knowledge to do well! 👍🔥

[@barjamlin7962]

As a retired manager, I’ll just add that I can’t support a staff member if I don’t know, in a general way, what they need or may need. HR doesn’t need to know unless the employee has a condition covered by ADA and needs accommodation, or when an employee needs FMLA leave. As you said, it’s a judgment call and a tough decision, so getting a “read” on your boss first is a good idea.

[@claremiller9979]

Years ago I had a team member who tried to take his own life while on a work trip, and dealing with the fallout of everything that happened there (he caused property damage in the hotel that he had to pay for, turned off his phone when travelling back home so I had to get the police to do a welfare check, and of course managing him when he came back to work) has made me more open about my own mental health struggles, because part of me wishes I'd known a bit more about what was going on with him so i maybe could have helped more. I don't know if I could have, but I do wonder. And it makes me think that if I'm open, maybe my current team will be open as well and we can all help each other within the bounds of a professional environment too.

[@meggylee8078]

That "please email me that you are ok" is very sweet.

[@SchizoKitzo]

He’s great and cares. I’m super grateful

[@orcusvox]

Geeat vid Kit! My manager knows im mentally ill because i told her. Then a few months later i had a psychotic break at work. She made me stay until my shift was over. This cost me a promotion but i still have a job. Im on 3 meds and im still a mess. Its painfully obvious to anyone that spends any time with me that im not okay. My psychosis interferes with my job a lot. Im lucky that i havent been fired yet.

[@masongauthier1998]

Thank you for these videos as they help those new to dealing with the new diagnosis I know they’ve helped me over the past few years here while getting adjusted popped up in my 20s

[@moonriver78]

I'm thankful my boss is understanding my Bipolar Disorder. He was able to accommodate me very well and I've been doing wonderful at work ever since.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Wonderful!!!!

[@jimmyh706]

I’ve been in jobs where I got fired because of my symptoms flared up. I wasn’t taking medicine at this time and totally was not able to work the job. But now I take my medication and stop the illegal drug usage and I could talk about my disease to my current boss. I see me being able to have an open conversation on my mental illness is only able to happen if I’m doing everything in my power to work towards a cure.

[@effieboo9275]

The 2 times I have communicated with places of work about my major depression and anxiety. One I was hospitalized the other time I was almost hospitalized. Both experiences were unfortunately horrible, left me feeling more alone and that I was incompetent. It hurt and still does. I have not worked in a few years because of my anxiety around job situations. Thankfully I have family and my SO who have made it so that I don't have to work. Although sometimes I wonder if that is just enabling the anxiety. Idk I feel it is a mixed blessing of having them. I don't have a very big or very understanding support system except my SO. I am glad there are employers out there who are understanding. It gives me hope.

[@KevinChristensen-h8x]

Ive let all my bosses know i had schizoeffective disorder, and they were happy to hear it.

[@jayapowers]

Congratz!

[@SchizoKitzo]

Thanks so so much!!!

[@NavigatingthePeriphery]

I admire your courage for telling your boss. I have issues just telling friends about my SZA. Been thinking about doing some group therapy to get more comfortable with it.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Group therapy can be so so helpful. Good luck!

[@toddolson3521]

My boss was accommodating not necessarily understanding gossip eventually got around so anytime I would be out for some kind of episode... it was a mixed bag of my boss not really wanting me to go and my counterparts having to do my work while i was gone... this was extremely crappy... whenever I would return to work my coworkers would always ask sarcastically if I had a nice vacation... 🙄 hidden resentments from everyone were there since they only saw the "special treatment" I was given not understanding why.... bottom line... mental illness is difficult in almost every situation... it totally sucks

[@samuelneff4652]

At my last several jobs I got an ADA accommodation to allow time off without notice when I had an episode. I've always told my bosses and had mixed results; one whose sister was bipolar and was a huge help and one who strongly fought my ADA request and was hostile. Luckily that boss quit a few months in.

[@TheGritherr]

oh I'm gonna pick up some useful info, I feel ya sister

[@taylorsteiner9273]

Wow what a great boss to have!

[@Kernnun]

I had\got probably some type of bipolar in my early teens but did not understand it at the time, but I developed a major drug problem and was in and out of using hard drugs for years at a time. I was working all this time to but lost and quit multiple jobs in my 20's. After I turned 30 the drugs had slowly made me more and more schizo aswell. At 32 I tried to OD on pills and this was my first major depression, and it lasted a year. I still kept going after this and working til I hit 37 when I had a second major depression hit, right after covid was "over". This time tho, I asked for help for the first time on anything in my life. And I am now in therapy and got some assisstance. I got my schizoaffective disorder comfirmed last December and I am now off the hard drugs, for the most part.. It took multiple psychiatrist to test me to find this out. As I have been struggeling with the voices,thoughts and mood swings all by my self, hiding it as best I could for 20 years as it was not easy to talk openly about. And I still struggle to explain what is going on at times. I am nowhere near my function since before my last major episode, and I get a cycle of about 3 monts of depression and then mania inbetween. The voices I can handle in the mania part, but in the depression part they are mean and ruthless. It's been years since I had any "normal" time as I always have some "static". I'll stop ranting now for those that got this far, but if you read this know your videos help me talk with others about my disorder. So thank you and anyone else who read this. =)

[@wavescrashing1489]

Very similar life story. It has been 18+ years since I last used drugs. Time and medication have helped me I hope it works for you as well.

[@Kernnun]

@@wavescrashing1489 Glad you found some peace. I am trying to find the route that leads there aswell. Thank you.

[@kinzhe83]

I'm thankful that not all bosses are like that Dave Harken dude from first Horrible bosses movie ;) Glad things worked out for you there :)

[@SchizoKitzo]

Thanks Kinzhe!

[@roberttravers7587]

Great video!😁

[@eco2geek.]

It may sound like common sense, but in my experience employers really, really hate it when you take time off from work and you don't communicate why, even if it's just a simple "Because I'm sick". I was away from work for about 2-1/2 months earlier this year due to a huge anxiety issue, and although I did call in sick every day, they wanted more information than that. Naturally I didn't want to talk to them because the thought of that made me even more anxious. I don't like my boss at all (he was part of the problem), but in hindsight I should have talked to HR about it. Point is, *communicate* with work if you have to take time off. It could make the difference between them keeping you or letting you go. (Luckily I wasn't fired.)

[@jayapowers]

Hi SK! Hope you don’t mind me saying, I have SZD too. Seriously, shameless plug as my “coming out”. I happen to have a channel too. So happy you shared!

[@jayapowers]

FYI, i'm not mentioning the channel, so you don't loose viewers.

[@SchizoKitzo]

The more people that talk about it the better. Awesomeness 😎

[@jayapowers]

@@SchizoKitzo Also, fyi, my channel is a math channel, hopefully not tmi, "A life worth living", so happy you mentioned that, still learning.

[@jilliank7297]

Right, and legally they cannot fire you or take away things

[@luisrivera3056]

"This is Kit your co-worker welcome to the channel" F'n hilarious.. Funny story I was put on Olanzapine without any doctor ever talking to me, nor did I have any written test, I was simply diagnosed by what my family told to police and doctors. I volunteered to stay 5 days at the psych ward but refused medication.. As the saying goes, "You can't choose family!".

[@ShadyPlatinum777]

I’ve spoken to work about my OCD but not my bipolar

[@SchizoKitzo]

You’re valid 💪

[@ShadyPlatinum777]

@@SchizoKitzothanks 👍

[@ushinattaGame]

You where not lying :D your video on the topic would come quite quickly ^^ Well, then I'm not talking to my boss, cause that person do not have any open mind at-all He is saying that depression is laziness , so yeah, my being dignosed with schizofrenia currently, will not be on any topic with work. To be honest, I'm in no contact with my family that I've cut brindge with and they don't know either. Only a friend and his wife, which are my only needed friends. So yeah, I will not talk about that, to anyone else at all.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Not every situation can make it work. I wish the world and its people were more understanding. And yes lol very quickly!!!

[@user-ih5en7zh9p]

much love to you you are doing great job

[@SchizoKitzo]

Thanks!

[@hollyhock.and.lavender]

Lmao, I needed to tell them because I was acting nuts. Unfortunately…I found I was not right for the job…3 times…at 3 jobs. Now I’m on disability.

[@BlackOpMercyGaming]

5:56 and now you know…. The rest of the story… good day? Idk if anybody will get that reference unless you’re over the age of 45 or had a conservative father that listened to AM radio on car rides

[@karablake9200]

Paul Harvey?

[@BlackOpMercyGaming]

@@karablake9200 aaayyyeeeeee _finger guns_ somebody has finally gotten the reference! I say it every time somebody say “the rest of the story”…. Nobody ever knows wtf I’m talking about! lol

[@LiamODonovan-l6e]

You are a very beautiful, intelligent woman, love you're intelligent videos

[@anthonyvaldez3009]

Hello I'm a scizophrenic an I feel scared I've been working many hours an now I'm on work leave an im not ready to go back to work how do u cope with this ???

[@royclevenger9817]

Thanks, Friend

[@SchizoKitzo]

Always welcome!

[@mjlove6574]

❤❤❤❤

[@kimlec3592]

I think we are all just human beings who have survived terrible things. If having a label & meds helps, then great. I think most people actually have complex trauma, but with varying symptoms. I just wonder how you remain so slim on zyprexa...it is notorious for causing weight gain. I guess everyone metabolizes drugs differently.

[@ullaskoglund9926]

💪❤

[@jaimegarza9562]

What's your job?

[@SeniorScriptKitty]

lol

[@graceraven3423]

This might sound a little Wild but I wonder if Zen Buddhism could help you

[@pingnick]

Wow well yeah having a KZbin channel obviously risks various people discovering!? Be careful with online activity everyone!!

[@bodybait]

My employer is very supportive . My forced hospitalization, left me a no show at work for 10 days once.