Depression as a Working Diagnosis

I use this term, working diagnosis, to share with you what it is like for me to face work life with a long-term diagnosis of major depressive disorder. I discussed in a post recently, Depression Disclosure, the topic of sharing your diagnosis in a public way and in your work environment. Specifically, while you are in pursuit of work, it can be a frightful experience to know that issues like these could effect your ability to obtain employment.

Because I share my diagnosis of major depressive disorder and long-term experience with depression in a public way by blogging and utilizing other forms of social media, there is simply no hiding the fact that this is a part of my life. In today's world, your prospective employers "google" you, read your tweets and facebook status updates when they are considering you as a potential employee, and I was well aware of this when I began my search.

Not all people have been as fortunate as I have, many have shared their experience with me of discrimination and stigma, as well as other negative effects of sharing their mental health diagnosis publicly. I am here to tell you that there is a flip-side, a positive side, where one can be accepted and valued even with the challenges of a mental health issue. It is possible, although admittedly not all too prevalent.

Working with Your Depression

The words "working diagnosis" have some other meanings to me as well. Not only am I finding I am able to work while being diagnosed with major depressive disorder, but I am also able to work with the diagnosis itself. I work with it in new ways all of the time. I work with the way I understand it's impact on my life, as a mother, employee, friend and in intimate relationships. I work with the way it will continue to impact my life and how I can live better, stronger and more fully. I see the negative impacts it can have and I see the positive impacts of being flexible, kind to myself and understanding of my limitations. I also work with the relatively new concept, to me, that I can have a future of limitless potential even if I carry with me this depression diagnosis.

My Working Relationship with Major Depression

It's a working relationship that we have, depression and I. We are more cohesive now, it's less of a battle. Instead of a constant tug of war, when it seems to pull me one way, I can lean into it a little, gather my strength and then work my way back the other direction. I don't have to pull and fight constantly. I can live more gently and, more often than not, take depression in the direction I want to go. When it takes me by surprise or has a negative impact, I can accept it, see it for what it is, and then learn my way back, working with it to understand myself better and become stronger than before.

I am so grateful that my new place of employment found that even with my challenges and my passion to share the experience of living with an illness such as depression, I am of value to them. The truth is, each of us is just as valuable as another, whether we are working with depression or in the midst of the hard fight. We may be at varied levels of ability to work professionally, but there is always the ability to work with depression.