Amazon’s ‘Modern Love’: Do’s and Don’ts When Managing Mental Illness at Work – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

In Amazons Modern Love, were introduced to Lexi (Anne Hathaway) and get a peek inside her personal life. Lexi struggles with balancing work, dating, and bipolar disorder. One area of her life that was negatively impacted by her diagnosis was her career. In this episode, we learn that Lexi has trouble keeping a job because shes often absent or late.

What are some dos and donts when it comes to managing mental health in the workplace? Showbiz Cheat Sheet chatted with Jacintha Carson, a licensed professional counselor at Think Happy Live Healthy, LLC, in Falls Church, Virginia. Heres what Carson shared.

Showbiz Cheat Sheet: Should you tell a new employeryou have a mental illness? Why or why not?

Jacintha Carson: It really depends on the nature of your job,and how your mental illness may affect your work, but Im a big believer inbeing honest about your needs and asking for help when needed. It can behelpful to give your employer a heads up if certain accommodations can help yoube successful at work, such as speech-to-text technology to help someone whohas ADHD stay on top of emails and writing, or a flexible schedule or evenremote work for someone who is suffering from depression and has difficultygetting out of bed early in the morning. Being open and honest about your needscan help you succeed at work and also help your employer and/or team understandyour strengths and challenges rather than making assumptions if they notice achange in your behavior.

CS: If you decide to disclose, when is the best timeto tell an employer?

JC: When disclosing to a new employer, it would probably be best to wait until after you have a clear offer and you have accepted.

CS: What are some dos and donts when it comes todisclosing a mental illness to an employer?

JC:

Dos:

Donts:

CS: What stepsshould you take so that your mental illness doesnt negatively impact your job?

JC: Have a plan of action for what to do if you feelthat your mental illness is impacting your work and have a discussion with yoursupervisor to discuss how you will proactively address any issues that may comeup. Also, make sure you are seeking any support necessary to manage your mentalillness such as individual and/or group therapy, medication management, and healthylifestyle habits such as healthy eating, sleep hygiene, an exercise routine,and social outlets outside of work. Always ask for help if you feel like youare struggling! You are not alone!

Read more: AmazonsModern Love: At What Point in a Relationship Should You Reveal MentalIllness?

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Amazon's 'Modern Love': Do's and Don'ts When Managing Mental Illness at Work - Showbiz Cheat Sheet