Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

47,612Members
1,358,869Posts
1,400,000Visitors

Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

_PixieSolstice_Senior Contributor20 July 2023, 7:02 pm AEST

Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

Great conversation with my job service provider today, really.

can’t remember how we got on the subject, but she was reading my file and how Centrelink only have listed for my disabilities my chronic health condition (POTS - it’s a different clusterfuck all together lol) and anxiety.

I laughed and was like ah that’s definitely not all, I’ve got like autism and bipolar..to which she almost instantly replied with “I need to ask for safety reasons, are you medicated?”

the lion the witch the audacity of this bitch. She could have worded that a lot nicer/less blunt.

just, wow. It’s 2023 and there’s still so much stigma behind all this shit

3 replies

1 - 3 of 3

In response to: Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

chibamSenior Contributor20 July 2023, 8:51 pm AEST

Re: Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

If there's one thing I've learned, @_PixieSolstice_ , it doesn't matter who you are or what demographic boxes you tick, there'll never be any shortage of places where you aren't really welcome.

I'm sorry to hear about your difficult conversation today, though. It hurts, doesn't it, to get those in-your-face reminders of people not liking us?

Just out of curiousity, how would you have prefered her to ask you about being on medication? Or was it not so much the words, but the tone of voice/body language that made the question so offensive?

In response to: Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

outlanderSenior Contributor20 July 2023, 9:36 pm AEST

Re: Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

@_PixieSolstice_

sorry you were approached that way. many work places will ask if your heavily medicated though or if your health conditons both physical and mental are well managed with medications

In response to: Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

Jo-anneJoySenior Contributor21 July 2023, 2:54 pm AEST

Re: Gotta love the stigma about mental illnesses YEESH!

Hmm....she needs to ask for "safety reasons". That's very vague and sounds like bs to me. Is it outlined in your Job Plan that this type of question is allowed and under what circumstances?

This would be a Disability Employment Services provider?

I would be double-checking with CRRS as to where there is a document that outlines

what questions can and cannot be asked and what your rights are.

Keep the non-medically qualified people in their lane.

1 - 3 of 3