I used to think I'd readily offer up the information, but I no longer feel that way after what I experienced. I spent over 13 years working at a residential vocational rehab facility, a space where you'd think if anyone would understand and show compassion over ANY diagnosis, they certainly would.
However, I wasn't professionally diagnosed with anything until after speaking up about multiple unethical happenings I'd been witness to, about 9 years into my employment, in which I'd been given great feedback for until I spoke out, and they "compassionately" directed me to a counselor via the Employee Assistance Program, for, in their words, "To help get one of our key employees back on track because there's obviously an underlying issue going on". Yes, I'd been struggling with various things and self-medicating in various ways my whole life, which had been working for me well enough, but had never sought professional help up until that point.
I very openly shared with each professional I was directed to of the sexual abuse that had happened to me as a child and teenager, along with the years of multiple violent domestic abuse partners after that, but not one of them ever acknowledged or discussed a PTSD diagnosis. They would continually diagnose and (over) medicate me for what they called severe depression, severe anxiety, severe, adhd, and some kind of personality disorder that they just couldn't quite figure out. I asked if that meant I'd be getting one named after me, or what. But they never pursued it any further. Each attempt at finding help was bizarre and complicated, to say the least.
Long story short, they made things much worse than they'd ever been and my overall health rapidly declined in all arenas. I eventually had to choose my health or my job. I resigned five years ago and still haven't returned to f/t employment. I am very luckily married and have that added support to help get me through, along with p/t gigs and bartering. Once they knew of the multiple diagnoses and my attempts to try medication as a means to manage my symptoms, they seemed less and less accommodating and/or compassionate. It felt like I was surrounded by a bunch of administrative bullies who were finding pleasure in placing even more overbearing obstacles in my path at the time.
What I do now is just tell folks I simply need things a certain way to jive with how my brain or body works, if it doesn't already. I don't offer up any labels or language other than, this is me and this is how I need things to be to be my best version of self to better serve you. I can see where it could get more complicated in more structured and less forgiving environments, perhaps, but it works well to serve my current purposes.
I can't say that I'll feel comfortable ever again approaching a state owned facility for any purpose, most especially employment, thanks to the s*** show I observed and experienced behind the scenes at that particular one. I'm sure a part of that could very well be because of residual ptsd, but a larger part of it is simply the reality of a very broken and sick system. I say don't share unless it's an absolute must, and even then, proceed with great caution. It's a jungle out there, even in the supposed safe spaces.
