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Reading 3 min.
in collaboration with
Amélie Boukhobza (Clinical psychologist)
Mental health promises to be the national cause of 2025 in France. But what actually happens if you want to talk about a problem in your workplace? Is this a good idea or an unnecessary risk to take? We spoke about it with psychologist Amélie Boukhobza.
ADHD, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression… While we talk more and more publicly about these psychological disorders in the media, there remains a place where “saying it” is more perilous: in the world of work. Because the people affected (who aspire to nothing other than a good life at work) then find themselves faced with a dilemma: not talking about it to their employer, but risking sooner or later being overwhelmed and lacking in performance, or reveal their disorder, but take the risk of being stigmatized?
No obligation to talk about it in the law, but…
Let’s be precise: this question mainly comes down to knowing what to do “for yourself”, and your own well-being (especially if you are not recognized as a disabled worker). In French law, the overall state of health is a concept belonging to the personal sphere of the employee. In fact, you don’t havethe obligation” to discuss a mental illness or disorder with your employer. Occupational medicine, for its part, is subject to professional secrecy.
Furthermore, according to the labor code, your employer for his part, “sees itself obliged to ensure the physical and mental health of its employees and to take the necessary measures to ensure safety and protect the physical and mental health of workers. In this case, whether you decide to talk about it or not shouldn’t be a problem.
And yet, there are still many testimonies of fears or complaints from employees on the networks, who deplore a change in attitude or responsibility towards them, since they opened up on the subject.
“If the psychological disorder begins to impact our daily professional lives, it may be tempting to talk about it to relieve the pressure,” recognizes Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist. “Obtaining accommodations, being better understood on a daily basis, these are advantages that can help, it’s true. But the decision is not simple: the fear of judgment, the fear of being stigmatized, or even the idea of being perceived differently remain very real obstacles.”
Talk about it…when the framework allows it, and in the right way
So should we give up? That would be a shame. Opening up about your psychological disorder often allows you to make adjustments and changes, which can make your work more effective and free you from a certain daily pressure.
However, if we decide to take the plunge, for our own mental health, “the ideal is to ensure a few small points”, evokes the psychologist:
- Feel that we are in an environment of trust;
- That the team or manager is caring;
- That the information will be received without judgment in your company.
“That seems essential to me! We are talking about something personal and sensitive, so if the context is not favorable, the risk of feeling more exposed than relieved can quickly arise.”
Stay factual and put the professional forward
Finally, if trust is established and you have found the right person, go ahead and open up about your difficulties. But our expert advises not to get lost in the private details. “In my opinion, it is always better to remain factual and get to the point. Share what is strictly necessary for daily professional life, without going into too intimate details or expanding further. This is not the place!” This can, for example, be mentioned very officially during an annual interview.
Sometimes, a few well-chosen words are enough and allow you to set your limits and express your needs, without having to say too much. “For example, we can mention schedule or teleworking arrangements that would be beneficial to us, while specifying that this is for the sake of efficiency.”
The key for Amélie Boukhobza? “Stay in control of what you want to share, and only do it in a context that really lends itself to it.”