Your cries for help shouldn't involve actual crying.
Mental illness is very in right now. Blame the recession, blame low rise jeans coming back, whatever-- everyone's brains are bad. But just because it's trendy to have a therapist now and casually make mentions of your anxiety/depression/obsessive tendencies/mental illness du jour, it doesn't mean that YOUR specific type of pathology is in. Sharing is in, symptoms are not.
Think about it. Saying "ugh my anxiety has been so bad lately" is a bonding ritual in the office, a statement to let your coworkers know that hey, you dread phone calls too. But following up twice to an ignored email can be seen as passive aggressive; being earlier than everyone and checking in a little too often is being a tryhard; looking sleep deprived and over-caffeinated is a bright red flag. Showing up to work with greasy hair because you could only spend effort on either showing up or shampooing is a total faux pas. Taking a mental health day equals first degree murder.
You can have mental illness, just don't do mental illness.
All forms of mental conditions are valid, but them being valid doesn't mean you won't be judged for them. I've accepted it-- after all, I judge others on arbitrary things like "vibes" and "saying 'hola' to waiters." I walk a tightrope of appearing open and vulnerable while being overly guarded because I work in a relatively socially-aware yet still highly competitive industry where it's commonplace to speak on your therapy and neuroses, but if my situation were to affect my output in any way then I might as well become Avengers snap dust.
Thankfully, I'm here to show you how to be just mentally ill enough to be relatable and chic, and yet not so much that you scare the powers that be. When in doubt: tell, don't show.
IN: Mental illness workbooks
OUT: Bouncy legs
IN: Attributing poor time management skills to mental illness
OUT: Being able to step away for a doctor's appointment
IN: Cutting things like oil, lotion, bananas etc. out due to hormonal imbalances
OUT: Medication side effects
IN: Saying "ugh I'm having a panic attack about that"
OUT: Having a panic attack
IN: Being afraid of crowds
OUT: Not having a big social circle
IN: Doomscrolling
OUT: Doing arts and crafts for wellness (It's out if you suck at it. If you're good at it, monetizing is in!)
IN: Gratitude
OUT: Childhood trauma
IN: "Creative people have this" illnesses like anxiety and ADHD
OUT: "Poor people without adequate access to quality mental healthcare have this" illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Now you know how to embody mental illness chic. See you at work and don't be weird!
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