Support at work can feel like giving up

The dilemma your manager doesn’t even see… epilepsy is just one of many conditions where you have good days and you have bad days.

Not just from a symptom perspective, but from a mental and emotional one too.

Some days you feel confident enough to ask for the support you need.

Other days you’re frustrated that you can’t do something that would be easy for others, or that you have to ask for an accommodation.

This post is to the managers and employers who can’t see or experience that feeling first hand.

Employees need empathy and support everyday, not just on the hard ones.

But that support can and will look different.

I spent 15 years trying to prove that my epilepsy won’t hold me back.

But sometimes, your body can force you to adapt.

Living with a chronic illness at work means you wrestle with: “I want to achieve more” and “I need more support” the difficult part isn’t just asking for support.

It’s wanting support without people underestimating you.

Acceptance “I need to adapt my work, but I don’t want to be seen as less capable” breaks, changing plans, travelling less, time off for appointments...

Needing support doesn’t mean you’ve stopped being ambitious.

Grief “my health has changed, but my goals haven’t” different energy levels, reduced confidence, lost opportunities, and what you used to do without thinking you can grieve the change but still be committed to your future.

Resistance “I don’t want my career to be controlled by this condition” sometimes you push through even when you know you’ll burn out because you want to prove you can handle it asking for support isn’t losing control, it’s the way to gain it.

The message for your manager: My health can be inconsistent, so my needs can change.

But my commitment hasn’t.

So your support should be as consistent.