I’ve been at a new job for a few months now. I’ve been generally good lately - able to stabilize my moods for the most part, no scratching/slapping myself, no tics, etc. 

But then suddenly, these behaviors have been slightly creeping back in lately (y’all know how it goes lol). 

So at my office, higher ups have enclosed offices, and everyone else (me included) is out in the open, and everyone walks by us and talks out here all day every day (it’s actually an awful setup, but that’s beside the point).

My boss is awesome. Wants to support everyone, wants to see people climb up, gives praise and credit, etc. Not many people have that and I’m thankful for it. 

As these behaviors/upset feelings have been coming back lately, I’ve been having quite a few moments where I just *can’t* be in this open space. I need a quiet private space to throw a pencil against the ground, be short, shake my head (helps relieve stress for me), etc.

So I went to my boss privately, and asked him if it would be ok if I sometimes checked out a laptop from our IT department and went to a separate part of the building to work quietly (it’s a huge building). I said I’d rather not discuss all of it, but that it was due to a condition I have that affects my moods and makes me suddenly anxious or, for one reason or another, unable to handle being around people all the time like I am at my regular desk, and that it would be very good if I could possibly remove myself from the area sometimes. I stressed that this would not affect my work performance or abilities.

He agreed, didn’t press for details, made sure it’d be plausible with IT, said that he wants to do anything to make me comfortable because they want to keep me with the company for as long as I’ll possibly stay, and that if any further issues arise to please let him know. 

He’s also had no attitude changes towards me. No weirdness, no hesitations, none of that (I’m sure most of you have experienced people distancing themselves from you after you disclose to them that you have some sort of issue, even if you don’t tell them it’s BPD).

I AM SO THANKFUL!!! Thankful for my awesome boss, thankful I work in a public sector job in a liberal state (so firing people for things like that when it doesn’t affect their work performance at all is very illegal), thankful I worked up the courage to actually say something. 

Win!!