I've dealt with pretty bad mental illness for over half my life now. I've had to regularly be in therapy etc. for horrible thoughts and ideations since at least 2007. But for the past few years, I was in nothing. I got too busy at my job, and the medications did nothing all these years, and I wasn't getting much out of my then-counselor.

I was able to keep myself okay until now but it's getting extremely bad again. Even my co-workers are noticing changes in my behavior. I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't do something. I just got on an insurance plan again after not having one for a few years, and just made an appointment with a new nurse practitioner but it's not for another 3 weeks. Soonest I could get.

My boss and co-workers don't know about my mental illnesses. I live in the southern USA and they can be rather close-minded and such. I'm afraid to tell them.

We are also very short staffed, and I'm afraid they'll get really upset that I may need to schedule certain days off for my appointments and such.  

I don't want them prying with too many questions or judging me too much. What is the best way to tell them? I feel I have to, because they need to know that I won't always be available constantly like I used to force myself to be.