Despite
all the hate that Cosmo magazine receives for its trashy articles and
ridiculous sex tips, I have to admit that it's always been a favorite
guilty pleasure of mine. Sure, some things they suggest are a bit
out there, but in recent years Cosmo has started publishing more
articles on things like health, careers, and world issues. After
reading through the September issue, however, I'm a little dismayed
at a a piece of “advice” they printed.
In
a career-focused article about how to “Stay Cool When Life's a
Mess”, one issue discussed was what to do if you have an eating
disorder or addiction and need to get treatment for it:
“Don't tell your
boss. If your workplace offers an anonymous wellness program, use
it. If you need to go into treatment, say that you're going on
vacation.”
As someone who has
recently had to come clean to her boss about having an eating
disorder and needing some time off to get professional help, my first
thought was how ridiculous this suggestion was. How much time does
the average workplace allow as vacation time? As a relatively new
employee, I'm guessing two weeks would be the longest period of time
I'd be given in one chunk. And that's not gonna cut it for “fixing”
the issue.
I've been dealing with an
eating disorder for over ten years, and I'm about three months into
the recovery journey. Psychologists, dietitians, and group therapy
are all part of the process, but so is time. I still have a
long way to go before I'll consider myself all better. Two weeks is
definitely not enough to take care of an eating disorder, and to
suggest that you could pass off entering treatment as a vacation is
laughable.
After rolling my eyes at
the impracticality of Cosmo's advice, I gave it more thought, and
actually became really annoyed. In past Cosmo articles, and in
today's society in general, it's been a goal to raise awareness and
stop the stereotypes about mental illness. But by saying that an
eating disorder is something to keep hidden, they're really just
perpetuating the stigma attached to it. Mental illness is real, and
it's definitely not a thing to be ashamed, or secretive, of.
I'll get criticized for
using the cancer comparison, but the facts of the matter are there:
both cancers and eating disorders can kill. But how people perceive
them, and treat the two issues, are totally different and unfair. A
person diagnosed with cancer and having to undergo chemo would never
be told to lie to their boss about needing to go get help. In just
about all situations, it would be completely understood that they
needed medical help, so they'd be off work in order to receive it.
So why is it okay to tell an anorexic to cover up their health
concerns with the ruse of “going on vacation”? In both cases,
medical treatment is necessary, and there really shouldn't be a
reason to keep secrets or disguise the issue.
In my experience, I've
been open and honest with everyone I know about having an eating
disorder and finally seeking treatment for it. And so far I've been
met with nothing but compassion and encouragement to get better.
Even at my job, it's been no issue to get time off in order to attend
appointments and therapy, and everyone knows what's going on. So I'm
very disappointed in Cosmo's advice to do the opposite and keep
quiet.
What do you think; should
it be the norm to keep mental illness under wraps in the workplace?
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