What even is a disability?
In the UK the 2010 Equality Act states a disability is
where "long term" means over 12 months and "substantial" means more than trivial.
You are not alone
World Health Organisation https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
From this it is clear to see causes of disability extend far beyond physical conditions. Many do not recognise depression as a disability despite it being the leading cause of disability.
Stigma does exist and we need to address it
How society sees mental illness needs to change. Mental illness affects everyone differently. Sweeping generalisations and stereotypes only serve to create divisions, they do not help anyone. The best way to overcome these divisions is to appreciate people as individuals and not to make assumptions. In the same way people with a certain physical disability may approach their disability differently to others, the same is true with psychiatric disabilities.
Mind the gap
Some people's mental health conditions can be too debilitating for any form of employment for a period of time, however there is a long way employers can go to make workplaces more accessible for those with mental illnesses who are able to work.
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Misconceptions are a massive issue. In order for a job to be suitable and sustainable for you you may require reasonable adjustments but employers may immediately dismiss your application based on your request, with half of businesses in a recent YouGov survey saying it is "easier to recruit a non-disabled person over a disabled person". That attitude fails to take into account the benefits of hiring someone with a disability, the resilience you develop as a result of a disability is often immeasurable. This opinion also fails to appreciate each person with a disability is an individual. We as a society have a long way to go and unfortunately it is very clear that discrimination still exists.
Changing attitudes pays
Those with mental illnesses clearly contribute so much and should have fair and equal access to employment as they have a lot to offer. However we still have a long way to go, ACAS reported the cost of mental ill health to UK employers each year is estimated to be between £33 billion and £42 billion. Whilst we can't completely eradicate this cost a change in attitudes would really go a long way in reducing it. If more people felt able to disclose their disabilities without being discriminated against and employers acted upon the reasonable adjustments employees requested, it would massively help employees perform to the best of their abilities.
Your country needs you
Whether society likes it or not, it can not function without those who suffer from mental illness contributing to it, with the Department of Health and the Confederation of British Industry producing the statistic below:
We need change
Society needs to start recognising mental health conditions as disabilities. From there people can develop an understanding of how a long term mental health condition does not define someone but may need they need additional support.
How do we get change?
Awareness is key. Many people simply aren't aware this is a pressing issue for many. Whilst mental health is coming to the forefront of public focus, most of the support and understanding on offer focuses on those with short term mental illnesses. Mental health is a very personal topic and unfortunately not everyone is able to be open about their struggles. However you are not alone, we need to focus on the facts and educate others in order to gain recognition and end the stigma