I agree with everything you're saying. I think you summarized it very well with > I suppose you could shorten it to "I need a sick day" if knowing any more in

I agree with everything you're saying. I think you summarized it very well with > I suppose you could shorten it to "I need a sick day" if knowing any more information is too much It's not at all unreasonable to say you need a couple of days off and say it's for personal reasons, and leave it at that. By providing personal information that's going to make other people see you in a lesser light, you're shooting yourself in the foot. You can muse all you want about society being more accepting of this that and the other - the time and place you do and say things matters. A lot! When you're in a position of power - go ahead and make people under you feel safe to talk about mental health etc. Don't assume other people are interested in accommodating your needs when you're a relatively replaceable employee.