Workplace accommodations for mood-episode conditions are more common, and often simpler, than people expect. Here is what they typically look like.
Disclosure is your choice
In most places, you are not required to disclose a mental health diagnosis to your employer. Requesting a formal accommodation usually does require sharing enough information for the employer to understand the need, but that's generally less than a full diagnosis, and can often be handled through occupational health rather than a line manager directly.
Common accommodations
Flexible start times to accommodate sleep needs, the option to work from home during a difficult stretch, temporarily adjusted workload during a treatment change, and a clear, low-friction process for requesting short leave when needed. None of these require an employer to lower performance expectations, they're about adjusting how work gets done, not how much.
What "reasonable" means
What counts as a reasonable accommodation depends heavily on local employment law, in many countries an employer needs to show genuine hardship before refusing a reasonable request, but the specific standard and process vary a lot by jurisdiction. It's worth checking your specific country or state's rules, or speaking with an employment rights organisation, before assuming what will or won't be granted.
Building the request
A specific, written request (what you need, roughly how long, and how it helps you do your job) tends to go further than a general conversation about struggling. Occupational health services, where available, can often help translate a diagnosis or symptom pattern into a concrete accommodation request on your behalf.