Addressing Mental Health In The Workplace

 

It is sad that in 2018, there is still a stigma about mental health. Countless people experience shame around discussing an issue like depression or anxiety when, in fact, they impact millions of Americans each year. Jobs, in particular, can be a touchy place when it comes to bringing up these conditions. Many fear they will be judged or even fired if they let on about about their emotional state. The truth of the matter is, these are natural human conditions that deserve to be addressed and respected by workplace superiors.

 

Recently, the website Refinery 29 brought this important topic up to its readers. Using real life examples of workers suffering from mental health conditions, it illustrated a major lack of understanding from the vantage point of corporate America.

 

Lindsay Johnson (who was interviewed for the piece) shared the challenges she faced as a sufferer of panic attacks and anxiety. At her unnamed tech company, she said she struggled to discuss remote time with her supervisors; a recommendation that came directly from her doctor. To many, her inability to focus and need to leave the premises appeared to be a “workplace cop out;” when it fact they were symptoms of a very real condition.

 

“My panic attacks can come out of nowhere,” Johnson explained on the site. “My confidence has definitely taken a hit as I can imagine others thinking I am ‘slacking off’ when I have to deal with my panic. I have missed work and worked from home more than others when things have gotten worse, which isn’t great for optics.”

 

The article goes on to point out that as much as 70 percent of corporate workplaces do not have mental health policies or were at least unaware of any. Jaime Klein, a senior corporate HR rep, also spoke to Refinery and corroborated the fact that many human resources employees are not properly trained in dealing with mental illness. Often times, these conditions can be confused for laziness or excuses, which can create even more anxiety for the employee who is suffering.

 

However, Klein did say that many people in her field are beginning to shift their attitudes. With that in mind, the hope is that future workplaces will become more accommodating to these types of conditions.

 

“People who suffer from mental illnesses are perfectly capable, they just need the support to thrive,” she concluded. “Mental health should be prioritized in the same ways that any other illness is. It should be okay to say, ‘Sorry, I have really bad anxiety today, can I work from home?’”

 

Depression Becoming More Common At Work

Truth be told, most people don’t enjoy going to work Monday through Friday. But if the daily grind is causing you real depression, then that is a reason to be concerned. According to a new article on the business site Inc.com; unhappiness on the job is becoming much more common, even leading to issues like suicide and addiction. We thought they did a great job of outlining some of these new concerns and wanted to share a few points below.

One interesting phenomenon to come out of the modern working world is the concept of telecommuting. Just two decades ago, the idea of doing a 9 to 5 from home was much more rare. But now (thanks to the internet), millions of Americans conduct business from their personal laptops. And while that idea certainly sounds exciting, it is also creating more isolation and loneliness. Believe it or not, losing that daily human interaction can create real feelings of depression and leads many people into deep despair.

Former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy discussed the topic at length with Inc and felt there were real causes for concern.

“New models of working — such as telecommuting and some on-demand ‘gig economy’ contracting arrangements — have created flexibility but often reduce the opportunities for in-person interaction and relationships,” he explained. “And even working at an office doesn’t guarantee meaningful connections: People sit in an office full of coworkers, even in open-plan workspaces, but everyone is staring at a computer or attending task-oriented meetings where opportunities to connect on a human level are scarce.”

The gig economy, as he mentioned above, is also a modern employment component that impacts emotional levels. Rather than having the stability of a corporate job, many Americans are forced to work odd hours, take lower wages and continuously “hustle” to get work. That not only adds a lot of stress to a person’s life, it also creates depression if basic needs are not being met.

And honestly, people in Corporate America are facing these issues too. Inc’s research showed that many office workers are despondent over controlling management and limited choices in their work environment. As the article writer put it, “losing control of one’s destiny is a hit to our basic fundamental needs and could have serious emotional repercussions.”

We certainly understand the stressors that modern life and the workplace can have. Just know that these feelings are shared and there are always to overcome them. If you feel depression or anxiety creeping into your daily life, please reach out and get the help you deserve.

  If you’ve been following our blogs, then you may recall our piece a few weeks back about films that are offering inspiration for addiction survivors. Well for every ying there is a yang, and this week there are a handful of movies being called out for just the opposite. Over on Netflix, two films in particular have been singled out for being insensitive about the topic of mental illness.   Interestingly, the two movies in question happen to be the most popular offerings on the platform right now. Bird Box stars Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and received roughly 45 million views over this holiday month. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (the other film in question) has been dominating social media as well, but both cover very dark subject matter.   Bird Box has been criticized for “demonizing” mental illness. The plot concerns invisible monsters who encourage victims to take their own lives. That alone is a very touchy subject and it has been said that the way these suicides are handled leave a lot to be desired. What’s worse though, is that people suffering from mental illness become the villains in this movie and actually contribute to the killings.   The website Popbuzz did an admirable job of summarizing the Twitter backlash (posted below).       Black Mirror isn’t faring much better with fans. The website The Mighty focused on that film, saying the plot features insensitive call outs to psychosis, delusions, paranoia and trauma (not to mention lots of blood and gore).   Though the Black Mirror backlash isn’t quite as intense as the Sandra Bullock movie, site writer Elizabeth Cassidy did mention that a warning should be issued before viewers click “Play.” And to her point…Despite the fact that these may be “trendy” films of the moment, you have every right to turn them away and encourage others to do the same.   “It’s OK to skip Bandersnatch if you’re sensitive to these topics,” Cassidy wrote. “Your health and safety are more important than the latest trendy show or movie. If you want to watch the movie but are concerned it might be too much, try watching it with someone you trust.”  
  If you’ve been following our blogs, then you may recall our piece a few weeks back about films that are offering inspiration for addiction survivors. Well for every ying there is a yang, and this week there are a handful of movies being called out for just the opposite. Over on Netflix, two films in particular have been singled out for being insensitive about the topic of mental illness.   Interestingly, the two movies in question happen to be the most popular offerings on the platform right now. Bird Box stars Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and received roughly 45 million views over this holiday month. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (the other film in question) has been dominating social media as well, but both cover very dark subject matter.   Bird Box has been criticized for “demonizing” mental illness. The plot concerns invisible monsters who encourage victims to take their own lives. That alone is a very touchy subject and it has been said that the way these suicides are handled leave a lot to be desired. What’s worse though, is that people suffering from mental illness become the villains in this movie and actually contribute to the killings.   The website Popbuzz did an admirable job of summarizing the Twitter backlash (posted below).       Black Mirror isn’t faring much better with fans. The website The Mighty focused on that film, saying the plot features insensitive call outs to psychosis, delusions, paranoia and trauma (not to mention lots of blood and gore).   Though the Black Mirror backlash isn’t quite as intense as the Sandra Bullock movie, site writer Elizabeth Cassidy did mention that a warning should be issued before viewers click “Play.” And to her point…Despite the fact that these may be “trendy” films of the moment, you have every right to turn them away and encourage others to do the same.   “It’s OK to skip Bandersnatch if you’re sensitive to these topics,” Cassidy wrote. “Your health and safety are more important than the latest trendy show or movie. If you want to watch the movie but are concerned it might be too much, try watching it with someone you trust.”