Mental Health for the Public
Mental illness is a hot topic these days, as people have been more open to understanding and accepting the many types of mental illness that may be silently affecting people they know. I recently read an article with examples of sufferers being shamed by others around them. It was very interesting to me. I think the examples give readers who don't suffer from these conditions a more concrete way to understand, and therefore be compassionate, to others by stepping into their shoes.
I have never suffered from a diagnosable mental illness, although I can attest to the fact that large hormonal changes in the body (I'm looking at you, pregnancy) can really mess with your moods. Couple that with big life changes, and anyone can experience a roller coaster of mental stability. That being said, I cannot fully understand the difficulties someone who struggles with this every day faces.
Several of the examples were straightforward bullying and exclusion. Some, however, were more subtle. It also brought to light how an employer should/would/could deal with mental health in their day to day operations. Of course all employers strive to be equitable and fair with their employees; to be supportive and understanding. They also expect that employees will successfully fulfill their job obligations. That is where the gray area starts - if one employee requires time off and others don't - at what point does it become unfair? If a person's mental health is creating issues in their ability to do their work - does compassion win out, or the desire to see the business moving along smoothly? From a human standpoint, we would like to think that supporting people is always the answer, but from a business perspective, sometimes it can't be.
I think there is a lot of work to be done to understand how to strike a balance. Undoubtably, these two things cannot always be in harmony. In some cases, with some diagnoses, is there a genuine concern for the type of work being done? This could be in the case of childcare, elder care, dealing with dangerous materials, etc. When a tragedy happens, commentators are quick to profile someones mental health and call for regulations against people who are potential threats to themselves, or others. Would regulations even help? How can we help potentially unstable people perform to the best of their ability without letting times of instability negatively affect our workplaces, customers, colleagues, etc?
I think in 99% of cases, people are genuinely trying to get better so they can move on to living happy, productive, fulfilling lives. As society, business owners, community members and family, our job is to be compassionate and empathetic - but also to do so in an organized and productive way, to support not only sufferers, but all members of our community.
When I was in early middle school my best friend was diagnosed with depression. To be honest, I didn't like being around her anymore. She said scary things, refused to have fun and I only went over to hang out with her because I was scared if I didn't it would get worse. In addition to treating the people suffering from depression and other diseases, more light needs to be shed on how the people around them can help. I truly do think that my presence helped her, but at 11 years old I was overwhelmed by the magnitude and strength of her dark emotions. This was in the beginning stages of Prozac, and thankfully, the treatment helped her. We are not in touch anymore but this early example shaped a lot of my views on mental health and how much it can affect one person, and everyone around them.
The conversation around this topic must continue. People must feel comfortable getting the best diagnoses and medications available. Their families and communities must learn how to best support the sufferers. Employers must learn best practices to balance compassion and fairness, while moving their businesses forward and keeping their clients safe and happy. Society has some work to do!
Thoughts for the day....
I have never suffered from a diagnosable mental illness, although I can attest to the fact that large hormonal changes in the body (I'm looking at you, pregnancy) can really mess with your moods. Couple that with big life changes, and anyone can experience a roller coaster of mental stability. That being said, I cannot fully understand the difficulties someone who struggles with this every day faces.
Several of the examples were straightforward bullying and exclusion. Some, however, were more subtle. It also brought to light how an employer should/would/could deal with mental health in their day to day operations. Of course all employers strive to be equitable and fair with their employees; to be supportive and understanding. They also expect that employees will successfully fulfill their job obligations. That is where the gray area starts - if one employee requires time off and others don't - at what point does it become unfair? If a person's mental health is creating issues in their ability to do their work - does compassion win out, or the desire to see the business moving along smoothly? From a human standpoint, we would like to think that supporting people is always the answer, but from a business perspective, sometimes it can't be.
I think there is a lot of work to be done to understand how to strike a balance. Undoubtably, these two things cannot always be in harmony. In some cases, with some diagnoses, is there a genuine concern for the type of work being done? This could be in the case of childcare, elder care, dealing with dangerous materials, etc. When a tragedy happens, commentators are quick to profile someones mental health and call for regulations against people who are potential threats to themselves, or others. Would regulations even help? How can we help potentially unstable people perform to the best of their ability without letting times of instability negatively affect our workplaces, customers, colleagues, etc?
I think in 99% of cases, people are genuinely trying to get better so they can move on to living happy, productive, fulfilling lives. As society, business owners, community members and family, our job is to be compassionate and empathetic - but also to do so in an organized and productive way, to support not only sufferers, but all members of our community.
When I was in early middle school my best friend was diagnosed with depression. To be honest, I didn't like being around her anymore. She said scary things, refused to have fun and I only went over to hang out with her because I was scared if I didn't it would get worse. In addition to treating the people suffering from depression and other diseases, more light needs to be shed on how the people around them can help. I truly do think that my presence helped her, but at 11 years old I was overwhelmed by the magnitude and strength of her dark emotions. This was in the beginning stages of Prozac, and thankfully, the treatment helped her. We are not in touch anymore but this early example shaped a lot of my views on mental health and how much it can affect one person, and everyone around them.
The conversation around this topic must continue. People must feel comfortable getting the best diagnoses and medications available. Their families and communities must learn how to best support the sufferers. Employers must learn best practices to balance compassion and fairness, while moving their businesses forward and keeping their clients safe and happy. Society has some work to do!
Thoughts for the day....
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