Winston Churchill named his depression 'the black dog'; Hemingway referred to his as 'black ass'. I see mine as a really cute pet - puppy, even, that lies contended and docile for most of the time, but every so often, with no warning or indication, turns aggressive, savage and 'bitey', before settling back to sleep.
Everyone's depression is different, as we all have different make up. If this sounds obvious, I point it out because sometimes we place expectations on others based on our own experience; just because my peaks and troughs may be in someway similar to the person next to me, does not make them the same.
I wanted to write about depression and work as it occurred to me recently that they are seriously ill-matched bedfellows; like Trump and Hillary Clinton, if you will.
Masking as a way of working
Work is, effectively, a near-permanent state of masking. Whether you're a type-A career strategist, or a hard-nosed company-person or one of those super-helpful, ultra-positive types, we are rarely 'ourselves'. Again, obvious; this is what we do to separate our 'work' selves from our 'home' selves, to survive.
A square peg in a round hole
When depression hits and your own distinct brand surfaces, because it's pertinent to the individual, it can be hard for work colleagues to relate to, or even want to take the time to understand (if they are even aware). With all that exhausting masking and the hectic pace of balancing family, friends with long work hours, it's understandable for people to feel like they have enough troubles (or, if you're depressed, to perceive people as responding in this way).
Depression can make a person suffering feel particularly vulnerable, isolated and powerless. It doesn't fit with the fast-paced, results-driven, return-on-investment world of a typical 9-5 office job. Masking your depression can seem doubly exhausting. With everyone else seemingly busy dealing with their own problems, the workplace can become a specific source of anxiety for sufferers.
To turn that on its head, the NHS Choices site states that 'almost 50% of long-term absences from work are the result of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder'. So although those suffering may feel they are in a minority of one, chances are, someone just down the office has been through their own battle at one time or another.
Towards a solution
So what's the answer? There isn't one single solution, as, again, we're all different. However, one method that has worked well for me is training and support provided by the company as a way of working. I've had the benefit of working for two organisations that provide personal development training (assertiveness and leadership skills, for example) and additionally a counselling service. Not all businesses have the budget to incorporate this, but knowing you have support in place can be reassuring and perhaps even help manage symptoms when they arise, in some cases.
A challenge for businesses
My challenge would be for all businesses to think about how they might incorporate the provision of support into their existing structure. To those who may see this as pandering or mollycoddling, it makes sense from a business point of view; surely it's better to have a 'well' staff body, who feel supported by their workplace, than to have staff off sick, with temp cover having to be arranged and the workforce further stretched?
Having the right balance of support and continuing professional development would be a positive step in the right direction.
Resources
For more information on depression and mental-health awareness:
- Mind: http://www.mind.org.uk
- Time to Change: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
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