Today I want to talk a bit about the work my business continuously aims to accomplish and it's on the subject which holds me curious, fascinated and intrigued every day of my working life...
Mental illness - cause and effect...
When we think it terms of stress, we think of it as being man made and that's very true - as successful human beings we are ultimately the victims of our own success - we put pressure on ourselves in our daily existence - we strive to be something we're not most of the time and this is usually down to media pressure, after all one in four of us will be effected at one point in our lives - that's an awful lot of us, yet how do we deal with that when it is in our faces, quite literally every day of our lives? We are confronted with images on television and in magazines of rich, beautiful people and are subconsciously delivered the message that we are literally nothing if we are not these two significant elements.
There are a fast growing number of websites and journals appearing on the Internet regarding our stressful lives and how best to deal with them. Many of these sites will try and make money out of those who seek help. Unfortunately they usually end up asking the seeker for money in order to obtain a "manual" on how to cope with stress. We buy, as we're often told - on our emotions towards a product or a service and some people play on that idea. They are, most probably, scams although there are one or two genuine help sites which do make a difference - I just personally, haven't come across them yet...
What we do need to do is one of two things first - educate ourselves on how stress occurs and prevent it in future. It doesn't matter which way around, but what we don't need is another long list of breathing techniques - that never got anyone out of a clinic and it won't now...
According to the Health and Safety Executive website, there is a distinct difference between stress and mental health problems and this is outlined clearly on the first page. Firstly we need to define what stress is. We have already understood that it is a man made subject - we create stressful environments for ourselves and each other. Stress is something we can do something about. We inflict it on each other and ourselves both intentionally and unintentionally. It is literally something we feel as a reaction to a person/people or situation.
A mental illness is something complete different, although they are, more often than not, mixed up. The general feelings of stress and mental health problems are very similar. One can feel as though they want to sleep often, they might feel like crying and loose their appetite almost altogether.
We all have a level of stress which we are fairly familiar with. Not everyone on the planet is immune to stress. We all have our breaking point, yet if there is an underlying mental health issue, the a stressful environment will only add to that. This does not mean that bosses need to scrutinise every applicant that comes through the door for an interview for a hidden mental illness, it just means that employers need to be aware of the level of stress which he or she is, in turn, putting upon the employee.
I had myself significant points in my employee career where I had been under elements of stress at work. I did not think at the time that there could be any underlying problem but I understand now that if I had subjected myself to any further stress, there would have been a permanent damaging effect. As it was, I got out in what I would term as "just in time" and sort a future soon after to help others.
I am all for the employee. In having experience of a bully boss, your whole perception of life changes. If it was only a simple matter of leaving work at 5pm and forgetting about the day on the way home, it turns into a clock counting nightmare in which all you do is count the hours til 9am the following morning. I decided to tech myself more about mental health problems and the way they effect us at work. As we can all appreciate - victims or not, the stress at work thing has a serious knock on effect - we go home not to comfort but more often than not - resentment and guilt that we are possibly not handling it better ourselves in the office...
What could be seen as a simple case of pressure in the workplace - can actually be something on a deeper level.
This article today is not to scaremonger - far from it, but the nature of my business now is to educate and make aware. If we learn to prevent mental health illnesses, we can in turn combat the effect and causes of stress in the workplace.
As stated in the HSE website:
"Organisations can manage and prevent stress by improving conditions at work. Doctors usually treat common mental health problems by prescribing medication. However, you and your managers have a role in making adjustments and helping the person to manage the problem at work...."
As Dr Frasier Crane would say, "Goodnight and good mental health..."
Michelle Duffy 2009
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