Mental Stigma In the Workplace

 

Mental health is an important aspect of overall wellbeing, and its impact can be felt in all aspects of my  life, including the workplace. Unfortunately, mental health stigma in the workplace is a common issue that can have serious consequences for employees and organizations as a whole.

 

The way I see mental health stigmas in the workplace is people avoiding me or thinking that I am making things up to get attention or lack of wanting to work with me as a person because they do not know when my mental issues may rear there ugly head! It is difficult to explain to someone when I am having a bad day or why I am having a bad day because most of the time I do not know.  I am just mentally absent and as my psychiatrist says it is okay not to be okay 

 

One of the main reasons for the Stigma of mental health is that many people around me just do not believe it exists. Only people locked up in a ward somewhere can't be productive people. the lack of respect that one gets when having a mental illness can make it even worse, not getting the help they need, or stopping all medical care if they are receiving it 

 

Another reason for  mental health stigma in the workplace is we are all afraid of what we do not know, this can come from varying degrees coworkers can make you feel unimportant. Managers will not assign you tasks because they do not think that you have the ability to do it. They could ask but again it is the fear of what we do not know that leads us to act the way we do sometimes which is not good in and of itself  

It is important to educate leaders and Employees about mental illness so it is not so feared and unknown, but the coworkers can be a help to the employee show empathy This will help the organization as a whole to function better and more cohesive  

When you encounter someone that is depressed do not just discount it, or any other mental illness do not make light of it it is a serious matter and one that can be life threatening. remember how you would want to be treated if you ended up with a mental or physical disease that no one thought could exist! compassion and empathy goes along way in helping someone! You could be that someone today for someone else!