Different types of psychology


The Role Of Work In Recovery

Work plays an important role for a personAngeles, Calif. psychiatrist, psychoanalyst,
recovering from a mental illness. Theand professor of psychiatry at UCLA Medical
workplace provides a social support systemSchool, "Not only are friends and family
and the opportunity for people to regainmembers very capable of handling these crises
their sense of self-esteem, control andthat come along, but every once in a while,
self-worth.you run into someone who has a great
understanding of human nature." Although most
Although in some more severe instances apeople may not be experienced with mental
return to work is not possible, once on theillness, says Dr. Gorney, "They have had
path to recovery, many individuals candecades of experience trying to figure out
benefit tremendously from working again. Apeople's minds. Never undersell your own
supportive workplace can offer a sense ofintuition and never ignore your own
stability  that  is  otherwise hard to find.experience,"  he  advises.
The reintegration of an employee into theBefore you can help the situation, it helps
workplace after recovery again requires theto have a diagnosis. "In mental health," Dr.
employer's flexibility. Often the process hasGorney says, "the average person doesn't
to be gradual. The workload may have torealize that there are very specific
change temporarily and hours and days workeddiagnoses for feeling terrible emotionally."
may have to be altered. Job sharing andWhat you do about your condition, or someone
people working with an emergency fill-inelse's, depends on the diagnosis. "A
person are considerations depending on thegeneralized anxiety state could have a
individual's  and  employer's  needs.medical basis, a stress basis, or could be a
result of a conflict that the individual is
The  benefits  of  understandingplaced in by someone else," Dr. Gorney
explains.
The benefits to the employer of
accommodating the return of an employee areWhile traumatic life changes, such as loss
many. They avoid the added costs of hiring aof a spouse, parent, job or health often
new employee, and training and raising him ortrigger emotional emergencies, physical
her to d level of productivity comparable toillnesses may also precipitate them, says Dr.
that of an experienced worker. Overall moraleGorney. "Certain sudden anxiety experiences
will rise as employees see the care placed onmay be due to physical causes, such as the
the individual, and coworkers share in therare adrenal tumor," he says. In the case of
challenges faced by the returning staffsudden manic psychosis, such as when someone
member.with a very high fever is deluded and is
physically combative, they may need acute
Employers and employees alike will alwaysmedical care to save them from a fatality.
benefit from breaking down the stigmaDr. Gorney advises restraining the individual
attached to mental illness in the workplace.and calling 911 for paramedics in these
Removing the barriers to education, opencases. Individuals who become suicidal or
discussion, flexibility and acceptance willshow signs of acute onset depressive
ultimately allow those needing medicalpsychosis must also be restrained while
attention and social support to seek help andsomeone  calls  911  for  help.
receive  it.
In less dramatic emotional emergencies, such
Everyone knows when to go to the hospital inas when people experience modest depression
a physical emergency, but what are theor anxiety and/or start exhibiting changes in
warning signs of emotional emergencies? Whendiet, weight, sleep, job attendance, mood and
and how do we get help for these urgentbehavior, individuals can seek a psychiatric
conditions? Most of us fear and/or dreadreferral from a primary care provider. "If
mental illness, so it's hardly surprisingyou're not getting referred," Dr. Gorney
that emotional emergency is a widely taboosays, "you have to push on it. Speak with
topic. This accounts for why many of us lackyour care manager in the HMO or insurance
the insight and resources to deal with urgentperson who can authorize that kind of a
emotional situations in our own lives, or inconsultation."
the  lives  of  our  friends  and  families.
Many health insurance plans fail to cover
It benefits all of us, however, topsychiatric referrals and some people lack
understand how we can respond to theseinsurance altogether, but low-cost resources
events, which can be just as life-threateningcan be located via your local or state
as severe accidents or physical illnesses.psychiatric society.
According to Roderic Gorney, M.D., a Los



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