| Work plays an important role for a person | | | | Angeles, Calif. psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, |
| recovering from a mental illness. The | | | | and professor of psychiatry at UCLA Medical |
| workplace provides a social support system | | | | School, "Not only are friends and family |
| and the opportunity for people to regain | | | | members very capable of handling these crises |
| their sense of self-esteem, control and | | | | that 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 a | | | | people may not be experienced with mental |
| return to work is not possible, once on the | | | | illness, says Dr. Gorney, "They have had |
| path to recovery, many individuals can | | | | decades of experience trying to figure out |
| benefit tremendously from working again. A | | | | people's minds. Never undersell your own |
| supportive workplace can offer a sense of | | | | intuition and never ignore your own |
| stability that is otherwise hard to find. | | | | experience," he advises. |
| | | | |
| The reintegration of an employee into the | | | | Before you can help the situation, it helps |
| workplace after recovery again requires the | | | | to have a diagnosis. "In mental health," Dr. |
| employer's flexibility. Often the process has | | | | Gorney says, "the average person doesn't |
| to be gradual. The workload may have to | | | | realize that there are very specific |
| change temporarily and hours and days worked | | | | diagnoses for feeling terrible emotionally." |
| may have to be altered. Job sharing and | | | | What you do about your condition, or someone |
| people working with an emergency fill-in | | | | else's, depends on the diagnosis. "A |
| person are considerations depending on the | | | | generalized 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 understanding | | | | placed in by someone else," Dr. Gorney |
| | | | explains. |
| The benefits to the employer of | | | | |
| accommodating the return of an employee are | | | | While traumatic life changes, such as loss |
| many. They avoid the added costs of hiring a | | | | of a spouse, parent, job or health often |
| new employee, and training and raising him or | | | | trigger emotional emergencies, physical |
| her to d level of productivity comparable to | | | | illnesses may also precipitate them, says Dr. |
| that of an experienced worker. Overall morale | | | | Gorney. "Certain sudden anxiety experiences |
| will rise as employees see the care placed on | | | | may be due to physical causes, such as the |
| the individual, and coworkers share in the | | | | rare adrenal tumor," he says. In the case of |
| challenges faced by the returning staff | | | | sudden 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 always | | | | medical care to save them from a fatality. |
| benefit from breaking down the stigma | | | | Dr. Gorney advises restraining the individual |
| attached to mental illness in the workplace. | | | | and calling 911 for paramedics in these |
| Removing the barriers to education, open | | | | cases. Individuals who become suicidal or |
| discussion, flexibility and acceptance will | | | | show signs of acute onset depressive |
| ultimately allow those needing medical | | | | psychosis must also be restrained while |
| attention and social support to seek help and | | | | someone calls 911 for help. |
| receive it. | | | | |
| | | | In less dramatic emotional emergencies, such |
| Everyone knows when to go to the hospital in | | | | as when people experience modest depression |
| a physical emergency, but what are the | | | | or anxiety and/or start exhibiting changes in |
| warning signs of emotional emergencies? When | | | | diet, weight, sleep, job attendance, mood and |
| and how do we get help for these urgent | | | | behavior, individuals can seek a psychiatric |
| conditions? Most of us fear and/or dread | | | | referral from a primary care provider. "If |
| mental illness, so it's hardly surprising | | | | you're not getting referred," Dr. Gorney |
| that emotional emergency is a widely taboo | | | | says, "you have to push on it. Speak with |
| topic. This accounts for why many of us lack | | | | your care manager in the HMO or insurance |
| the insight and resources to deal with urgent | | | | person who can authorize that kind of a |
| emotional situations in our own lives, or in | | | | consultation." |
| the lives of our friends and families. | | | | |
| | | | Many health insurance plans fail to cover |
| It benefits all of us, however, to | | | | psychiatric referrals and some people lack |
| understand how we can respond to these | | | | insurance altogether, but low-cost resources |
| events, which can be just as life-threatening | | | | can be located via your local or state |
| as severe accidents or physical illnesses. | | | | psychiatric society. |
| According to Roderic Gorney, M.D., a Los | | | | |