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Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

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Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#291

Post by cbtacy »

wu-ikkyu wrote: post #62
calafrax wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Medically speaking a mental illness is no different than a physical illness. Mental illness does not have to be severe just as physical illness does not have to be severe. Sick leave policies typically only require a doctors note/visit if you are absent for multiple days. Taking a single day off for mild mental illness, something like elevated stress levels causing anxiety that interrupts your sleep, seems perfectly…

>Medically speaking a mental illness is no different than a physical illness. I am a proponent of taking time off for mental health, but I have to nitpick here. Medically speaking, physical illness is different from mental illness. One is diagnosed from objective scientific tests (pathology) while the other is not.

wow. ummm... yeah, that's straight mythology. you should read up on brain scans before spreading old falsehoods.

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#292

Post by id_rsa »

profpandit wrote: post #289

Well, mental health has always been and will continue to be an issue that needs to be addressed in the workplace. This is because the workplace now is at least half composed of programming related tasks. Programming is such a mentally tasking task due to the need to get everything just right to get your computer to do what you want with it, that the fallout from it could be compared to a hangover. Your mental faculti…

I agree with what you are saying. I am having trouble finding tasks that rejuvenate my mental facilities. What works for you?

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#293

Post by Jaruzel »

nf05papsjfVbc wrote: post #273
Jaruzel wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did exactly the same when I was in therapy the time before last. The only person who knew where I actually was, was my Manager (and I guess HR as well) - but my team (peers and subordinates) didn't know. I felt at the time this was the correct way to handle it. Third time around in therapy (last year), I decided to be very open about my mental health, and the steps I was taking to help myself. So my emails became '…

Might I ask if the using the word 'crazy' at the end was a conscious choice? I do not wish to pry or pose a rhetorical question. I'm curious only because from the rest of the email you seem to be speaking in a dispassionate manner about the situation but that bit stood out as being different. I could be way off the mark of course. I intend no disrespect or ill-will of any kind. I understand if you just say "None of y…

Nah, it's fine :)

'Crazy' is how I view myself. It helps me accept my broken brain, and more importantly, makes it easier to stay on the meds. Without the meds, I'm into serious depression and anxiety territory. It's no fun being there, so better to call myself Crazy. It is what it is. Also, I use self depreciating humour as defence mechanism. People I know personally don't like it when I call myself Crazy though, not sure why.

One day I do intend to get an 'I AM crazy, the doctor had me tested.' t-shirt. (see what I did there?)

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#294

Post by partisan »

nf05papsjfVbc wrote: post #271
partisan wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked for an employer who had a large percentage of union employees. All employees were held to the same rules and as a result, you could only be out sick twice in one year. The third time meant you were written up. If you were out more than a day, you had to have a doctor's note. I had a procedure done and was so terrified about the rules, I went to work. The pain was unbearable and they sent me to the on-site do…

I'm sorry you had to go through this. I do hope you are in better health now and don't have to endure this kind of an atmosphere again. Good luck mate!

Thank you for the kind words!

I am happy to report I left that position after 13 months, but consider the plight of the skilled tradesmen who work under those conditions and do physical labor. I was just sitting at a desk programming.

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#295

Post by wu-ikkyu »

cbtacy wrote: post #291
wu-ikkyu wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Medically speaking a mental illness is no different than a physical illness. I am a proponent of taking time off for mental health, but I have to nitpick here. Medically speaking, physical illness is different from mental illness. One is diagnosed from objective scientific tests (pathology) while the other is not.

wow. ummm... yeah, that's straight mythology. you should read up on brain scans before spreading old falsehoods.

>Given how much we've learned about the role of the brain in mental illness, many people are surprised to learn that we can't know what psychiatric diagnosis a person has—or even if the person has any diagnosis—by examining that person's brain.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-brain-scans-d...

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#296

Post by titanomachy »

Asooka wrote: post #61
steven777400 wrote: post #5

Great article. A few years ago (at a previous job) I took a sick day for "sanity", but told them I wasn't feeling well. I felt guilty about doing it. I think part of it is the association of sick leave with externally visible medical issues, and the corresponding "straightforward" medical verification. In other words, if you have a temperature or are vomiting, that's obvious. Many infections or physical injury can be…

I'm a bit confused, how is a mental sick day different from just taking a day off? Right now I can just request a day off with no explanation required as long as it's one day in advance. Is a "mental sick day" like waking up, going "!@#$%@#^! I'm sick of dealing with work" and calling in sick on the same day?

It's the difference between using a vacation day and not using one

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#297

Post by unethical_ban »

steven777400 wrote: post #5

Great article. A few years ago (at a previous job) I took a sick day for "sanity", but told them I wasn't feeling well. I felt guilty about doing it. I think part of it is the association of sick leave with externally visible medical issues, and the corresponding "straightforward" medical verification. In other words, if you have a temperature or are vomiting, that's obvious. Many infections or physical injury can be…

I work at a place that has "Paid Time Off" or PTO. It's used for vacation and sick days, and I get about 25 or so a year (haven't checked the number recently).

On my particular team, we can call in day-of often, if we don't have imminent deadlines or important meetings. "Hey, not feeling good, PTO". No one questions it. It's not abused, in that I have never felt it impacts the team's work.

And I guarantee I've used it for sanity days, especially recently!

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#298

Post by profpandit »

id_rsa wrote: post #292
profpandit wrote: post #289

Well, mental health has always been and will continue to be an issue that needs to be addressed in the workplace. This is because the workplace now is at least half composed of programming related tasks. Programming is such a mentally tasking task due to the need to get everything just right to get your computer to do what you want with it, that the fallout from it could be compared to a hangover. Your mental faculti…

I agree with what you are saying. I am having trouble finding tasks that rejuvenate my mental facilities. What works for you?

Exercise. Cooking. Sketching. Paying attention to grooming. Practicing ignoring people as much as possbile in public. Reducing the amount of information I process outside of programming. --> Not using a smartphone. Using public transport. Minimizing internet use, no social media. Walking as much as possible to help slow things down. Consciously taking breaks from mental work, instead of just getting absorbed in a programming task. The equivalent of interval training. its possible to strengthen your ability to focus while you program through interval training. Observing nature, such as bird-watching, wind conditions, cloud formations etc.

Re: Mental health is still an issue in the workplace

#299

Post by debaserab2 »

bluGill wrote: post #279
eecc wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So basically you're boiling it down to sex and laying down the guilt at the feet of the healthy young adults whose behavior is all but unexpected. Wouldn't you rather call it the failure of a community - a society - to prepare its new members to the complexities of life? Oh but it's easy to climb up the high horse, brandish the sword of Morals and throw the erring off the tower (incidentally, it's the same ISIS does…

There is more than sex involved, but that was the biggest factor - at least in my experience which could well be different from typical. I carefully avoided passing a moral judgement on their acts. However the fact is sex at 16 immediately jumps into moral issues (not just Christian - most world religions encourage marriage). I did my best those to focus on the fact that as a result of that choice they have eliminate…

In what way does sex at 16 immediately jump into moral issues exactly?

I don't buy for a second that being sexually active as a teenager somehow equates to lack of moral fortitude.

There's plenty of teenagers that are aware of birth control and use it appropriately. Do they lack moral fortitude, too?

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