David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Depression in the Workplace: Don?t Ask Don?t Tell?
by Jane Chin
May 20th, 2013
As part of an ongoing conversation I?ve started called Clinical Depression, Neurological Differences, and Leadership within Coursera?s Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence massive open online course (MOOC), a pertinent discussion item came up; it is best summed as: ?Don?t ask, don?t tell ? it is too dangerous to disclose that we are depressives.?
I understand where this thinking is coming from, and for some people I think it may be a prudent decision.
Those of us who find a kernel of purpose in disclosing ? I think we do it consciously knowing that this may work against us ? but we are doing it ? we feel compelled that WE MUST DISCLOSE, as part of a bigger cause.
The more we remain silent, the stronger the stigma around depression in the work place becomes, and the tide never changes.
This silence then reinforces a perception ?gap? in society where the workplace will only see depression as looking a certain way ? an emotionally or psychologically crippled person who appears incapable of getting out of bed or hold down a job, let alone run a company effectively.
This silence also continues the demand to ?appear high functioning?. You know what I?m talking about ? those of you who, like me, may cause gasps and looks of disbelief from people we choose to tell about our being depressives. ?But how can you be depressed? You are so accomplished!? As if we depressives sloth through the world, immersed in inertia. Then we feel like we need to keep pretending, we need to keep appearing high functioning, lest we be called out of the closet of being depressives.
I?m not saying we shouldn?t go out into the world and ?lean in? or ?grab the world by the balls? or ?make rain? or ?change games? or whatever popular motivational or ambition-fueling phrases we?re using these days to describe the kind of professionals we?re supposed to be. I?m simply saying that we can do these without having to pretend we are supermen and superwomen, who are up all the time.
I?ve struggled with this dilemma of self-disclosure for many years, even though I?ve owned a personal website about depression since 1998. Most people wouldn?t have this knowledge about me unless I choose to disclose. I?m at the point where I can disclose and feel that I must, because I find myself in a particular group where I?m part of a bigger cause to change the way society sees people wired with depressive genes.
I view this issue of workplace disclosure as very much a leadership issue.
People in visible leadership positions hold a certain power to change the path of a way of thinking, or a way of judging ? for their followers.
The way that people with ?mental illness? is viewed and perceived especially in the work place is an area where we have not made a lot of advancement, even if mainstream media has helped general society to recognize depression for what it is (illness with a biological causes, not ?character weakness?). We look to the people in power to decide how we should behave and talk, because there are ?rules? of conduct, and then there are ?unwritten rules? of conduct. We get those unwritten rules of conduct from people in positions of authority, including managerial leaders.
I know that this is not ?everyone?s cause?, just as some people with certain disabilities choose not to disclose their disabilities to employers ? this should be honored and respected as well.
This is complex, I?m glad we?re discussing it.
Posted in Culture and Society,Mental Health at Work
by Jane Chin
May 20th, 2013
As part of an ongoing conversation I?ve started called Clinical Depression, Neurological Differences, and Leadership within Coursera?s Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence massive open online course (MOOC), a pertinent discussion item came up; it is best summed as: ?Don?t ask, don?t tell ? it is too dangerous to disclose that we are depressives.?
I understand where this thinking is coming from, and for some people I think it may be a prudent decision.
Those of us who find a kernel of purpose in disclosing ? I think we do it consciously knowing that this may work against us ? but we are doing it ? we feel compelled that WE MUST DISCLOSE, as part of a bigger cause.
The more we remain silent, the stronger the stigma around depression in the work place becomes, and the tide never changes.
This silence then reinforces a perception ?gap? in society where the workplace will only see depression as looking a certain way ? an emotionally or psychologically crippled person who appears incapable of getting out of bed or hold down a job, let alone run a company effectively.
This silence also continues the demand to ?appear high functioning?. You know what I?m talking about ? those of you who, like me, may cause gasps and looks of disbelief from people we choose to tell about our being depressives. ?But how can you be depressed? You are so accomplished!? As if we depressives sloth through the world, immersed in inertia. Then we feel like we need to keep pretending, we need to keep appearing high functioning, lest we be called out of the closet of being depressives.
I?m not saying we shouldn?t go out into the world and ?lean in? or ?grab the world by the balls? or ?make rain? or ?change games? or whatever popular motivational or ambition-fueling phrases we?re using these days to describe the kind of professionals we?re supposed to be. I?m simply saying that we can do these without having to pretend we are supermen and superwomen, who are up all the time.
I?ve struggled with this dilemma of self-disclosure for many years, even though I?ve owned a personal website about depression since 1998. Most people wouldn?t have this knowledge about me unless I choose to disclose. I?m at the point where I can disclose and feel that I must, because I find myself in a particular group where I?m part of a bigger cause to change the way society sees people wired with depressive genes.
I view this issue of workplace disclosure as very much a leadership issue.
People in visible leadership positions hold a certain power to change the path of a way of thinking, or a way of judging ? for their followers.
The way that people with ?mental illness? is viewed and perceived especially in the work place is an area where we have not made a lot of advancement, even if mainstream media has helped general society to recognize depression for what it is (illness with a biological causes, not ?character weakness?). We look to the people in power to decide how we should behave and talk, because there are ?rules? of conduct, and then there are ?unwritten rules? of conduct. We get those unwritten rules of conduct from people in positions of authority, including managerial leaders.
I know that this is not ?everyone?s cause?, just as some people with certain disabilities choose not to disclose their disabilities to employers ? this should be honored and respected as well.
This is complex, I?m glad we?re discussing it.
Posted in Culture and Society,Mental Health at Work
