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Talking about Mental Health

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hospitalboy
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by hospitalboy »

Morning All,

It was only after another operation, and suffering stage 1 kidney failure while an inpatient, I was referred to a counsellor, who told me that I was suffering from clinical depression, as a result of pressure of work, illness, diabetic complications. Everything she said then made complete sense. It has taken me 18 months to recover, and thankfully I feel I have. Nor did I realise that 1 in 4 Type 1 diabetics will suffer from depression at some point.

All I can say is, thank god for the NHS, who dragged me out of a very dark pit. clapclap clapclap clapclap clapclap

Now, I'm back and ready for a fresh adventure. .bounce .bounce .bounce .bounce

Cheers ./thumbsup.. ./

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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by bernicarey »

A relative of mine by marriage has recently written a Blog about being diagnosed Bipolar...
Worth a read.

http://mebipolarandrunning.blogspot.co. ... y.html?m=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Alexis »

Well done HB! clapclap Really pleased you had the help you needed. bighug
bernicarey wrote:A relative of mine by marriage has recently written a Blog about being diagnosed Bipolar...
Worth a read.

http://mebipolarandrunning.blogspot.co. ... y.html?m=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
One blog I will be watching. .salut
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Queenfish »

Hi all,

So advise me if you can, how do you start this conversation with your colleagues? I have, for some time, wanted to discuss mental health in team meetings but am unsure/not very confident on how I can introduce it as a topic. We recently (and tragically) had a young lady who works in our building (we rent her company a tiny office), commit suicide after long term and really traumatic mental health issues which has sort of started people talking about her and how ill she was. I would like to have a conversation about it with everyone, but without seeming to be capitalising on/being unfeeling about the poor woman's situation.

What do you all think?
QF x
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by bernicarey »

I think that far from being
capitalising on/being unfeeling about the poor woman's situation
... this is the ideal time to talk about it, starting with management and cascading down to the wider workforce.

It goes something like this.

Agenda item

Staff Wellbeing

Opening gambit from you or someone else...

Many of you will have seen the recent media coverage about mental health, it's made News Bulletins, it's been on various magazine Programmes like BBC's The One Show, Breakfast, ITV's Loose Women and probably countless others.
You are all aware of the young lady from XYZ who recently committed suicide.

Well it's time we stood up and be counted, no more 'Stiff Upper Lip', and 'The Show Must Go On'. We have a legal duty to our employees, from top to bottom, be they Director or Floor Sweeper to take care of their well-being, ... that includes their mental health.

We don't speak about it, but around this table statistics say that 1/4 of us have mental health issues, perhaps not serious enough to make one of us kill ourselves, but that's what people thought about poor (insert name of young lady).

In 2013,15.2 million days of sickness absence across the UK were caused by stress, anxiety or depression.

We are loosing workers due to mental health - today is the day we must start to change...

So, what are we going to do about it......
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Waterbaby »

Excellent suggestion from BC ./thumbsup..

Well done for wanting to start 'the conversation with your colleagues" .salut

References here may help with prep ./thumbsup..

http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/furtheradv ... health.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.iosh.co.uk/Books-and-resourc ... -work.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-in ... -employees" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1900" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advi ... w-training" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Jack Kane »

Another way you could tackle this would be exactly as you have done in here, just ask the people in the meeting...
Queenfish wrote:...how do you start this conversation with your colleagues? I have, for some time, wanted to discuss mental health in team meetings but am unsure/not very confident on how I can introduce it as a topic.
Some people will be uncomfortable with these conversations, but others are surprisingly open about things. I think that as long as people are given the choice to talk about it, they will do so in their own good time and this will helps others regardless of who says what.

Raising awareness isn't a short-term thing, it's about the long-term changes needed in today's culture. Keep talking, formally, informally, just keep talking and asking people how they are feeling today.

There's a couple of takes on things, no definitive right answer, but look...we are talking about it :D .salut
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Queenfish »

Sorry for late reply, not been in the office and couldn't remember my log in password at home :D

BernieC - I thought what your suggestion was brilliant and Jack, it's a great idea to turn the question round and ask everyone. I would never have thought of any of this. And Waterbaby, thank you for the additional downloads.

Thank you so much for your help and ideas on how approach the subject clapclap

I will let you know how it goes!
QF x
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Alexis »

Today 2 November 2016 is National Stress Awareness Day. Maybe look that little bit closer at your work colleague today. .salut

http://isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day-2016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Jack Kane »

So here's a thing. My mental health issues have meant I've been signed off work for the past three weeks and depending on my next appointment with my psychiatrist, will help figure out the best way to get me back to work. Probably a phased return and a few changes with the work activities themselves.

I've been asking myself the question of whether to take time off or not, after all, this low period is something I've been dealing with most of my life, so why bother. But, looking back over the past three weeks, it's definitely the right thing to do. It's giving time away to help clear my head. It's just so confusing though, my head feels like a washing machine with a full load of thoughts on full spin. .shakingagain

I find it interesting that a few people at work are shocked I'm off, yet my family could see I needed time off and were actually telling me I should stay off for a while. It just goes to show how we can disguise our low episodes at work, that's why we need to keep talking about mental health, to help people see the signs in themselves, family, friends and colleagues.

How am I feeling today? On a good day, it's new car day for Mrs Kane :D

I've also managed to press 'submit' on this post into the bargain :D

Have a braw day.
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by bernicarey »

Jack Kane wrote: How am I feeling today? On a good day, it's new car day for Mrs Kane :D

I've also managed to press 'submit' on this post into the bargain :D

Have a braw day.
./thumbsup..
It only need be small steps, but they all go forward.

Have a good weekend. .salut
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Re: Talking about Mental Health

Post by Waterbaby »

../.

"Breaking the mental health taboo: 'Please talk about it' By Philippa Goodrich - Business reporter, BBC News"

9 December 2016 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38211107" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BBC World Service "Business Daily" (Radio Iplayer) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04jh7hx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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