Topic Tuesday // Employment and Mental Health // Tues 8th June, 7:00-8:30PM AEST

[Daisydreamer]

Let's get started with our first question!

Question 1: These next two questions are for @Ultravox and our Community Members:

 
a) What industries have you worked in before?

b) What has been your experience in the workplace when living with a mental health concern?

[Daisydreamer]

Welcome @Shaz51! Happy to see you here 🙂

[Ultravox]

a) What industries have you worked in before?

I have worked in the banking, general insurance, travel  industry, mental health sector (over 17 years), TAFE (student wellbeing). Quite a mixed bag really.

[TAB]

okay well I'll start I guess, I havent thought this through, wasnt going to come on here, but, will just say that have had absenteeism, quit countless jobs, usually cant cope with whatever situation I told myself it was , self medicate, take day off, if had 2 days off usually thought may as well quit, so I would. 

Never really looked  at the consequences. now staring at me as getting closer to retirement age and no super etc  @Daisydreamer  @Ultravox 

[Snowie]

Hi @Daisydreamer @Shaz51 @Ultravox 

I have worked in the education sector as a secondary teacher.

My experience in the workplace did not go well at all. I ended up having to give up work and am currently on work cover at the moment.

[Zoe7]

I worked in a range of jobs before I entered teaching (now 20 years). Primarily my previous roles were in research and both chld support and crisis counselling at a women's refuge @Daisydreamer 

My experience in the workforce living with MIs has been varied. At the women's refuge we were encouraged to take mental health days so my experience there was positive. It has not always been the same in the education sector - until the school I am at now where it is seen as a priority to look after our mental health.

[Ultravox]

Hi Snowie. Thanks for sharing, Being a teacher can be a very stressful and demanding job.

[Shaz51]

Please feel free to introduce yourself and let us know what you are most interested to get out of the discussion tonight?--- @Daisydreamer , @Ultravox 

my husband has many diagnosis and the latest one is bipolar 2 , he had had lots and lots of different jobs which has alaways being dishearten for him 

i am mr shaz second wife and have been married for 14 years and i have four step children 

anyway I have been self employed with my own childcare business before retiring and marrying 

my husband and i have our own little busines but we have had to cut back due to mr shaz mental health 

[Daisydreamer]

Hi @TAB,

Really appreciate you coming online and sharing what workplace experiences have been like for you, especially when you weren't sure about joining in this topic Tuesday. It sounds like you've had some really difficult experiences of employment. Absenteeism is something I can relate to in a few jobs when my mental health was struggling, and I am sure something many people here can relate to

[Ultravox]

b) What has been your experience in the workplace when living with a mental health concern?

Overall my experience in the workplace in regards to living with a mental health concern has been good for the most part. While working in two part time jobs as a Consumer Educator for two mental health education teams at two hospitals in their psychiatric departments, I unfortunately became quite stressed due to performance anxiety which led to an increase in my anxiety, that then fuelled the onset of depression. There were often times where it was hard to take myself off to work. I just did not want to be there. They were quite understanding and made sure that I sort early help and encouraged me to take some time off so that I could recover. They were both very supportive and there for me during this difficult time.

During my time working in the mental health sector I felt that some comments made by fellow colleagues were quite stigmatising towards people who had a mental illness and felt justified that I rarely disclosed that I had my own mental illness in the workplace. I thought that people working in mental health would be more empathetic and understanding. Comments included;

“People should never go off medication”

“You are going to have a challenging day” one colleague said to another Mental Health Support Worker when he was going out for his appointment with the person who he was supporting who had a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder.

“She is a frequent flyer”, referring to a person who would need to go to the emergency department when feeling quite distressed who had a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder.

There were roles where I was employed as a “Peer Support Worker” so it was known due to the nature of the position that you had a “lived experience” and was more accepted, whereas most of my other jobs in the mental health sector I did not disclose and when and if you did “come out” I felt that I was not as accepted for the good worker that I was.