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Feeling stressed from the job or a person at work is harassing you? It may be necessary to seek medical professional care. More advocates are speaking up about the stigma of mental health problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), mental illness represents the biggest economic burden of any health issue in the world, costing $2.5 trillion in 2010; this burden is projected to cost $6 trillion by 2030 with two-thirds of these costs attributed to disability and loss of work.
Shockingly, of the 450 million people worldwide who suffer from mental health conditions, the majority (60 percent) do not receive any form of care, with 90 percent of people in developing countries receiving no form of care.
Why are we so hard on the fact that human beings suffer from different stressors that can impact their mental health well-being? As I was wrapping up my last year in the Air Force before I retired, there were so many people telling me to hide all my disabilities or I could be forced to medically retire because I would no longer be eligible to deploy anymore. I had been rear ended in my vehicle by a man who was not paying attention. For the better part of a year, I wore a neck brace and was in constant pain.
When you are suffering from chronic pain, it can be distressing and depressing. In my case, I could not do some of the past activities I use to enjoy. I really wanted to talk to a counselor about my depression and always being in pain. However, I felt like if I was seen walking into the Mental Health facility, I would not be perceived as the strong female I projected. So, I suffered in silence. I would never stay silent these days.
What would it look like if people weren’t afraid to get help and feel they would be stereotyped for getting help for depression, PTSD or anxiety? It would be a powerful experience for everyone. We are all affected by other people—at home and at the job. I have no problem suggesting to my own friends and acquaintances to see a mental health provider if they are struggling. Who wants to be miserable or unhappy? I hope no one!
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces disability discrimination. Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, treats a qualified individual with a disability who is an employee or applicant unfavorably because she has a disability.
Disability discrimination also occurs when a covered employer or other entity treats an applicant or employee less favorably because she has a history of a disability (such as cancer that is controlled or in remission) or because she is believed to have a physical or mental impairment that is not transitory (lasting or expected to last six months or less) and minor (even if she does not have such an impairment).
If you feel that you have a mental health disability and need a reasonable accommodation so you can do your job, be sure to reach out to your HR department or supervisor, depending upon your work protocols. Here are some reasonable accommodations that the EEOC shares: break and work schedules (e.g., scheduling work around therapy appointments), quiet office space or devices that create a quiet work environment, changes in supervisory methods (e.g., written instructions from a supervisor who usually does not provide them), specific shift assignments, and permission to work from home.
I would highly encourage anyone seeking help with a reasonable accommodation to be able to do their work, to do it in an email for documenting. Always print out your emails for safe keeping. If you feel you are being discriminated against for a mental health disability or any kind of disability—reach out to an employment attorney or the EEOC for guidance.
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