Let's Talk About Mental Health - Global Edition

It’s a great time to be in technology. And yet despite the improvement in our tools, we somehow don’t spend time talking about how to maintain our most important tool - the one between our ears. Your mental health is arguably the single most important factor in your ability to perform well, avoid burnout, and build resiliency, but we shroud the topic in secrecy, stigma, and co-opted clinical language that makes us think we know what's going on. We often don't even speak of what we feel to family and friends until we're facing a crisis.

We need to change all of that. You don't have to stay in the dark, and you *don't* have to suffer alone. In this talk we’ll start with some basics about mental health, then cover the most common mental health challenges facing developers, and then learn about some techniques to supercharge your brain by improving your mental hygiene (whether you have a psychological disorder or not). Most importantly, you’ll learn how to have a conversation with your coworkers (and other people in your life) about supporting each other and finding your best selves.

Transcript

1. Arthur Doler @arthurdoler arthurdoler@gmail.com Slides: Handout: LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH Because it’s about @%#*& time! http://bit.ly/art-global-mental-deck http://bit.ly/art-global-mental-handout Arthur Doler @arthurdoler arthurdoler@gmail.com
2. WHAT’S THIS TALK EVEN ABOUT?
8. The Reality What IS a mental health challenge? The most common mental health challenges Who is Art? How to talk about mental health at work Some methods for good mental hygiene
11. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-screening-tools Changes in energy level and sleep patterns Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities Difficulty with concentration or decision-making Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, worthless, or guilty Extreme or unusual mood swings Feeling like your brain is playing tricks on you
12. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/mental_health/mental_health_flyer_2012.pdf?ua=1
13. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/
14. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/mental_health/mental_health_flyer_2012.pdf?ua=1
15. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/mental_health/mental_health_flyer_2012.pdf?ua=1
16. WHAT DO THEY DO?
17. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health/index.shtml •Increased occurrence of chronic diseases •Decreased use of medical care •As much as a 25-year decrease in lifespan for SPMI sufferers
18. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)
19. NIMH / NIH - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/disability/us-leading-categories-of-diseases-disorders.shtml Top 5 Disease/Disorder Categories Contributing to Global DALYs
21. MENTAL DISORDER MENTAL ILLNESS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDER MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE MENTAL HEATH CHALLENGE
23. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
24. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
26. THEY ARE DESCRIPTIVE DIAGNOSES ARE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE
28. Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry (9th ed.)
31. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
35. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)
36. REMEMBER – DIAGNOSES ARE DESCRIPTIVE, NOT PRESCRIPTIVE
43. SO… HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK?
44. EXPERIENTIALLY!
47. WE NEED GUIDELINES
50. NOTE: THE SITUATIONS HERE ARE HYPOTHETICAL THE ADVICE IS REPRESENTATIVE EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT DO NOT ASSUME IT’S THE CORRECT ADVICE
51. Jordan Asks Taylor for Future Support TYPE IA
52. ASKING SCRIPT
53. “I could really use some support. Can you please [helpful action here]?” OR “I don’t know if you knew this, but I deal with (or am having problems with) [a specific kind of experience]. You’ve been helpful to me in the past; would it be okay in the future if ask you to [actionable thing] when [event happens]?”
54. “Hey, I’ve been having a tough time with my mood lately. If you see me starting to isolate myself, can you take me out for a cup of coffee?”
56. Jordan is in Crisis and Asks Taylor for Support TYPE IB
60. “Um, you might not know this but I deal with some mood issues… and… I need some help telling which emotions are real right now.”
62. Jordan Offers Future Support to Taylor TYPE IIA
63. OFFERING SCRIPT
64. “I noticed that [behavioral observation here]. Can we talk about it?” THEN “Do you think you could use [action here]? Can I help provide that?”
65. “Hey, Taylor. I noticed that when someone disagrees with you in a meeting you stop talking and shut down, even though you clearly care a lot about what you’re saying. Would you like me to help back you up when that happens?”
67. Taylor is in Crisis and Jordan Offers Support TYPE IIB
68. “It seems like you’re going through a rough moment. If you want, I can cover for you if you need to step out.”
70. TYPE III Taylor Explaining to Jordan What They Feel
71. EXPLANATION SCRIPT
72. “When [event happens], I [sometimes, often, always] feel like [insert feelings here]. To cope with that, I [insert behavior here].”
73. “When I’m in a meeting and someone asks me a question, my brain freezes and all I can think about is what happens if I screw up and answer incorrectly. To cope with that, I spend time before the meeting obsessing over all the things people could ask me, so I’m not very responsive.”
75. Taylor Checking In with Jordan TYPE IV
76. CHECK-IN SCRIPT
77. “Hey, how are you doing?”
78. “Good morning, Jordan. How’re you feeling today?”
80. Jordan and Taylor Talking Like Normal Humans TYPE V
81. “It is! Since I am also clearly a human I too enjoy those things, as well as making pleasant conversation through my mouth-parts.” “Hello fellow human! It is a good day to enjoy things like oxygen and carbon, is it not?”
84. THEN DON’T!
86. TIME FOR SOME ARTTRUTH™.
87. IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE…
91. COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES
92. COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES
94. Book cover from Amazon, Fair Use Brad Warner by Doubtboy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8034985
97. The Neurobiology of Meditation and Mindfulness, Tobias Esch
103. http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap-is/
104. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook
105. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook
106. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook
107. Source: Mary Ellen Copeland, mentalhealthrecovery.com
109. NOT JUST DIAGNOSIS!
113. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychotherapies
115. MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES PROBABLY MATTER MORE TO YOU THAN YOU SUSPECT
116. DIAGNOSES DON’T MATTER AS MUCH AS YOU THINK THEY DO
117. BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH COWORKERS (AND OTHERS) IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR TEAM’S RESILIENCE
118. ENABLE THESE DISCUSSIONS BY: 1. Using experiential language 2. Being descriptive, not prescriptive 3. Being compassionate 4. Recognizing that just because you know for one person doesn’t mean you know for everyone
119. RESOURCES
120. • osmihelp.org • Largest nonprofit dedicated to mental health in tech • Annual survey • Free guidebooks for employees and HR OPEN-SOURCING MENTAL ILLNESS (OSMI)
121. GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING https://mhfa.com.au/ http://www.mhfainternational.org/
122. • If you’re considering suicide, call 112 • If you just want to talk to someone, call the Red Cross Телефони на доверието • София - 02/81 64 892 • Ямбол - 046/662 904 BULGARIA CRISIS/SUICIDE HOTLINES
123. http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide- hotlines.html How to help a suicidal person No suicide contracts & more SUICIDE.ORG
124. Slides: Arthur Doler @arthurdoler arthurdoler@gmail.com Handout: http://bit.ly/art-global-mental-deck http://bit.ly/art-global-mental-handout