Let's Talk About Mental Health - Techorama NL

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. Because it’s about time! Let’s Talk About Mental Health
2. Arthur Doler @arthurdoler arthurdoler@gmail.com
3. WHAT’S THIS TALK EVEN ABOUT?
9. 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
12. 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
13. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/mental_health/mental_health_flyer_2012.pdf?ua=1
14. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/
15. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/mental_health/mental_health_flyer_2012.pdf?ua=1
16. World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/mental_health/mental_health_flyer_2012.pdf?ua=1
17. WHAT DO THEY DO?
18. 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
19. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)
20. 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
22. MENTAL DISORDER MENTAL ILLNESS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDER MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE MENTAL HEATH CHALLENGE
24. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
25. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
27. THEY ARE DESCRIPTIVE DIAGNOSES ARE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE
29. Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry (9th ed.)
32. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
36. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)
37. REMEMBER – DIAGNOSES ARE DESCRIPTIVE, NOT PRESCRIPTIVE
44. SO… HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK?
45. EXPERIENTIALLY!
48. WE NEED GUIDELINES
51. NOTE: THE SITUATIONS HERE ARE HYPOTHETICAL THE ADVICE IS REPRESENTATIVE EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT DO NOT ASSUME IT’S THE CORRECT ADVICE
52. Jordan Asks Taylor for Future Support TYPE IA
53. ASKING SCRIPT
54. “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]?”
55. “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?”
57. Jordan is in Crisis and Asks Taylor for Support TYPE IB
61. “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.”
63. Jordan Offers Future Support to Taylor TYPE IIA
64. OFFERING SCRIPT
65. “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?”
66. “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?”
68. Taylor is in Crisis and Jordan Offers Support TYPE IIB
69. “It seems like you’re going through a rough moment. If you want, I can cover for you if you need to step out.”
71. TYPE III Taylor Explaining to Jordan What They Feel
72. EXPLANATION SCRIPT
73. “When [event happens], I [sometimes, often, always] feel like [insert feelings here]. To cope with that, I [insert behavior here].”
74. “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.”
76. Taylor Checking In with Jordan TYPE IV
77. CHECK-IN SCRIPT
78. “Hey, how are you doing?”
79. “Good morning, Jordan. How’re you feeling today?”
81. Jordan and Taylor Talking Like Normal Humans TYPE V
82. “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?”
85. THEN DON’T!
87. TIME FOR SOME ARTTRUTH™.
88. IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE…
92. COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES
93. COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES
95. 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
98. The Neurobiology of Meditation and Mindfulness, Tobias Esch
104. http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap-is/
105. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook
106. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook
107. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook
108. Source: Mary Ellen Copeland, mentalhealthrecovery.com
110. NOT JUST DIAGNOSIS!
114. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychotherapies
116. MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES PROBABLY MATTER MORE TO YOU THAN YOU SUSPECT
117. DIAGNOSES DON’T MATTER AS MUCH AS YOU THINK THEY DO
118. BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH COWORKERS (AND OTHERS) IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR TEAM’S RESILIENCE
119. 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
120. RESOURCES
121. • osmihelp.org • Largest nonprofit dedicated to mental health in tech • Annual survey • Free guidebooks for employees and HR OPEN-SOURCING MENTAL ILLNESS (OSMI)
122. • mhfaengland.org • 2-day, 1-day, and half-day courses • Literally teaches first aid for acute psychiatric symptoms • Includes things like how to actually ensure someone is safe if they’re contemplating suicide UK MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING
123. GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING https://mhfa.com.au/ http://www.mhfainternational.org/
124. • Crisis line 0900 0113 • Consultation line (weekdays 10:00-16:00) 020 - 311 38 88 • Web chat 113.nl • Anonymous and confidential
125. http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide- hotlines.html How to help a suicidal person No suicide contracts & more SUICIDE.ORG
126. Slides: Arthur Doler @arthurdoler arthurdoler@gmail.com bit.ly/art-global-mental-deck