Coding in the dark

One in every five of us suffer from a mental illness. Look around your team room and do the math, odds are that you are working with team members who are dealing with mental illness, even if you are working on a small team. These illnesses have names like Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and even well known eating disorder fall in this category. Those who suffer from them judgement of their actions, dismissal of what they are dealing with, and discrimination in work policies.

Let me tell you about my journey in dealing with a major depressive disorder that I was diagnosed with 17 years ago. Let me explain how it affects my ability to do my job, and my worries about talking to people about it, even as someone who is relatively open abut his illness.

Then we will move on to talk about how we can all work together to build a workplace environment that supports all of us, and the problems that we deal with. Discover some techniques to help you communicate with people who are suffering from mental illness. And finally talk about some work policies that you can implement, or suggest your employer implement, to balance out the scales for those suffering from these illnesses.

Transcript

1. Coding in the Dark Mental illness in the workplace
2. Matthew LaForest
 Nutshell @mudetroit matthewalaforest@gmail.com
 mlaforest@nutshell.com
3. Trigger Warning
4. Disclaimer • I am not a doctor • I am not trained in treating mental illness • Even discussing my own illness gives an incomplete picture
5. My Family
6. Nutshell
7. Depression • Diagnosed in 1999 • Can identify symptoms as early as 8 or 9 years old
8. Mental illness by the numbers
9. 1.1% live with schizophrenia
10. 2.6% live with bipolar disorder
11. 1 in 25 (4.2%) will experience a serious mental illness that interferes or limits one or more major life activity
12. 6.9% had at least one major depressive episode in the past year
13. 18.1% live with an anxiety disorder
14. Approximately 1 in 5 adults (18.5%) will experience mental illness in a given year
15. Road to my diagnosis
16. High School - Freshmen
 (1994) • Best friend commits suicide • Older brother of classmate commits suicide later that year
17. Approximately 50% of chronic mental illness begins by age 14, 75% by age 24.
18. College - Sophomore
 (1999) • Close friend attempts suicide and withdraws • The night I find that out, I try to commit suicide
19. 50.2% of those with a substance abuse issue have a co-occuring mental illness
20. Suicide is the 10th leading of death in the U.S.
21. Fallout • I talk to my parents about it around a week later when I come home for Easter • Diagnosed within a week of talking with my parents
22. Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental health services in the past year
23. What is depression really? • Major Depressive Disorder • Chronic illness • May not even be a single illness
24. Causes • Genetic • Situational • Serotonine and Dopemine
25. What does it mean to
 have depression? • Amplified self doubt • Days when getting out of bed seems impossible • Insomnia • Struggle with controlling what I am eating
26. What does it mean to
 have depression? • Feelings of being disconnected • Lack of interest/motivation • Inability to concentrate • That’s just me
27. What helps? • My family - in particular my wife and kids • Flexible workplace • Having a few things to work on • Supportive management
28. Supporting coworkers Be Aware • Frequent absence/tardiness • Slower pace • Irritability • Difficulty concentrating • Appearing withdrawn • Overworking
29. Supporting coworkers Do • Express concern • Be available • Be authentic & compassionate • Listen • Pay attention to language
30. Supporting coworkers Don’t • Assume • Diagnose • Label • Fix
31. Supporting employees Americans with Disabilities Act “provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment" unless doing so would present undue hardship
32. Serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year
33. Supporting employees Beyond obligations • Make it safe • Treat mental illness like any other illness • Work with them to help both of you
34. Health Insurance Psychiatric and mental illness coverage
35. Serious mental illness increases risk of other chronic medical conditions
36. Mood disorders are the 3rd most common cause of hospitalization between ages 18-44
37. When things aren’t good • Bizarre or erratic behavior • Fascination with weapons • Threats • Chronic or hypersensitive complaints of persecution • Danger to self
38. Conclusion • Make it safe • Support don’t direct • Watch how you talk • This isn’t easy
39. Resources • Mental Health First Aid
 http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org • IMAlive
 http://www.imalive.org • Crisis Text Line
 Text 741-741 when in crisis
40. Resources • National Alliance on Mental Illness
 http://www.nami.org • National Institute of Mental Health
 http://www.nimh.nih.gov • Open Sourcing Mental Illness
 https://osmihelp.org
41. Matthew LaForest
 Nutshell @mudetroit matthewalaforest@gmail.com
 mlaforest@nutshell.com