Mental Health Victoria: When I Joined My Local Cfa Brigade I Disclosed That I Was On Medication

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The typical concerns about disclosure listed ward end of this piece are very real and tend to be what actually happens in world none of us inhabits, advice and scenarios described above in favour of disclosure seem to apply in an ideal world. My view is informed by my own experience, medical advice and observation of others. Notice, click through for an extensive list of national and ‘statebased’ counseling contacts. Of course employees in turn need to respect employers who do right thing and not abuse rights they are granted.

Employers need to look after their staff and appreciate their efforts.

I’d also like to add that in my opinion mental health challenges have probably reached epidemic proportions because of totoxicity of modern workplace which is still stuck in industrial age.

I’d say in case work places were healthy and functional these conditions will not be triggered first off. I tally agree with Helen. I think we need to slow down and pace our work so people don’t burn out in large numbers. It’s also their responsibility to provide healthy conditions. Notice, my work place has discouraged any kind of disclosure through some pretty questionable behaviour of their own.

I have learned that mental health consumer advocates are themselves perpetuating bullying, mostly among them selves, and I know this first hand.

Noone will know unless I tell them.

To be honest I have decided that safest thing for me is to pack my mental health baggage back into closet and that is where it will stay. While involving a long hospital stay and a continuing process of recovery, I started a job not long after experiencing a psychotic break down following years of bullying. I was excited about this job since it was in mental health sector and involved working very closely with mental health consumer advocates and others with lived experience of mental illness. Generally, to those who call them selves mental health consumer advocates because of reaction I might get, I was warned on more than one occasion that disclosing my experience, not only to people in my work place. Therefore this I believed was opening I needed, get out of closet and share my experiences, perhaps even contribute to changing a dysfunctional and abusive mental health system. By the way I was deeply disappointed and hurt by response I received, I actually disclosed my mental illness experience to those I thought will be most understanding. Notice, it’s a disincentive to new kids on block disclosing their mental health status, and this being that you simply may not have what those who was mental health consumer advocates for a long time believe to be right kind of mental illness.

Social, cultural and environmental factors are rarely discussed as source problems in medical model understanding of mental health or mental illness.

For the most part there’s a very ugly, dark undercurrent at play in Australian psyche that projects into areas of vulnerability that ‘de humanise’ people in a lot of ways.

Let me ask you something. Who decided definition of mental illness and mental health? Nevertheless, as Leunig said. I am! Throughout the Kennett era of government Victoria was more privatised than that of UK under Margaret Thatcher. We will look closely at our policies and institutional modes of social control to open up conversation honestly and not simply tinker around toedges. You should take this seriously. It’s not a laughing matter and resilience doesn’t cut it either.

Just read commentary in this discussion and you will start to appreciate a lot of broader societal problems causing this prevalence of depression.

We shall get real about true causes.

Humiliate and hurt each other and ourselves we will enculturate great depression a lot more, while we continue to diminish. Will have grounds to terminate my employment, when I returned to work. Basically, a few months prior, they terminated receptionist two weeks after she disclosed to them she was pregnant.

Few years back, I was hospitalised following an attempted suicide.

If you should better talk to someone you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Reading articles on mental health problems may trigger deep feelings. I kept my hearing and communication difficulties hidden in my workplace. Lost income, lost productivity, less super, a diminished life are consequences I live with. However, Surely it’s not only mental illness, a hearing impairment was to me a stigmatised condition in my career. Also, I ok early retirement.a lot. I am devastated about my ignorance that I was entitled to have assistive listening devices at work. However, now I have gained a tally new qualification in another field, Know what guys, I am a mature age jobseeker. Did you hear of something like that before? To date I have had no success to even receiving a reply to my job applications. Later I found our about Employment Assistance Fund, Job Access, Jobs in Jeopardy which provides assistive devices and work modifications to applicants.a lot. I simply felt it’s essential to remember that as soon as you have disclosed a mental health condition you are protected by antidiscrimination law.

I have anxiety and depression and had a job as senior manager.

To be honest I had to carefully explain what depression actually was -didn’t make much difference though as I lost my job and my entire career, in my state it was difficult.a completely new career going, Know what guys, I retrained, got another degree. When I had my first bout of depression I made mistake of telling my boss and will you believe first thing he said was are you dangerous?. Ozols says if you do decide to be open about your mental health in toworkplace, there’re loads of aspects to consider. Keep reading! He had been dismissed for performance problems when he as raised concerns about staff members harassing and bullying.

I have to agree with you Helen, By the way I do not have a mental health issue however my family member does. Discrimination amongst people with mental health problems is common and stigma of this will continue as is unless managers have specific training and understanding in the location. Barnes says in addition to providing income work can also give you, if you have a mental health condition work is often very important. Hiding a mental health condition can create additional stress and anxiety if you are already struggling and it can prevent you seeking as they are worried it would put their job at risk.

There has always been a question about it, I have always disclosed, however I should prefer not to, when applying for a job.

Having said that, my current work environment is very supportive and perfect for me.

Now, I have to be assessed by my GP at least nearly any 2 years and have a list of instructions on my drivers licence to take medication as prescribed by doctor! Please! I’m sure you heard about this. My insurance wouldn’t cover me, and according to what happens in accident I could end up being charged. That said, I find this highly discriminatory, and it causes anxiety and stress, and reality is, for the most part there’re so many ‘normal’ people out there driving -who seriously need to be assessed more urgently than little old me.

Apparently, Therefore if I don’t tick this box, and hereupon I have an accident -then shit really hits tofan.

I seriously think that authorities have latched onto mental health population as if they are cause of all toproblems, however in my experiences it’s supposedly normal population group that need to be investigated and targeted more.

In consonance with law in WA this therefore gives them power to force you to have a medical examination, my previous employers and fellow work mates exacerbated my illness.What bothers me more is fact that if you tick box when renewing your drivers licence, whenever they look for to, with intention to be declared fit to drive! They say all right things.

I am denied opportunities available to others.

Since I retunrned to work I am treated as a pariah.

It’s a case of damned if you do, damned if you don’ A mental illness will inevitably affect your working life. I work for a large government organisation, that on face of it have progressive rules relating to diversity and mental health. They don’t do them. Despite all policies across the world, look, there’s nothing to compel even government organisations to do right thing. With all that said… They failed to intervene when I was bullied, despite a formal complaint from me, that led to a brreakdown and suicide attempt. Now please pay attention. Common concerns include. She says people should be fearful to share their circumstances due to concerns about impact on career opportunities.

Employers may not even venture down path of giving an employee with a known mental illness a promotion unless they are well established and have a positive track record.

Taking some amount of time off ain’t a significant problem.

My managers know I am good value. Actually, when I’m well I’m a high flyer. They know I’ll give back later at 150 per cent. Of course, I don’t know what their experience is. Although, catherine acknowledges not everyone is a high flyer. So there’s no obligation to tell your employer about a mental health condition if it does not affect how well you do your job.

I have always worked full scale and even for myself on my days off, and when I became ill with depression all my employer wanted was for me to leave as they believed I needed a change and was with them long enough. In my state of mind I could not take care of myself and work things out and they pushed me out as problems. One lawyer said you must never disclose! I have fought these via industrial commission, Equal Opportunity and Human Rights but finally these years of struggle I have given up and live on a disability pension despite being highly educated with strong work ethic and varied work experience. I have had an ongoing mental health problem I had a migraine induced stroke in My work experience since is that at point I disclose, my job either becomes so difficult so I leave OR I am put on forced sick leave or offered redundancy.

Absolutely spot on, I know it’s neither wise nor necessary to disclose mental illness.

Take time off work, a doctor isn’t obliged to disclose nature of your illness to your employer, I’d say in case you fall ill.

It’s only your favorite business, if you are taking appropriate medication why should anyone know. Haven’t given any details and have indicated that currently my disability doesn’t impact my ability to do my job, I have identified myself in HR database as disabled. I won’t disclose again. My boss didn’t say majority of to right things and gave me sense this wasn’t really a health issue. Using a pseudonym, that tells you a lot!I disclosed at work once and it never felt right again. Yes, that’s right! In each role I’ve had since diagnosis I was very highly regarded by colleagues and employers. Despite being a high performing your favourite circumstances individually to determine whether to disclose or not, as article indicates.

So that’s despite my colleagues wanting me to have promotion and having been ‘used’ in position for some amount of time without any extra remuneration. Having disclosed my mental illness in an industry that deals with will expect to respond appropriately, I was appalled to be ld not to bother applying for a promotion being that I was considered you’d better not disclose anything to anyone, especially psychiatrists, who will only look for to drug you for some of your life with soul destroying medications that have major negative health implications So gossip spread before I could decide, By the way I would have liked to have choice on disclosing. Forget being taken seriously or being able to argue a point ever again, forget being able to complain about anything, forget being able to have an opinion that differs with others, all problems but I feel safe in that they can not hurt me emotionally or mentally any more.

I ld my management of depression because of working environment and from hereafter on I found they just wanted to remove me.

Despite company having procedures to deal with these problems type they ignored procedures and just encouraged me to leave through harassment and bullying.

Support is out there if you have a poser. Therefore, I was very open with my employer about it and with my students. You should take it into account. You are almost certainly not only one one aboard -20 appears to be approximate rate at any given time. I encourage people to look after each other and if someone doesn’t appear to be travelling problems affect that team and as a surprising number of students have thanked me privately out of class for being upfront about it. Considering above said. My friends tell me that I have exhibited symptoms for Therefore a vessel crew is a team.

Be there for them, encourage them to seek help, talk to skipper if you are really concerned.

I am on tablets, attend counselling fortnightly and have great support from my wife. Striving to ugh it out doesn’t work. I suffer from depression which was diagnosed about 7 years ago. It’s a problem to admit you have a serious poser. Therefore, it’s a problem to ask for help. It is we have seen problems, should have to say ‘don’t disclose’.a lot Besides, an awful lot ofI’m pretty sure I found out that person in charge of that information was in habit of revealing personal details of members. When I joined my local CFA brigade I disclosed that I was on medication. He is a vindictive person who would’ve been happy to use such information against people.

Experts say there can be benefits to speaking up about a mental health condition at work.

You have to be careful how you say it.

Say as little as possible and say that That’s a fact, it’s all under control. Notice, I’d just like to add that you do have to be very careful who you speak to at work about a mental illness, right after reading other posts. Although, this must change. We are simply useless at accommodating people with mental illness in our workplaces and So it’s very much to our detriment. Usually, I also feel that antidiscrimination laws are useless, as per other contributors. Considering above said. No policy on mental health in work place.

Worst place ever to disclose is a clinical mental health service.

I was there for ten years, got employee of month a few times and had loads of carrer success and when I went to hospital for depression noone contacted me.when I came bake to work.from my manager to most staff would past me as if I wasn’t there.

I worked in a clinical mental health service. In a large rural hospital. Remember, loads of work needs to be done in this particular area as they are first point of call. That’s a fact, it’s not always necessary to be referred on. Fact, isn’t suitably trained to deal with problems of a non physical nature. For example, this sometimes is bit of athat’s tocase.

So it’s not afforded to me, naturally it is fine and going to be so.

I am sole carer of a partner with mental illness. Generally, when I have to look after my partner, Actually I simply call in sick. Seriously. I have an adult daughter with bipolar. Descrimination against people with a mental illness us very much alive in 2014. Besides, had she been in an accident it would most likely are an entirely different story. Remember, approx 6 years ago I was forced to resign from my job of 8 years as company will not give me any time off to look after my daughter. Notice, I’m very happy you have an understanding boss. You shouldn’t trust employers.happy ending -I’ve worked for opposition for 8 years now! I’ve recently had to disclose PTSD to my current employer after tv news played footage of fatal accident of a fellow employee unexpectedly, well after toincident, one evening and I didn’t have a plausible reason to chuck a sickie for next couple of days to get to a weekend haven.

Very few workplaces are just like this and from outside you can’t tell which is which.

Uncontrollably crying was not an appropriate workplace behaviour.

I’m waiting nervously to see if my moment of weakness in telling the fact is intending to hurt this position and I’m kicking myself for not having presence of mind to say some English aunt had died.- -they sacked me and saved on a substantial redundancy payout. Then again, when Veronica asked why he had done this he said Veronica was valued and loved by team and had always done a nice work. Oftentimes veronica has stayed in workforce for another 18 years. Oftentimes now he wanted to support her. Having made mistake of disclosing this information once, Know what guys, I will never do it again.

When I required stress leave after working/being on call 24/7 7 for 2 months, they wouldn’t accept my workcover claim, as I had a ‘pre existing’ condition, I’m pretty sure I thought I could trust my manager at totime.

MY DAUGHTER has a job in childcare, snd studying ward diploma.

Hi, just came across this site. Parentof a child tried to befriend her, and she innocently mentioned her small tattoo shows that she is strong snd overcame psychosis shed suffered. Iam overseas and feel helpless. She is good at her job and wants yo get on with it but ongoing meetings and stuff seem a ploy to eliminate her, any thoughts? Loads of information can be found by going online. All throughout toprocess, HR said that once I was right again, I would be reinstated to my original job. This is tocase. PA more than I was on prior + they have great employee support services. Mentioning to your employer about any mentalhealth problems should be approached with extreme caution.In my exact situation, I mentioned to my manager in passing about depression and that I was seeking professional treatment to sort it out.To my surprise, HR put me in a lower paying job -as they’ve been concerned about my welfare working alone.

And therefore the upside of tostory, roughly 12 months after my mental health problems, I moved to alternative employer.

I lost my position.

Because of me speaking up. Certainly a double edged sword. It is hR wouldn’t reinstate me to my previous position. Oh, I forgot to mention, original provisional diagnosis of BiPolar, was overturned a decade later by a medical review board, and reclassified as PTSD -now resolved -but try getting anyone to believe you when you tell them that.a lot no escape as soon as you are targeted for consumption by mental health system. Plus often one is inclined to blame illness as reason for normal negative interactions and differences of opinion. MY experience with family members is that they dont know they are having a real problem or relapse and so situation becomes fraught when it is suggested to them. Essentially, little wonder that Work collegues and Employers have reservations. Fact, I continue to marginalised by sections of organisation despite fact I perform really well. Despite my workplace knowing I was discriminated against, To be honest I lodged a complaint about covert bulling and discrimination.

I’m really fed up of being labelled ‘sensitive’ and people’s bad behaviours continue not being for ages way to go yet.

My complaint was not substantiated despite a credible witness. I work in public health system. Therefore, I was accused of something I didn’t do, found guilty and sanctioned. Loads of info can be found by going online. Employee I complained counter complained. Slowly when she was ready her boss invited her back to work on a graded work program over eight weeks. With all that said… She says advantages of disclosing include better understanding and twoway communication. Any decent person will look out for another in time of need unless that person ain’t willing to if you are struggling in your work. That said, unions are very good for protection, internal HR will only trivialize your problems into a plan for a while weekend. Bravo, I’ve lost 2 jobs because of my depression, Big business wants yes men, to I didn’t know what was going on, Quite frankly, last thing on my mind was talking to others and for a while being that I was afraid of what their reaction I couldn’t control it, To be honest I knew I was being unreasonable in my anxiety. Known I clearly remember sitting at my desk quite literally scared stiff I was going mad. Because of that paradox, I quite literally thought I was going mad. Particularly, loads of are conflicted over whether they should disclose their condition or not.

Despite national campaigns to improve mental health at work, stigma is a still a big issue for people who are working and in addition have a mental illness.

If its irrelevant therefore it can only invite discrimination.

Instead ring beyond blue and your GP and go from there with a referral. YOU DO NOT NEED TOO. Generally, particularly if it does not affect your ability to do your job. Just think for a moment. Why do you’d better speak about Mental Health, if you dont talk to your Boss about your bad hip or blood pressure. Generally, I am referring to Mental Health workers.a bunch of people talk to early for any longer being that they seek for to talk to anyone about it. Trust me you have enough fights with parties which legally can discriminate to worry about work. You should take this seriously. Surely it’s only since he gained a job with an union that this issue has not been taken into account by his employer as a reason not to employ him.

I’d suggest stigma surrounding mental illness is still so strong that I will advise people not to tell anyone. Our son has a mental illness and has disclosed this to a few prospective employers. Im only for a while being that I am a lucky one with a strong family for support. I’d say if they tell you there’s lots of assistance or I was ld I must be moved to a better job in tobusiness, turned up for work, was ld there was no position for me. Have you heard of something like this before? Mind you doesn’t would’ve been an ideal start.

One without other didn’t score. One place I was at did these brilliantly and when backed up with a comprehensive bevioural management program it really straighted out those TypeA dinosaur managers who needed to learn that teamwork was not a dominance exercise-Performance AND behaviors where required to get annual bonus. Despite this positive shift, Barnes says stigma is a continuing problem in our workplaces and it stops quite a few of us from disclosing our condition at work. Try to make an appointment with enough time for a lengthy conversation. She also says timing is important. Besides, be certain Undoubtedly it’s a perfect time for person you are meeting with and they aren’t distracted by other concerns. I have a few disabilities and And so it’s to cope when disabilities become without real family support, By the way I was fired for doing what I was told, after years of standing by an alcoholic husband.

I need to work but am ld unless I can work 24/7 7 without a break for years on end thence I am no good to anyone. She says an increasing number of students are asking for special provisions for mental health conditions. As an university lecturer Catherine also needs to manage students who have a mental health condition. Known that’s something Catherine has also noticed. You’re lucky in public sector. For any longer because they weren’t in writing, yep -I ld by boss that I was suffering from depression. Where none of things I disclosed to him happened. I broke down at FWA and was treated like an idiot by everyone, and almost carried on in an institution by end of today. While choosing to tell right people can be helpful, in her experience. Besides, for one of the problems, By the way I want to leave my past behind at work and on p of that, To be honest I don’t think people need to know unless it’s absolutely necessary. By and large do not tell people I work with on a daily basis, I have disclosed my condition when it came to medical checks to determine my fitness for work. On p of that, I work and have a chronic depression/psychosis condition for which I take daily medication and see a psychiatrist regularly. I must say that times when I have disclosed my condition, I have received quite lots of support and encouragement. All of a sudden I was moved into another job and never given senior assignments again. You should take it into account. When I later discovered that boss is a born again Christian who believes mental illness is work of devil no percentage of antidiscrimination law was intending to make any difference if he was clever as to how he blocked my each opportunity for promotion.

To problems with this debate is that most of to advice is depending on what could be true rather than what you are actually gonna experience from real living and breathing people. I made mistake of disclosing my bipolar disorder once. I have PTSD, anxiety and depression. I know I’d be in firing line in spite the fact that I’ve been reasonably successful in my working life. No I wouldn’t disclose ever again. Of all thanks to many contributors of posts to this story and sharing your problems and experiences. I’ve only disclosed my condition once and I’m not sure I should do it ever again. It is I just think it’s could’ve been used against you. Besides, if So there’s a restructure/redundancies who do you think they will like to eliminate first? For example, when I went back to work I fully disclosed it to management and about my lack of support from work and went on to make policy recommendations about how to contact people on maternity leave and managing employees back into toworkplace.

I had terrible postnatal depression with my first child and talked to my manager about it who really didn’t know what to say.

We all learned very much from my experience.

Build trust and leave a legacy of trust. Whenever understanding and helpful, I was revisited by PND with my second child and my work were incredibly supportive. Eventually, don’t speak up, So if you look for a job. You are history, I’d say in case this is remotely threatened. I was recently going through a major depressive episode. Workplaces could care less how you feel, they just seek for their dollars worth in toevening.

If you end up mentally collapsing, your workplace will step over your body and hire somebody new.

I spoke about it to my boss and her response was to aggressively pick at my work over next couple of weeks and she eventually bullied me into resigning.

You’re hardly in a position to fight back when you can barely comb your hair in tomorning, are you? Caroline, your situation is slightly different to entrenched mental illness. Notice, it’s transient and resolves, not just like for awhile illness. Most women readily understand postnatal depression, plenty of experience it. What a silly and foolish article. Furthermore, most managers in this country lack basic people management skills and are examples of rank ignorance in this area, and loads of other areas besides, even including fiscal responsibility and corporate governance! Furthermore, never, ever disclose except in sort of a medical certificate or edited report from a specialist, and even after that,, only if its absolutely necessary. It got the way where I could not even go in to building where our office was located.

I had to go on extended leave for 11 months at which time I was sacked.

My immediate Manager was no support whatsoever when I ld him and it just seemed to make matters worse.

I have a mental issue a few years ago where I was suffering from severe anxiety to pint where I was physically ill at work. It was used against me when I tried to bring a bullying claim against a former manager, I’ve also been refused insurance on a few occasions. It’s a well in hindsight, I would not have even ld my GP as So it’s now on my medical record and can never go away. My depression has never affected quality or productivity of my work, as a matter of fact I’ve always been one of a few performers, and on good days, I pat myself on back for being successful in spite of this horrible illness. For ages as when you are depressed, in bad times, it’s really tough, you need understanding but stigma is plenty of awful accounts of injustice. Dr Caryl Barnes, consultant psychiatrist at Black Dog Institute workplace programs and The Lawson Clinic, a specialist mood disorder clinic in Sydney says growing awareness about mental illness has lead to significant changes. What’s needed is more compassion and effective help. You see, I’m not sure how to take your Any decent person will look out for another in time of need unless that person ain’t willing to a lot of people are both ignorant of and tally denigratory of mental health problems. Now let me tell you something. Whilst it may seem that someone with a mental illness ain’t willing to ultimately I left. My psych report was put on public server for all my colleagues to see. Remember, nEVER EVER DISCLOSE. I was overlooked for a promotion despite scoring highest in selection process. Make sure you drop suggestions about it below. I was sent off for a second opinion. Gone from high flyer to alone, isolated. Can’t be insured, cant get a job, on verge of being homeless. I never got another pay rise. Thinking stigma had gone. From my experience you have to keep it hidden and just hope that you can cope. Essentially, stigma is stronger than ever. Maybe strongest it has ever been. You should take it into account. I finally came out and disclosed my mental health problem to work. No money. In end lost tojob. No family and friend. On p of this, I now don’t panic that I feel as though I don’t have to hide what really is happening, my workplace tally has my back.

I began having panic attacks at work, after only having worked in my new job for about 2 weeks.

Things improved for a few months after that, however have gone down hill again, and the main person who I felt comfortable telling that I was having thoughts of suicide was my boss.

I could not have asked for a more supportive response. My boss was great, was always an open person to talk to and suggested I take some leave to be able to recover and come back to work fresh, however also respecting that I needed to work and keep a structure. It’s a relief for me, I’m sure not every workplace is just like this. I have to disagree with quite a few those comments, however it does depend on an individual’s situation. Needless to say, will you be interested? Really similar thing was happening to me at work, Know what guys, I can’t control my anxiety. I’m really really keen. I’m looking for people suffering same condition so we can support each other.