Fawn Fitter knew it was not just another bad day at the office. She
was doing what she loved -- writing about careers for major publications.
She didn't have a horrible boss to answer to; as a freelancer, she called
the shots. She didn't even have to show up. Still there came a day when
she was barely able to make a phone call. Her depression lasted for
months.
With her own capacity for weaving events into words, along with
psychotherapy, and "vitamin Z," she eventually pulled out of it. But
Fitter didn't just recover. She realized her own experience must be
multiplied by millions and wrote a guide to coping with depression on the
job.
"The workplace doesn't wait for depression to go away," say Fitter
and coauthor, management consultant-psychotherapist Beth Gulas. The team
talk about how to hold on to your job when you know you're not performing
and you're terrified that getting help will not only get you fired anyway
but make you unemployable in the future.
* First determine whether you are in fact depressed. In the office
depression manifests as problems with concentration and memory;
difficulty processing information in general; irritability or,
conversely, apathy; feeling slowed down or, conversely, restless. "You
can't hide depression," says Fitter. "People notice," adds Gulas, "but
they don't talk about it, making it even more of an untouchable topic
than it already is."
* If you are depressed, you need to ask yourself whether your job
is contributing to your depression and plan how to deal with that. Ask
yourself, "Am I having a bad day or am I having a bad job? Are the
conditions that bother me temporary or permanent?"
Every job evolves and changes; you may have outgrown the job or
vice versa. Mounting stress culminating in depression could be an
indicator that you need to move on.
* You have to ask yourself whether depression is affecting your
ability to do your job, and how to deal with that.
* Whatever other steps you take, you must depression-proof your
daily work life.
* Interact with coworkers in small ways. Do not give in to the
temptation to isolate yourself. The less visible you are, the more you
jeopardize your job.
* Do not attempt to carry conversations; ask questions instead. If
necessary, write them out before meetings.
* Even if you feel overwhelmed, behave as though you feel fine. You
will have an easier time if you play the part of a competent
person.
* Pay attention to your appearance. Make a special effort to look
good.
* Take care of yourself so you have the strength to cope. Avoid
changes in your daily routine; do not consider transfers to another job
or city.
* Cut back on your responsibilities as much as you can; at least
don't add on new ones. Can you get a temporary assistant? Can you
telecommute two days a week? Seek your supervisor's cooperation, lest
your absence draw attention to changes in your behavior.
* Make room for yourself in your schedule. Take 10 minutes at lunch
just to go outside and breathe. Or take a short walk.
* Hold yourself together. A crying jag may make you feel better,
but it can disconcert your coworkers. If you burst into tears, go to a
private place to compose yourself.
* Get help. "You have a life-threatening illness, and you need to
see a doctor," says Fitter. You can see a doctor independently or through
your company's employee assistance plan. "If you have concerns about
going inside, then go independently. It's unlikely your boss or your
co-workers will ever have access to your records," says Fitter.
* Because depression is still widely misunderstood, think twice
before you tell anyone you're struggling with it. Whether you tell anyone
is, unfortunately, a personal decision based on your job requirements,
your boss, your coworkers, the company environment, and your condition
and its predictability.
What if you need time off, or a rearrangement of responsibilities?
And how much do you tell? You also have to conduct a personal inventory
and determine who is trustworthy. Gulas cites the example of a woman who
told two coworkers she was nearly immobilized by depression, but didn't
want to tell her boss. On their own they took on extra responsibilities
and provided a benevolent cover-up for months for their colleague.
The existence of so many variables makes it difficult for employers
to establish guidelines for such situations, says Kim MacDonald-Wilson, a
research specialist at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at
Boston University. "It's a concern even if you think you're in a
supportive workplace," she adds. "You may be looked at differently; there
may be questions about your competence, just by virtue of having a
psychiatric condition."
* Know what your rights are. There is only one circumstance under
which you must disclose that you have a disorder: if you are asking for a
job accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act.
In that case, your employer may not discriminate against you, must
provide certain kinds of help you may need to perform your job well,
whether time off or a flexible schedule. But you don't even have to
specify that the condition is depression. Says Fitter, "You can say, 'I
am suffering from a medical condition that makes me tired and unable to
focus at the end of the day, so I would like to shift my schedule to an
early shift.'"
Tags:
beth gulas,
coping,
coping with depression,
depression,
fawn fitter,
freelancer,
having a bad day,
major publications,
manifests,
office,
vitamin z,
work
