As I read this blog, I was moved to respond with several stories about depression and the toll it's taken in my workplace. But I can't.

I can't join a discussion that requires me to include my email address about a topic which remains so stigmatized.

I applaud your effort, however, to break the silence.

Unfortunately there is a moral stigma still associated with mental illness in many societal settings. In the workplace, the visible signs of depression can be misinterpreted as mere "laziness" or lack of committment to workplace goals. It is also difficult for laymen to make distinctions between degrees of depression. Most people know the differences among the common cold, influenza and pneumonia in terms of the serious of an illness and its expected duration. Managers can plan around such events, and they can develop reasonable expectations regarding the length and degree of an employee's absence or inability to function at full effectiveness. We lack that vocablary or those expectations with respect to depression and mental illness generally, in part because of the associated stigma and resulting secrecy, along with a good measure of ignorance. A manager will worry that a depressed employee can't be relied upon to make sound judgments and translate those judgments into effective action; moreover, the manager won't be sure how long the condition will continue, or whether it could become more serious.

This is not all about prejudice or even mere ignorance, however. Depression can unquestionably interefere with job performance, particularly in a high-stress workplace environment. The problem is that there are no guideposts created by shared societal values or imposed by legal fiat.

I've been aware of and have been associated with enterprises that have taken a variety of views and approaches to mental health issues in the workplace. The most enlightened and effective approach that I have seen in larger organizations involves a confidential third-party resource service which can assist in referral to mental health providers, along with benefits that provide meaningful insurance coverage for mental health care. The latter issue is once again on the front burner in Congress with passage of vastly different versions of mental health benefit parity legislation in the House and Senate, as recently reported in The New York Times. The linked article only scratches the surface of a controversy with major implications for both the workplace and public health generally.

Finally, I would agree with those who say that depression is best kept a private matter if treatment can be obtained without acknowledging the issue at work. Those who do acknowledge past or continuing illness deserve commendation. It is a brave act that will help to humanize one of society's remaining false demons.

It is very comforting to see the attention depression increasing. I have been suffering but denying depression for many years until I had a breakdown at work in December 2006. I went back under the pressure of the insurers eventhough that in my job I had to be 100% functionnal to go back. The risk of relapse had been clearly identified by the doctors. I relapsed. Insurers have a major role to play in the dynamics of depression. They, to some extent, represent authority in that they agree or not with the medical experts, they challenged every action you undertake and are quick to recommend going back to work. In the case of severe depression, the shame, the guilt and the feeling of failure are so strong that it is difficult to fight and remain on your feet. I do not read a lot about how depression cases are handled and the stats on relapses. We hear a lot about "in cases like yours, you can expect to be back on your feet within 4 months", "generally 3 weeks is enough to reintegrate your work environment. I am still at home feeling overwhelmed when my 18 year old (mentally disabled) wants me to care for him. This make me wonder if I ever can go back?
ps: I was managing a team of 20+ senior people in a major canadian bank , could handle very complex issue and had a reputation for collaboration and making things happen. Where is it now?

You can always use a fake email (mytrashmail.com).

You are a person, but you are also a function that is part of team. If you can pause and brainstorm about how your function can be managed or performed in lieu of your ability to perform it, you will find it easier to tell your boss and get them on you side. If you say, "I'm too depressed to figure that out," elicit help from friends or family or colleagues to help come up with an answer. You might also be able to go to boss and have an up front conversation with them about the fact that you are depressed, are doing something about it AND want to help them figure out how to get your function taken care of. Just the empathy you might have for their difficult rather than being totally absorbed with yourself may help them root for you and even be grateful enough to truly keep the door open for you, if you do need time off.

This article is more than appropriate at this time in my life. I also suffer from clinical depression and have held significant levels of repsonsibility throughout my career. Currently I am in a situation where I find myself crying at work almost everyday. In not way shape or form would I share my problem with HR or my coworkers. There are expectations with my position, as there have always been, and there will be no simpathy for such a problem. My first significant breakdown (hospitalized)was after my second child. I did fine with the firts, but just couldn't handle the medical problems with the second (he is healty now though) Since then I cn recognize when another breakdown is about to happen - and I am definitely on the verge of it. I feel an obligation, no matter what you call it, to meet certain deadlines that I have obligated myself to that others cannot complete. I am inbtween putting gthe organization at risk (wityhout closure of these items) or shutting down and letting it go. The problem is that as upset sa i am I feel the need to not let them down - people just don't see that - especially those we work with. they see this illness as a wekness and say 'let's not give her anything this difficult again' Essentially killing my career. I do not that if I make it through - I am due a collapse. I feel for those in similar situations in their career (especially those working from home - who also have no escape.) I have no idea wht to do, other than sit at work, do my best (my memory and organization is shot, not to mention no sleep) When it's done (several months from now - I will take some time due to me - I am just told - take it one day at at time.

We're not going to emerge from our health-care nightmare until we wake up to the fact an employer-based system has no place in a culture where at-will employment is the norm.

I don't believe that health care is a right. Nor do I believe an employer has any obligation outside a commitment to fair-dealing, negotiation in good faith and prompt payment of agreed-upon wages.

But I do believe I've got a right to a market that isn't utterly distorted by special interests, an artificially limited supply of doctors, totally opaque pricing, abusive billing and collections practices, and a demand that I allow unaccountable marketing departments access to my most personal and private medical details as a condition of receiving treatment.

Sadly, I seem to be in the minority. The majority is willing to either blindly accept the current system, or insist on a single-payer arrangement that will become even more unaccountable than the horrible monstrosity we have now.

It's enough to cause real depression.

This is an excellent topic for discussion. I am personally blessed where my "mental illness" was actually a requirement for my job! I do peer mentoring (a field that is increasing rapidly). Basically, I work with people who are also suffering from mental illness. Peer Support provides hope to people suffering from mental illness. It's much more therapudic than the clinical approach as both client and mentor are on the same level. The best perk to the job is that my employer is aware of my "illness" and understands the doctors appointments and "mental-health" days. I wish all employers had this awareness of mental illness and how it indeed is a disease.
I am grateful everyday for my job (which keeps me stable & emotionally rewarded) and for the understanding of my employers. I only wish that awareness would spread like a virus to all others in the professional world. The stigma needs to stop and I applaud you for your courage to voice your "illness". The world needs more like you. :)

Unfortunately there is a moral stigma still associated with mental illness in many societal settings. In the workplace, the visible signs of depression can be misinterpreted as mere "laziness" or lack of commitment to workplace goals. It is also difficult for laymen to make distinctions between degrees of depression. Most people know the differences among the common cold, influenza and pneumonia in terms of the seriousness of an illness and its expected duration. Managers can plan around such events, and they can develop reasonable expectations regarding the length and degree of an employee's absence or inability to function at full effectiveness. We lack that vocabulary or those expectations with respect to depression and mental illness generally, in part because of the associated stigma and resulting secrecy, along with a good measure of ignorance. A manager will worry that a depressed employee can't be relied upon to make sound judgments and translate those judgments into effective action; moreover, the manager won't be sure how long the condition will continue, or whether it could become more serious.

This is not all about prejudice or even mere ignorance, however. Depression can unquestionably interfere with job performance, particularly in a high-stress workplace environment. The problem is that there are no guideposts created by shared societal values or imposed by legal fiat.

I've been aware of and have been associated with enterprises that have taken a variety of approaches to mental health issues in the workplace. The most enlightened and effective approach that I have seen in larger organizations involves a confidential third-party resource service which can assist in referral to mental health providers, along with benefits that provide meaningful insurance coverage for mental health care. The latter issue is once again on the front burner in Congress with passage of vastly different versions of mental health benefit parity legislation in the House and Senate, as recently reported in The New York Times. The linked article only scratches the surface of a controversy with major implications for both the workplace and public health generally.

Finally, I would agree with those who say that depression is best kept a private matter if treatment can be obtained without acknowledging the issue at work. Those who do acknowledge past or continuing illness deserve commendation. It is a brave act that will help to humanize one of society's remaining false demons.

I think the real problem is that mental illness is still looked at by many people as something that the person who is ill can control. People who have never suffered from mental illness themselves think, "If you're anxious, calm down. If you're depressed, cheer up. If you're an alcoholic, stop drinking." Despite what the medical community discovers about mental illness, there is still a significant disconnect in the real world.

Mitch Hedberg, a popular L.A. comic once joked, "Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. Damn it Otto, you are an alcoholic. Damn it Otto, you have Lupis... one of those two doesn't sound right."

It's a funny joke, but it's also a window into today's society. That's why it is so important for people to talk about depression and mental illness, to be bold and not ashamed. Maybe if that happens enough, there will be more understanding of mental illness and the topic itself will become less polarizing.

This is very obvious to give up the moral just on due to depression sort of feelings which could be due to any reason or unpleasent feelings you experienced. you must fight it out and get the depressed feeling away from you. dont mind, its my feeling.

I chose to not pursue a career because of my mental illness. There is no way to keep it a secret. The symptoms are so obvious that people could tell that something is wrong with me. I have schizoaffective disorder, which in my case is paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Besides it being disabling, I have very few friends. They were very scared when I told them that I was ill, and soon, they abandoned me. Knowing how they reacted, I wouldn't want to try working, even though sometimes I am stable. I live on disability and rely on my fiance's income. I don't want to give in so easily, so I'm trying to write a novel. Maybe, it could provide some income. I also have a part time job delivering newspapers. There is very little contact people, and they don't know anything about my illness.

I do have to tell people that I am on disability. It's hard to avoid telling them what I have, because they are so persistent to know what is my condition.

Thank you all for writing in. I am overwhelmed by the responses and the sharing especially given that, as Joanne says, it is a subject that is still so stigmatized that it is difficult to talk about, nevermind to live with. I am also struck by the number of people who wrote who are suffering from depression and who are, or have been, in positions of real responsibility. Depression is an equal opportunity disease.

I think the posting by John Gellene very nicely sums up the predicament for organizations. We do know the differences between the common cold, the flu and pneumonia. But doctors themselves are often confused by the differences between depression, manic depression (another name for bipolar illness) and other forms of mental illness. For example, medical experts estimate that it takes 10 years for a person to be correctly diagnosed as having a manic depressive illness and to find the right treatment. That’s an impossibly long time for the sufferer, but it’s a lifetime for a company. As Gellen puts it: during that time, depression can unquestionably interfere with job performance, particularly in high stress work environments. And of course, a company has a fiduciary responsibility to all its stakeholders, not simply to one individual.

The tricky thing is that in some situations depressed people perform better on the job than non-depressed people. I am reminded of a high-powered friend of mine, a psychiatrist who had top secret clearance so he could work NATO officials in Brussels. He also was recruited by the European Commission to interview candidates to determine before they were hired whether they were likely to be psychologically unstable and unproductive on the job. My friend turned down the job –despite its very lucrative benefits. His reasoning: we never know whether depression is going to lead to breakdown or breakthrough. These people, he told me, can be among the most creative, innovative people in your organization.

I know that Norm Pearlstine, former editor in chief of Time and before that my boss at the Wall Street Journal Europe, gave me the benefit of the doubt. When I had a depression and had to take a leave of absence from my job, he told me that whether it took me four months or four years to recover, my job would still be waiting for me when I was ready to return. He encouraged me to seek the treatment I needed and I did. As a consequence of Pearlstine’s extraordinary generosity, I have been able to work for the last 20 years. But even Pearlstine said that in subsequent years he has learned to be “much more cautious” in balancing the interests of the company against those of the employee. As he put it, “as much as I would like to avoid doing that, I would have very little choice in today’s litigious society.”

That lands the sufferers of mental illness squarely in the hands of the medical insurers, who as Chantal argues, become the authorities in depression. I have not had experience with these disability insurers, but I understand through my connections with the mentally ill community that Chantal’s experience is common. This much I am sure of: unlike the victims of many other diseases, depressed people are typically unable to argue their cases with insurance companies or employers precisely because their minds are so overwhelmed. It’s hard to find the clarity, nevermind the stamina, to defend yourself. That only adds to the tragedy of mental illness.

Thank you for your comments,

Depression is so universal I find it difficult to understand the persistent stigma.
Maybe it would help if people were able to see what "clinical depression" is like.
This is the medicated-inpatient-can't get out of bed-communicate-bath or even hope-depression that is more extreme than what most of us go through. Depression has a spectrum and most of us can still function effectively at work while we might not be chair of the social committee. Depression is normal, natural and appropriate as we develop and evolve as adults. Instead of asking employees if they can hack it while they are sad, maybe we need to ask what they have learned during their sad phase.

A similar issue is grief: How open should the bereaved be about his or her struggle with grief three months, six months, 12 months after the death? What about when the grief bleeds into depression? How lenient should managers be when grieving employees aren't at the top of their game, and how long should their leniency continue? What's the right way for the manager to express empathy for the employee while also holding him or her accountable for performance?

I read with great interest your blog. The collective impact of the different entries helped advance my understanding of the illness that took my son's life. I've got a long way to go; however, I wish that I knew even as much as I know now, little as it is, sooner, when it might have made a difference. The dialogue you're sparked may help others before it's too late.

Don

***
I agree with you Mark that depression does indeed have a spectrum – there is a vast difference between what Freud called the “ordinary unhappiness” of the human condition and the unbearable darkness of despair. You suggest that employers ask us what we have learned during the sad phase of our lives. I have learned that too much suffering can crush a human being. That, and yes, I have found out that I might not be the best candidate for chair of the social committee.

The question about grief is a good one. I am not a psychologist, but my sister Deborah works in hospice and deals all the time with families who have lost a loved one. She believes that there is no fixed time frame for grieving, but rather that grief is cumulative. The less you have dealt with past experiences of loss, she says, the more traumatic the death of a loved one will be. Of course, there are exceptions, but depression tends to be just one aspect of grief. Other aspects might include anger, ambivalence, acceptance and then back to anger all over again.

Christina, you also ask how lenient managers should be when grieving employees aren’t at the top of their game? I believe there is no answer to this question - a lot of it seems to come down to dumb luck. If your boss has lost a parent, she is likely to be quite understanding of your own grieving process. But if the manager has never lost a child, she may be unable to empathize with your devastation and slack on the job. I know that in my own life I have had the extraordinary good fortune to have had managers help me because of their own familiarity with my situation– either because of their own experience or that of a close family member. But it’s just been the luck of the draw – and I know this.

Don, I read your post with sadness. You don’t say how old your son was, but whatever his age, you are not alone. Although statistics vary, conservative ones show that suicide is the third leading cause of death in 19 to 24-year olds, killing over a million young people a year globally. And the New York Times reported recently that suicide is jumping to record highs among middle age people. I don’t think anyone who has lost someone to suicide ever stops berating him or herself for not trying harder, trying better. But sometimes, try though we may, love though we do, we cannot prevent a suicide. No one could. What we can do, I believe, is to share our experience, strength and hope. Thank you for writing in.

Driving home after posting my last comment about the suicide of Don’s son, I thought, yes I think what I’m saying here is right, but what does it have to do with business? How far I have strayed from the five forces and disruptive technologies and the Black–Scholes model. But the fact is, no matter how I look at it, business comes down to people. People as customers, people as suppliers, people as competitors and rivals, people as leaders and followers. We’re all just people with our visions and ambitions and suffering and foibles. Or to paraphrase what one of our great experts on organizations and their management, Peter Drucker, put it: business is, after all, “made up of individuals and their stories.” And that, I believe, is the bottom line.

The true question to be asked should be "WHY are so many people depressed?"

A society that chases after the Jones', nothing is ever enough (bigger, faster, more) and more pressure and stress than ever at work. Life is busy, many hours spent in rush hour traffic, one tight deadline at work immediately followed by the next, worries about money, health insurance, saving for retirement, career advancement, most news on the media is negative,...
Ever wonder why it is hard to keep a positive outlook when everything is always being judged, competitive and time is filled up with chores?

Mabye a better life balance (not only work-life) is needed here.
And that includes a work place where one is not always worried about what an impact (usually negative) anything off the "norm" will have on one's career (how and when it will be held against you at the next convenience).

Take time for yourself sometimes, do what you enjoy, laugh, build friendships, don't worry about everything on the To-Do list. Turn off the TV with all the voyeuristic and pessimistic reporting and medical commercials.
Right now, think about one thing that you already have in your life that will make you smile...

Speaking to their respective superiors or the HRs about their problems may not sound safe for the people suffering from mental depressions.Its ideal to have a certified couselor in the organisation who can be approached anytime and let them take it to higher levels if required.

To the penultimate blogger: You don’t give your name, but if you’ve followed this long thread of comments, you deserve an honest answer.

Why, you ask, is there so much depression? Isn’t it the world we live in? Can’t we just smile and learn to enjoy what we have?

I sort of agree with you. We definitely need more genuinely human moments in a world where community has broken down and despair crowds us on every front: the recession, the environment, the Middle East – and on and on. But while we all have to deal with these stressors, most people don’t get clinically depressed because of them. There have been studies of Auschwitz survivors, for example, which show that not everybody who went through that horrible ordeal came out depressed! That’s where genes come in. Some people are genetically buffered against depression, while others are more vulnerable to it. We don’t understand all the reasons, but we’re learning more about them everyday in this century of the brain.

I’m no neuroscientist but this much I am very sure of: a clinically depressed person can’t smile or joke her way out of mental illness. Of course, a sense of humor helps. And friends absolutely do too. But manic depression, for example, is a genetic disease. Once a depression gets triggered, a chemical process is set in motion that can last weeks, or months or even years. During this time, the sufferer is unable to experience almost any joy or pleasure.

Mark is right – I am discussing clinical depression here – and not “normal, natural, and appropriate” depression. In its more severe forms, however, depression may require medication (and therapy) to jump start the brain and even to save a depressed person’s life. There are terrible side effects to many of these drugs: horrible weight gain, grotesque memory loss, absence of sexual desire, tremors, danger to your kidneys and liver, and even diabetes. Some people say that taking drugs is the easy way out. I agree. I think anything is easier than living in the extremes of depression.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to promote the pharmaceutical companies here (for a discussion of pharma companies, see my colleague Julia Kirby’s blog Should Pharmaceutical Companies Market Directly to Consumers: http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/hbreditors/2008/03/pfizers_lipitor_ad_cave_dodges.html). And yet it’s indisputable that the psychopharmacological advances of the last 20 years have made life livable for millions of people who otherwise could not laugh, build friendships, and think about that one thing they have in life that makes them smile (my godson Isaac!).

That said, Sita, the overwhelming consensus in this blog has been, as you say, that it’s better not to talk about depression in the workplace. Ironically, we live in a confessional age when we can’t even speak honestly about things that matter. And yet I do believe there’s hope. Since I posted this blog, I’ve had numerous emails and warm encouragement from colleagues around the company who’ve told me about their own depressions, reminisced about an aunt who had manic depression, talked about a brother who committed suicide, and worried about a father who may be depressed. Given that one out of four adults is affected by depression and other mental illnesses, then of course we’re all affected by it in some form or fashion. That’s as true on the job, as off.

Regarding your own job situation: You say it’s best to talk to a corporate counselor if you can. That may well be. I just don’t know how typical it is for corporations nowadays to still have counselors on board; it seems to me that most companies now use coaches rather than counselors. The problem is that depression is a medical disease and few corporate coaches have training in psychology or counseling. Rightly or wrongly, I believe that “treatment” by non-professionals can often do more harm than good.

I would like to write about my experience regarding depression at work. I’m in my 30s, I have an MBA with a solid professional experience. Just over a year ago I left my previous employer for a better and higher paying position as an assistant manager at one of the largest banks. The problem was that once I got to my new position I found out that my boss had fired his secretary and had hired me in her place!! Needless to say I was shocked. When I had confronted my boss with the situation she denied that I would do any secretarial work. To make a long story short, I 've been doing the secretarial work of the previous employee and trying (or begging should I say) for any projects I can get my hands on.

As a person I am quite ambitious, although I may not be eager to become a top executive, I always want to move forward and make progressive steps. Most importantly, I see my career as a source of creativity, personal development and a reflection of my capabilities.

My situation has caused me to have deep feelings of low worth and low self-stem. I feel that my career has ended; no one will want to hire me after such a bad decision. I have already changed 4 jobs, so I am discouraged to search for another job. I feel very insecure, and worst of all I feel that all my career efforts have gone down the drain. There are now younger people on the team that have more important responsibilities than me. How did I ever get in this mess? How can I get out of it? Will I ever get out of it?

This is my depression at work!! These are the thoughts that go through my mind every-single day. A day doesn’t go by without crying in the bathroom (literally). The tears I have shed and the panic attacks have made me ill. I am just not optimistic about anything anymore.

So I finally wonder, is depression more a state of mind - our chemicals - or is it triggered by situations? Which is to blame more? In modern societies shouldn’t depression be treated - and prevented - like any other occupational hazard?

MENTAL ILLNESS HAS LONG-TERM IMPACT ON CAREERS AND EMPLOYERS

Mental illness can affect individuals' work life in many ways. I believe it is not only the days missed, medical treatment, and assistance sought through EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) that are major costs to companies but also the cost of job abandonment and replacement (i.e. hiring, training, lost productivity, etc.) for those that do not or are not able to discuss their illness with their employer, which I believe is far more prevalent that people think.

On the employee side, I believe that mental illness can severely sidetrack a once prominent career. I have had a number of bouts of depression over the years with one requiring me to take a long absence and go on disability from my job. Even after I returned and transitioned to another group, I became paranoid about what people knew and had to confront rumors about why I had been out of the workforce, not knowing whom to trust. I suspect millions of others are forced to deal with similar issues.

Currently, I am in a career transition (i.e. the nice way of saying unemployed), and I feel that my previous episodes will also affect future employment, as well. It is difficult to know how my previous employer will comment on me, if asked. Although, legally, the company can not talk publicly about my illness, one never knows what informal discussions are taking place.

I know that millions have had to deal with similar issues and have succeeded in getting their careers back on track, but I do not know where to turn for advice or counsel and I know that I am not the only one that faces this dilemma. Currently, I reside in Chicago, IL and would be glad to help support others that are battling similar issues. If anyone is interested, please e-mail me at skg092@hotmail.com.

ONE LAST SIDE NOTE

Despite the grim facts, I also believe that those that have previously suffered from mental illness can not only recover but can actually become bigger assets to companies because they become more cognizant about issues that are affecting others and are better at early detection of mental illness preventing mild symptoms from becoming major.

Suddendly and unexpectedly I stumbled with this blog, and I was very shocked by what the readers wrote about their experiences with depression and how depression ruined their careers and their life. These comments sent me back to 1998 when I was riding the top of the mountain and looking at the valley with amusement and pride. Then depression hit me and from there I remained in the abyss for the next 8 years. Needless to say, I lost absolutely everything I built for 42 years: My family, all my financial resources, career, and above all my health. Suicide then became my final ¨exit¨

Ten years later, I am 52, it would absolutely a tragedy to say that depression forced me either, to kill myself or to remain alive. I decided to live without depression of course, and the end result is that I beat the disorder. I have a new life new family and I am doing what I always loved most: To write, to dance and to travel.

I became a neuroscience researcher dedicated to write about depression and soon I will begin dancing, activity that I abandoned to pursue other interests that overtime lead me to depression.

Life throws hard challenges at you. This is what makes life interesting. Neuroscience and resilience got me out of my depression.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter what tunnel we are crossing.

Hi Diane:

I realize this isn't the optimaal forum in which to ask this, but I'm a Ph.D. student studying workplace productivity and am trying to find your article "Human resources: The wages of stress" from 1998, but I can't find it in any online database, not even in the archives at HBR.com. Can you help point me in a helpful direction?

Thanks in advance!
Kerul Kassel
kerul@newleafsystems.com

It's great to see that the business community is starting to discuss these issues in greater scope than just the financial costs.

In response to ignacio's post, I choose to live without depression every single day; unfortunately, it chooses to live with me.

Factually supported neuroscience has provided me with medication to arrive at a baseline level. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy continues to give me tools to deal with/analyze various situations and objectively evaluate my thoughts and emotions.

I've tried pretty much all known alternative treatments that ended in negative results. Diet, herbs, exercise, meditation, etc. These work well in conjunction with modern medication for me but, not alone.

Before (and still) my diagnosis I was an avid reader of success literature. Speaking from experience there is no amount of "Stuart Smally" euphemisms that will magically cure what I suffer from.

If you're simply depressed then it is often easy to lift oneself out of that simple mood but, there is a huge difference between being depressed and suffering with depression.

The belief that one chooses to have depression is the biggest fallacy in existence. You don't choose depression (in a clinical sense) it chooses you. At one stage in our history people believed someone with Epilepsy were possessed. Medical science has since proved otherwise.

The only thing within my power, is learning how to live and cope with depression. To quote Adrian Monk, "it's a gift...and a curse". Having been forced to look deeper into myself has provided as much positivity as negativity.

The diagnosis of depression has hit me like a ton of bricks. I really just thought I was a nervous person.

Intellectually, I can see all the signs and symptoms, I've just never reached this point in my life before. In the past, I had short episodes of depression that didn't interfere with work for more than a few hours, possibly a day or so. Now, I'm in new territory. I can't concentrate at all. I have a pile of things to do and all I can do is stare off into space. And there's no end in sight.

I feel like Ive already ruined my career without even telling anyone formally about my depression.I've cried at work and I've been irritable inappropriately and my boss has shown an obvious frustration with me. I feel as though I will never progress at this job or any other.

Depression is an increasingly, a major workplace issue. It is a major mental health issue in America. many people with depression showing up for work but not functioning at anywhere near full capacity. Depression, however, always wears a human face.

Depression at the work is due to pressure of seniors or by some mental disorder. It is not good thing for health. After long time it may result in serious problem.
_________________________
veny
Addiction Recovery Massachusetts