Mental health has been gaining a lot of attention lately, and for a good reason. Many people have turned to mental health as an alternative to drugs or alcohol and have gotten great results. Others have turned to mental health training as a path toward their career shortly while they continue working on their current job. Mental health is just one fantastic thing that we all deserve access to and should not be denied due to cost or other factors.
Mental health conditions are not as scary or devastating as people make them out to be. Mental health can be very beneficial in our lives, especially in the workplace. You will have more energy, less stress and anxiety, and much better communication with your coworkers with good mental health. It will lead to increased productivity and efficiency among all employees resulting in happier customers and more satisfied employees.
5 Mental Health Conditions
- Depression
Depression is one of the primary mental health issues affecting U.S. workers today. Depression is a severe illness that can have serious long-term adverse effects on your life, relationships, and even work performance. Many people suffer from depression, whether it be mild or severe. Still, many believe that depression only affects people with medical conditions such as but not limited to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or other terminal illnesses. Depression affects millions of people every day and is usually caused by the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. It can also be caused by something you are not doing to your satisfaction or failure to achieve success. Signs or symptoms of depression include feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, loss of interest in hobbies and activities, fatigue, changes in eating patterns, inability to sleep well, and thoughts of death or suicide. Depression may affect your performance as an employee if left untreated.
- Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of restlessness and apprehension that can interfere with daily life. It can be triggered by an event in our life, such as starting a new job, getting married, or moving to a new city. Anxiety disorders are pervasive today and are well known to employers. Symptoms of anxiety include feeling overwhelmed, difficulty concentrating, irritability at work, excessive worrying about everyday concerns, and nervousness. Anxiety may affect your performance as an employee if left untreated.
- Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar is a mood disorder that makes a person's mood change quickly and often drastically. Person with bipolar disorder has episodes where they experience very high energy and euphoria, followed by times when they are depressed. An episode of mania can last for weeks or even months, but it is usually followed by depression. Symptoms of this illness are depression, mania, high energy and euphoria, rapid mood swings and lack of sleep, irritability, racing thoughts, racing speech, and impairment in thought processes. This illness can interfere with an employee's performance and relationships in the office if left untreated.
- Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a major mental illness that affects people's ability to function daily. People who suffer from this disorder have trouble thinking, concentrating, remembering things, and communicating with others. Symptoms include hallucinations of seeing or hearing things that aren't there, delusions of false beliefs such as being followed, being poisoned, thought disorders, speech and behavior that is hard to understand, and social withdrawal. If left untreated, this illness can seriously interfere with an employee's ability to perform their job duties.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder often causes a person to have disturbing thoughts, impulses, and images that the patient cannot control. It can sometimes become housework or work-related. Young people with obsessions may do things that are not good for their health and safety simply because they feel they have to complete the task perfectly.
Depression, anxiety, bipolar, and schizophrenia are all serious illnesses that cause an individual to have mood disorders. These illnesses are prevalent today and can severely deter employee performance. Mental illness is not a sign of weakness or a lack of intelligence. It is simply a disorder that needs to be treated and dealt with as soon as possible for the employee to maintain their position at their job.