The single largest pool of untapped resource in this world is human good intentions that never translate into action. –Cindy Gallop

For some time now, I have been helping to organise RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo. I believe these two events could make a big difference in how people who are struggling with adversity are treated in the workplace and the community. Below is an outline of RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo and at the bottom is brief 100 word summary that could be used to describe RUOK?Arvo in a newsletter. If you have any suggestions about helping us to be successful in our quest please respond to the blog below.

RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo

Chances are that you know someone who is going through divorce, has lost a loved one, has a serious illness, is facing financial hardship, been retrenched, or having trouble with their children. For some people these crises can cause anxiety and a flat mood. For some it can progress into full blown clinical depression or an anxiety disorder.

Most of us would like to help, but we often opt out because we don’t know how to start the discussion, or are a little fearful that we could open a “can of worms”. The government recently announced that Medicare rebates for psychological counselling have increased 54% for 2009 over 2008. This is a problem that won’t go away unless we all take action.

This was the reason that RUOK?Day was created. We believe that a conversation can change a life and invite you to participate on Sunday Nov 29^th, 2009. Expert advice and videos can be found at www.RUOKDay.com.au

Action you could take

1.       Visit www.RUOKDay.com.au and review resources.

2.       Put Sunday Nov 29 in your diary and promise to make contact with one person you think could be struggling.

IF YOU WORK CONSIDER THIS

A 2007 Medicare Private study showed that by far the largest contributor to lost productivity in the Australian economy was caused by depression and anxiety.  Since 2007, Davidson Trahaire, by far Australia’s largest workplace counselling group, has seen client sessions for stress and anxiety increase 76% and 68% respectively.

This is why www.RUOKArvo.com.au has been created on Friday November 27 – the Friday afternoon before RUOK?Day. On this afternoon participating companies will invite all employees to reach out to one person – either a loved one or a work colleague – and ask RUOK?

At www.RUOKArvo.com.au you will find:

1.       Simple instructions on how your team or company can register and participate in RUOK?Arvo

2.       A downloadable  “How to ask RUOK? and support guide” and related video – for those concerned – see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

3.       A downloadable “I’m not OK and support guide” and related video – for those struggling

4.       A downloadable “Team Leaders Meeting Guide” and related video plus RUOK?Arvo Poster – on how to present RUOK?Arvo and engage the team

The organisations below have between 30 and 25,000 employees and have decided that these issues are so universal, that they will invite all their employees to ask RUOK? on Friday November 27.

FOUNDING SUPPORTERS OF RUOK?ARVO

Alexion, APN  Media, AT Kearney, Australian Human Resources Institute, Black Dog Institute, CareerOne, Cbus Super, Cochlear, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych, DLA Phillips Fox, Freehills, Inspire Foundation, Investment and Financial Services Association, Lifeline, Lundbeck, Mental Health Association of NSW, News Limited, Ramsay Healthcare, Reach Out, SANE Australia, Sex Discrimination Commission, Simon & Schuster, STW Group, Talent2,  The Next Step, Toll Holdings, University of Western Sydney, Zurich Financial Services

Action you could take:

1.       Discuss RUOK?Arvo with 2 work colleagues and your team leader. If you decide you would like to participate as a team why not register at:  www.ruokarvo.com.au

Turn your good intentions into action by asking RUOK? - nothing changes until someone acts.

100 word summary

Do you know someone who is struggling?

RUOK?Arvo  - a conversation could change a life

November 27, 2009

Do you know someone who is struggling with depression or anxiety but don’t know how to open a conversation with them.  Organisations with between 20 and 25000 employees have already agreed to invite everyone to ask RUOK?  to a loved one or work colleague on November 27. For a 3 minute video on how to ask RUOK? see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

 To register and find full resources and support to help you start a conversation that could change a life, please go to www.ruokarvo.com.au 

 As I mentioned before, please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions by responding to the blog below.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, depression at work, depression treatments, work stress

This is the first of a 2 part article for Lawyers Weekly magazine. Although there are some aspects relating to the legal area, the message is applicable to all workplaces

Feeling like you are treading water in a whirlpool? Are you struggling with continued interruptions that leave your mind always cloudy? Finding it difficult to switch off from work and sleep properly? Wound up like a spring?

Rest assured, you are not alone.

In 2007 Medibank Private commissioned a study by Econtech which found the cost to the Australian economy of absenteeism was $ 7 billion and presenteeism amounted to a staggering $26 billion. The report concluded that by far the biggest contributor to this productivity loss was depression and anxiety disorders.

Stress has ballooned in the last year

Since the GFC, the strain has been building rapidly with the number of people seeking Medicare rebates for psychological services growing by a staggering 54% from March 2008 to March 2009. Australia’s largest workplace counselling provider, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych reported that sessions related to stress, anxiety and depression were up 62% from last year.

What makes this even more concerning is that in research undertaken for my book BACK FROM THE BRINK only 9% of people living with depression and anxiety disorders in Australia felt comfortable discussing it with their work colleagues.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that managers are very reluctant to initiate a discussion with someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety as they fear they “may open a can of worms”. This avoidance strategy couldn’t be more wrong with clinicians unanimously agreeing that the earlier an episode is addressed the better the outcome for the employee and the organisation.

The high rate of depression and substance abuse by lawyers is well documented. In the recent survey conducted for the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, 35% of law students recorded High to Very High Kessler-10 Distress, solicitors scored 31%, barristers 17%, versus a general population of 13%.

It is beyond the scope of this article to propose long term solutions to this complex problem, but I would like to contribute some short and medium term strategies that can significantly improve people’s mood and performance in the workplace. Before discussing these recommendations however, I need to discuss levels of distress.

The moodometer

I find people can relate to the concept of a moodometer. A moodometer is marked from 0 - 10 where 10= when you are physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually thriving, 5= is when you are stressed. You probably aren’t sleeping well, are having headaches or digestive problems but are still hopeful of getting better, 0 = suicidal - you are relying on drugs to get through the day and have lost hope of improving. For the purpose of qualifying advice, 0-4 is red zone, 4-6 amber zone, and 6-10 green zone.

What happens when faced with adversity

Most people’s response to adversity is to slide down the moodometer. This is understandable, but our fulfilment and success in life is ultimately determined by how quickly we can bounce back from these challenges. The focus of my recommendations is for individuals in the red and amber zones (63% of solicitors versus 37% for general population).

I have been at the lowest levels of the red zone and it is a place of great despair. What makes it particularly dangerous is that when I was there, I had given up hope of getting better, and couldn’t remember being mentally healthy. My mind was cloudy and I had difficulty in making decisions as quickly as I once did. I mention this for those that may be feeling this way, because after some changes in my lifestyle, I now live my life almost entirely in the green zone. I firmly believe that you can not only bounce back to where you were before, but if you are open to the lessons presented in these challenges, you may come out the other side thriving. You have no choice but to act now – no one deserves to dread each day.

Rarely do things improve by themselves

For those in the amber zone, you may be tempted to keep hanging in there hoping that things will turn around by themselves – they probably won’t. You can’t keep doing the same thing and be hopeful of getting a different result. You are in survival mode and probably can’t see options available that may help improve your life.

No matter what you know intellectually, when you are going through hard times there is a strong tendency to believe that you are the only one going through it. I know I felt this way. Since I have told my story of battling depression in the work place so publicly, I have found that every person I meet has someone close to them with a similar experience. Believe me – you are not alone.

Short term action

If you have been feeling in the red or amber zone every day for two weeks, the first thing you should do is to see your GP, a psychologist, or counsellor from your EAP provider (if you have one). If you are reluctant to do that you should at least consider an anonymous self test for depression at www.BlackDogInstitue.org.au  If the test suggests you need to speak to a mental health professional then organise an appointment immediately.

Exercise is essential

The second thing you should commit to doing is at least 30 minutes exercise each day. This doesn’t have to be a marathon – a 30 minute brisk walk in a park amongst nature at lunch time is enough. When you walk try to be in the moment and observe the plants, birds, animals and insects along the way. If you prefer swimming, cycling, aerobics, or dancing, do that. Research by the Black Dog Institute has shown exercise to be the most effective strategy (with no negative side effects) for improving depressive symptoms.

Emotional support 

Your third strategy should be to share you situation with someone you trust. This could be your spouse or partner, family member, or a friend. If your low mood is impacting your productivity at work, I would also strongly recommend talking to your manager. They have mostly likely already noticed the changes and it is better that they are aware of the real issue and don’t dismiss it as just a performance problem. Besides, you will need their support and approval if you are required to take time off to see doctors and to exercise.

Follow guidance

It is important in the next 4 weeks that you follow your doctors advice, exercise 30 minutes per day 6 days per week, and plan to meet with loved ones at least 2-3 times per week. I found it helpful to sit down on a Sunday and plan when I was going to schedule these activities in my diary for the week ahead. If you don’t plan for it in advance – it won’t happen. You need to do these things even if you don’t FEEL like it. The opposite of resilience is rigidity.

Next week

In the next issue I will be covering the remaining 4 essential strategies for bouncing back from adversity and specifically focusing on medium term action plans. I will also be outlining what managers, team mates and organisations can do to assist someone who is struggling.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE

If you have any comments or questions about what has been outlined above please reply to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which isn’t made public) to register.

I look forward to your input.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: adversity, anxiety, depression treatments, work stress, workplace stress

I was recently asked to be one of the judges for the Black Dog Institutes writing competetion entitled “Tackling Mood Disorders in the Workplace”. The winners were announced yesterday by the Minister for Mental Health The Hon Barbara Perry.

PRIZES

1. Maree Matic - Sydney
2. Daniel Taylor - Adelaide
3. Rowena Harris - Tasmania

In addition to these 3 there were 10 “Highly Commended”

JUDGES SUMMARY

The judges were very impressed with the standard of the 200+ submissions to this years contest. Entries came from those living with mood disorders, their work colleagues, and managers. When assessing each contribution we decided to place equal weight on relevant ideas raised, writing style, and practical suggestions to improve the current situation.

The vast majority of entrants still feel very reluctant to disclose their illness for fear that it will have an adverse effect on their career prospects. It seems that a “work mask” is still very much the norm. Comments such as “the act is taking its toll” and “hiding in the toilet is not a long term solution” reflected the quiet despair.

The occupations most frequently represented in the submissions were teachers, lawyers, and recruitment consultants.

It was very difficult to narrow the final field down to the 3 winners and 10 “Highly Commended”, but they provided some clear messages.

Organisations need to be much more proactive in educating employees and managers, in how to recognise and support those with a mood disorder. Whilst the importance of appropriate policies was highlighted, contributors stressed that the most crucial element was a compassionate manager who reached out to address the issue quickly. Many lamented that “values on the wall were not lived on the floor”.

Whilst diversity in gender, ethnicity, and physical disability, is actively encouraged in many organisations, it is sadly lacking for those with mood disorders. In addition to supportive work colleagues, the other critical organisational requirement is flexible hours to allow for doctors/therapist visits, and low mood in the morning, when required.

Those working with mood disorders stressed that they also have an obligation to balance their lifestyle and manage their mental health – “Ironically it was only when I started working on my wellness that my work performance improved.” Many also explained that their mental health was made worse by pursuing the wrong career. Despite the challenges of work, the vast majority stressed how important it was to their self esteem.

It was extremely difficult to pick a final winner, but we felt that the contribution chosen, could well act as a summary for all 200+ entries.

Graeme Cowan, Judges Chairperson May 28, 2009

I couldn’t help but think that this competition was so important as it raised so many ideas regarding how things could be improved in the this area of where we all spend so much time, yet as I have highlighted previously, only 9% of those with depression feel comfortable discussing their condition with work colleagues - how absurd is that.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING

If a genie suddenly granted you one wish about how you would change the workplace to be a better place for those who live with depression and anxiety, what would it be. I would love you to respond to reply to this blog with your thoughts.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, burnt out, depression, depression cure, depression help, depression treatments, work stress

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Tags: depression anxiety, depression at work, depression cure, depression help, depression treatments

I recently read last Saurday’s Los Angeles times

To read the full article go to the news section of www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

It provides some pretty startling results from a recent survey:

• 70% of US residents are experiencing significant stress due to the current state of the economy
• 49% say they have regular anxiety
• 48% are sad or depressed
• 33% are experiencing insomnia

A 2007 Medicare Private funded research study showed:

Absenteeism costs the Australian economy $7 billion whilst presenteeism (where workers are not fully engaged due to distress or illness) accounts for $25billion. They found that the greatest contributor to this lost productivity was depression.

An estimate of the cost of depression in Australia is $6.3billion.

A 2007 report ”How to improve the behavoural health of an organisation” by the global consulting firm Sibson showed:

• Mental health issues (of which depression and anxiety contribute the vast majority) account for 47% of all lost productivity compared to 26% for physical illnesses.

So how comfortable are people with depression talking with work colleagues about it?

With the level of stress faced by the workforce highlighted above, you would hope that employees would feel comfortable dsicussing their depression with work colleagues. In research I did for my first book I found the disturbing result that only 9% could discuss this situation with confidence it would not adversely affect how their peers viewed them.

I have recently been asked to be a judge for a writing competition by the Black Dog Institute called “Tackling mood disorders in the workplace”. The 100+ essays I read revealed the sad situation where people with mood disorders are on the whole, terrified of revealing their conditon to fellow employees for fear it will jeopardise their career prospects.

This situation is untenable, and on April 1st I will be speaking at a forum for 100 HR professional hosted by the outplacement, and career planning organisation www.Directioneering.com  to highlight the absurdity of this.

I will also be outlining what I believe is an achieveable path forward to make the workplace as friendly to those with mental illness as it is to people with cancer, a broken leg, blindness or any other physical disability.

In my next blog entry I will address this way forward. If you have any comments regarding what has been outlined, please respond to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, burnt out, depression, work stress

I was very surprised when I did my original research for BFTB, that fulfilling work was rated as the fourth most effective strategy for overcoming/ managing depression. People with depression rated fulfilling work ahead of medication for example, which I’m sure would amaze many people.

FIFTEEN YEARS IN RECRUITMENT AND OUTPLACEMENT TOLD ME THIS WAS TRUE

When I reflected on the thousands of people I had tried to assist with their careers over those 15 years, I intuitively knew how important fulfilling work was to people’s mental health and self esteem.

If you look at the news section of my website - www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com - you’ll see that a number of stories have been published on this topic in the last week, due the the world financial crisis.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE 0-5 ON THE MOODOMETER

If you are depressed, and aren’t capable of working full time, I would strongly encourage you to consider voluntary work. When I was recovering I worked as a volunteer at Volunteering NSW (I know similar organisations exist everywhere).

One of my jobs was interviewing people to help identify which skills they would like to use and then finding charities near them, that would enable them to use those skills. I had the pleasure of watching how long term unemployed and people with a mental illness would grow in confidence when they had the opportunity to positively contribute to a charity. These roles aren’t nearly as pressurized as full time work, yet still offer the benefits of social contact and providing people with a sense of purpose.

Check out www.govolunteer.com.au and http://www.volunteer.com.au/?cid=sk:main:au:nav:vol  to get an idea of the wide array of roles available.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE 4-10 ON THE MOODOMETER BUT NOT ENJOYING YOUR WORK

My strong suggestion would be to do so form of assessment to help understand what skills you get most satisfaction out of using. There are many options out there but a really user friendly and practical one I have used myself is found at www.assessment.com- It is called a Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP) You are asked to go through a questionnaire (takes about 15 minutes) and then you receive your report. There is a free version, but I found the best value one to cost about $US40. This report really resonated with me and gave me a great sense of career direction.

The report identifies your top 10 innately motivating skills but then importantly it then tells you which roles allow you to utilise them. How you go about transitioning to these new roles is too much to cover now, but knowing where you want to head is half the issue.

BLACK DOG INSTITUTE “MOOD DISORDERS IN THE WORKPLACE” WRITING COMPETITION

I have just been asked to be one of 3 judges to help assess the winners in the above competition. It is great this topic is getting some deserved profile. A book will follow on this subject, so keep an eye out for that.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this topic, please respond to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety in the workplace, black dog institute, depression, overcoming depression, stress, voluntary work, workplace stress

I was fortunate enough to have recently visited Hong Kong.  Whilst there I caught up with some people from Jardine Matheson - one of Hong Kong’s oldest and largest companies. Like a lot of organisations, that had found that their charitable contributions in the past had been quite haphazard.

The launch of Mindset

After some research, they decided to focus their attention on the area of mental health and launched Mindset in 2002. Mindset’s objectives are to change people’s attitudes by raising awareness and understanding of mental health issues, and to provide direct assistance to individuals, families, and organisations in need of help.

Involving some high achievers

Each year 50 Ambassadors are chosen from across the Jardine Companies, who are able to take time out from their normal roles to guide Mindset activities. This group contributed 30,000 hours and are  typically aged 25-30 and are regarded as future leaders within the group.

Mindset Initiatives

Current initiatives include:

1. Education and prevention in schools through the “Health in Mind” program.
2. Re-intergrations - supporting mental health agencies through patient support activities and the promotion of a job training program within the Jardine Matheson Group companies.
3. Financial Support - to fund direct services for the mentally ill such as case managers etc.
4. Community Awareness - to undertake a range of initiatives that enhance awareness of mental health related issues.

Two of the most notable community initiatives are the “Mindset Ratrace” - a community fun run around downtown Hong Kong and “Walk up Jardine House” which both served to raise funds for activities.

Highlights

• More than 25,000 school students reached by the “Health in Mind” program.
• 135 training and placement opportunities offered to ex mentally ill in Group businesses.
• The funding of six programs in support of carers and families and direct services for the mentally ill.
• 19 patient support actvities organized.
• $5HKmillion ($A1 million) Cash contributed
• 30,000 hours by 50 Jardine Ambassadors

It was interesting hearing their experiences in job placement. They initially sought openings in their group and then tried to place appropriate people. Eventually they found that they were best off starting with the candidate and then determining what type of role would suit. The referrals for these candidates come from community mental health organisations.

The company employs a part time administrator whose role it is to co-ordinate activities.

About half the people who have gone through Jardine’s re-integration initiatives remain in full time employment.

Jardine’s are to be applauded for pioneering help in an area of community need that has typically been overlooked by most of the corporate world.

If you have any questions or comments about this initiative I would love to hear them.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, charity, depression, mental health, work

I would like to tell you a story about Brian Egan. Brian was a veteran and farmer who was featured in “Back from the Brink” (see www.OvercomingYourDepression.com) He was tortured by his experiences of war and had the added pain of enduring year of drought on the land. Eventually he and his wife Nerida were forced off the land with nothing. He went into a catatonic depression where he couldn’t even talk for six months.

The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide

A psychologist he was seeing suggested that he get involved in helping others worse off than himself. At first he thought he was joking because he couldn’t think of anyone worse off than him. Eventually he started working for a charity but realised that his true interest lay in directly helping farmers who are doing it tough.

The birth of Aussie Helpers

He and Nerida decided to start Aussie Helpers (www.aussiehelpers.org.au)   in 2002. Since then they have helped thousands of farming families with groceries, food, personal hygiene goods, and feed for stock. They work 6 days a week and are passionate about helping others and are now operating in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania. Brian has adopted Mother Theresa’s motto that “giving is receiving”.

If you want to help yourself help others

Not content to just “rebuild the bush” Brian and Nerida have now launched another initiative which is endeavouring to kill two birds with the one stone. There is a chronic shortage of labour in farming communities so Aussie Helpers is launching “The Wall of Hope” which will bring homeless people from the cities and train them in how work on a farm.  Donations can be sent to Aussie Helpers, PO Box 405, Charleville, Qld 4470. Brian credits Aussie Helpers as the reason he recovered. I know in my own experience and in talking with many people that have overcome depression that it is often helping others that gets us outside our own head. There are many options to volunteer. If you have a story about how volunteering has helped you I would love to hear it.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression, farming, helping, PTSD, rural

New research from the UK shows that returning to work can aid depression. The study looked at 500 people who were on sick leave and examined how returning to work impacted their mood. The full story can be found at www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com in the news section.

Back from the Brink Research

Thes findings are congruent with the Ultrafeedback study which was done for BFTB which showed that “fulfilling work” was the 4th most effective strategy for overcoming/managing depression. The role of work in lifting ones wellbeing cannot be underestimated and is a strategy often forgotten by doctors and psychologists.

Voluntary Work

I know through personal experience how detrimental it can be have too much time on your hands when you are depressed. This is the exact problem you face when you are on sick leave. When I was recovering I had a voluntary position as a counsellor helping people find voluntary work that met their interests and capacities. I saw first hand how much getting back in the workforce really helped people. If you have a story about how work helped your recovery I would love to hear from you.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags:

In an article today from the US (see News section of www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com ) several employers from Minnesota have banded together to try to address the high cost of depression in their workforce. Called the “Bridges to Excellence” program, their health insurance companies are asking doctors to be accountable for their results. Patients will be asked to fill out a 9 question survey at the start to assess the severity of their depression. They will then have to redo the survey at 6 months and 12 months. If the patient is recovered after 12 months, the doctor will receive a $100 bonus for their treatment. They then plan to review results after two years with a view to directing patients to the more successful doctors.

This action is a direct result of the cost of depression in the workplace. Although the structure of health delivery in Australia is quite different, I think it is inevitable (and healthy) to have doctors accountable for their treatment. There would then be a much higher motivation to instigate evidence based treatment. In talking recently with Professor Gordon Parker from the Blackdog Institute, I know that he believes that many doctors currently treat depression via an outdated model. Measuring outcomes along the recovery path (or lack of it is a good thing)

May the best in life and love and happiness be ahead of you.

Graeme

Tags: , anxiety, depression, workplace depression, workplace stress