Comments on: Money and Depression: Telling Your Boss, Or Not http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/ Everything About Money You Were Too Polite To Ask Tue, 21 May 2013 04:01:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Myrtle http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-44360 Myrtle Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:39:42 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-44360 Because Online is Forever, I also want to add the importance of getting a physical workup and a blood panel from your MD before having a Psych doctor sit in their office on their French antiques and prescribe something. I was helped more by my Ob/Gyn catching my low thyroid condition (I mean, the thyroid supplement feels like a miracle) than my bs Psych telling me to "just keep taking it" when I complained of the debilitating side effects of the drugs she'd prescribed. Don't let them to this to you. YMMV Because Online is Forever, I also want to add the importance of getting a physical workup and a blood panel from your MD before having a Psych doctor sit in their office on their French antiques and prescribe something. I was helped more by my Ob/Gyn catching my low thyroid condition (I mean, the thyroid supplement feels like a miracle) than my bs Psych telling me to “just keep taking it” when I complained of the debilitating side effects of the drugs she’d prescribed. Don’t let them to this to you. YMMV

]]> By: Myrtle http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-44355 Myrtle Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:25:54 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-44355 @UnabashedVixen PREACH. We spend all our money on wars related to controlling fossil fuel resources worldwide. There's such a disconnect between the rank and file and the millionaires who govern us that it will probably take a revolution to overturn it, but we're too busy sitting on our collective Barcalounger digging out the remote, to be bothered. I'm a whistleblower but I'm usually alone as no one will risk their safety, even when they see I'm fighting for them. @UnabashedVixen PREACH. We spend all our money on wars related to controlling fossil fuel resources worldwide. There’s such a disconnect between the rank and file and the millionaires who govern us that it will probably take a revolution to overturn it, but we’re too busy sitting on our collective Barcalounger digging out the remote, to be bothered.

I’m a whistleblower but I’m usually alone as no one will risk their safety, even when they see I’m fighting for them.

]]> By: Myrtle http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-44351 Myrtle Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:13:47 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-44351 @SnarlFurillo Reading your post from the future/today and so glad I saw it. Thank you for posting!! @SnarlFurillo Reading your post from the future/today and so glad I saw it. Thank you for posting!!

]]> By: Myrtle http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-44348 Myrtle Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:03:36 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-44348 @notpollyanna I'm so sorry that you had this experience. You deserve to be well treated. I have had this abuse by mental health professionals, too. The field is a great place for sociopaths to hide, as doctors won't "tell" on each other, even at the expense of patient health and safety. I've called my County watchdog agency to report what I saw in a hospital's treatment program. They have not called me back, but I will call again. I had enough therapy that I don't keep secrets about abuse anymore. @notpollyanna I’m so sorry that you had this experience. You deserve to be well treated. I have had this abuse by mental health professionals, too. The field is a great place for sociopaths to hide, as doctors won’t “tell” on each other, even at the expense of patient health and safety.

I’ve called my County watchdog agency to report what I saw in a hospital’s treatment program. They have not called me back, but I will call again. I had enough therapy that I don’t keep secrets about abuse anymore.

]]> By: Myrtle http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-44326 Myrtle Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:23:00 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-44326 For Americans, being employed means having health insurance. I poured myself into my work at the expense of taking care of myself, (an "overused skill" my manager said) and still lost my job due to too many days out. I have/had physical problems and complications from major surgery that contributed to my depression. Hindsight says I should have pushed the "Accomodations" button, as SnarlFurillo's excellent post points out, but I kept thinking I was going to magically fully recover. I did not. I got physical accommodations, but not mental ones, as I didn't know I could ask. I lost a family member to suicide where depression was a factor, so I feel I should have known better. I've been forced to disclose my treating doctor's notes in order to get Long-Term Disability Insurance, so there went confidentiality. But at the same time, I've decided I'm not ashamed to be ill, and I'll share information if it will help others. For Americans, being employed means having health insurance. I poured myself into my work at the expense of taking care of myself, (an “overused skill” my manager said) and still lost my job due to too many days out. I have/had physical problems and complications from major surgery that contributed to my depression.
Hindsight says I should have pushed the “Accomodations” button, as SnarlFurillo’s excellent post points out, but I kept thinking I was going to magically fully recover. I did not. I got physical accommodations, but not mental ones, as I didn’t know I could ask. I lost a family member to suicide where depression was a factor, so I feel I should have known better.
I’ve been forced to disclose my treating doctor’s notes in order to get Long-Term Disability Insurance, so there went confidentiality. But at the same time, I’ve decided I’m not ashamed to be ill, and I’ll share information if it will help others.

]]> By: ladyshiv http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-33796 ladyshiv Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:29:18 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-33796 @UnabashedVixen not the only disease, addiction does the same. @UnabashedVixen not the only disease, addiction does the same.

]]> By: SnarlFurillo http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-33701 SnarlFurillo Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:11:17 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-33701 Man, reading this really bums me out because depression is a recognized mental health disability that qualifies employees for certain protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But many people with depression or other common mental health problems don't identify as disabled and/or don't realize that there are many potential accommodations (JOB-SAVING accommodations) out there. Or because of the stigma around mental illness, people don't want to identify (like many commenters here). But I think if you are having symptoms, it's usually better to self-identify and come to your boss or HR with a plan (for many reasons, but also because once people hear the word "disability" they are often VERY RELUCTANT to discipline you. So. Keep that in mind.) But your employer can't GIVE you accommodations and you can't exercise those protections if you don't identify yourself to them as a person who is disabled. Plus, if you are, say, coming in an hour late for a month because you need twice as much time to get out of bed, and your employer doesn't know you have depression, they are going to fire you. But if you are proactive and say, "I am working with my doctor to resolve this, but right now my mental health impairment is affecting my sleep, so I will call or email when I am going to be more than 15 minutes late and I will make up the time each evening," well, now you have a ballgame. EVERYONE with a mental health disability of ANY kind should read the Job Accommodation Network's documents on accommodations for employees with mental health disabilities: http://askjan.org/media/psyc.htm It is really useful. Man, reading this really bums me out because depression is a recognized mental health disability that qualifies employees for certain protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But many people with depression or other common mental health problems don’t identify as disabled and/or don’t realize that there are many potential accommodations (JOB-SAVING accommodations) out there. Or because of the stigma around mental illness, people don’t want to identify (like many commenters here). But I think if you are having symptoms, it’s usually better to self-identify and come to your boss or HR with a plan (for many reasons, but also because once people hear the word “disability” they are often VERY RELUCTANT to discipline you. So. Keep that in mind.) But your employer can’t GIVE you accommodations and you can’t exercise those protections if you don’t identify yourself to them as a person who is disabled. Plus, if you are, say, coming in an hour late for a month because you need twice as much time to get out of bed, and your employer doesn’t know you have depression, they are going to fire you. But if you are proactive and say, “I am working with my doctor to resolve this, but right now my mental health impairment is affecting my sleep, so I will call or email when I am going to be more than 15 minutes late and I will make up the time each evening,” well, now you have a ballgame.

EVERYONE with a mental health disability of ANY kind should read the Job Accommodation Network’s documents on accommodations for employees with mental health disabilities: http://askjan.org/media/psyc.htm It is really useful.

]]> By: UnabashedVixen http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-33501 UnabashedVixen Sun, 03 Feb 2013 06:34:40 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-33501 @stuffisthings The other thing is: depression talks to me. It tells me all day long not to try, not to bother because things are never, ever getting better. So don't sleep, don't eat well, don't do the things that will help you feel better because nothing will make you feel better and it's too hard anyway. It's the only disease I know of that makes it so you don't want to get better. @stuffisthings

The other thing is: depression talks to me. It tells me all day long not to try, not to bother because things are never, ever getting better. So don’t sleep, don’t eat well, don’t do the things that will help you feel better because nothing will make you feel better and it’s too hard anyway. It’s the only disease I know of that makes it so you don’t want to get better.

]]> By: UnabashedVixen http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-33500 UnabashedVixen Sun, 03 Feb 2013 06:22:01 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-33500 @cherrispryte Me too, only I find that I go back and forth between doing well at my job or doing well at being healthy. I keep it together at work for a while and then the wheels fall off the wagon, health-wise, and I can't do my job for a while. Then I get better and go back to work, and the cycle continues. I struggle a lot with the idea that staying alive is a full-time job, and I sure as hell don't have the energy for two full-time jobs. On a different note, you guys (Americans) need to get your healthcare situation in order. I live in Canada and I have a GP, a psychiatrist and a counselor, and I don't pay a red cent for any of them. If I can't afford to pay for any of my meds, the government will pay for them for me, indefinitely (right now I have a job that has benefits, so I only pay for a bit of my prescription costs). And we spend less, as a percentage of our GNP, on health care than the US. (off my soapbox now) @cherrispryte

Me too, only I find that I go back and forth between doing well at my job or doing well at being healthy. I keep it together at work for a while and then the wheels fall off the wagon, health-wise, and I can’t do my job for a while. Then I get better and go back to work, and the cycle continues. I struggle a lot with the idea that staying alive is a full-time job, and I sure as hell don’t have the energy for two full-time jobs.

On a different note, you guys (Americans) need to get your healthcare situation in order. I live in Canada and I have a GP, a psychiatrist and a counselor, and I don’t pay a red cent for any of them. If I can’t afford to pay for any of my meds, the government will pay for them for me, indefinitely (right now I have a job that has benefits, so I only pay for a bit of my prescription costs). And we spend less, as a percentage of our GNP, on health care than the US. (off my soapbox now)

]]> By: meatcat http://thebillfold.com/2013/01/money-and-depression-telling-your-boss-or-not/#comment-33491 meatcat Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:13:43 +0000 http://thebillfold.com/?p=22679#comment-33491 @cherrispryte Yes, this is exactly how I have been feeling. Such a relief that others feel the same way. I'm doing well at work, but taking care of myself is too much to do on top of that. @cherrispryte Yes, this is exactly how I have been feeling. Such a relief that others feel the same way. I’m doing well at work, but taking care of myself is too much to do on top of that.

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