When I was working my first newspaper job (back when the Earth was still cooling), we had an exceptionally talented reporter who challenged the rest of the newsroom to the limit.
A year or so into her stay at the paper, this reporter began to act strangely. She’d spend long periods of time in the washroom crying, and she’d book off sick on an almost weekly basis.
One of my more observant colleagues said: “She’s depressed. She’s got something that makes her depressed.”
My grumpy editor (all editors must have the capacity for grumpiness) replied: “Whaddya mean, depressed? She just got a raise in pay and she’s got a great future. Depressed, my eye.”
Fact is my sad colleague was suffering what we then called “clinical depression.”
Not a lot was known about the illness back then — and even less was known about how to deal with mental health issues. As a newsroom — as friends and co-workers — we did not do what we should have to understand our friend’s illness and did nothing to help.
Fortunately, today we know more; and as colleagues, there is much we can do when someone in the office is living with a mental illness.
Here are a few things you can do.
First, and most important, is to learn and understand.
There is broad ignorance about mental illness. And ignorance can often lead to intolerance, fear, and stigma. If you think (or know) a colleague is living with an illness, it is your duty to learn about it.
If your co-worker shows decreased productivity, or an apparent inability to work as hard as before, do not resent this. Understanding and awareness will allow you see things clearly, without judgment.
Second, no special treatment.
The last thing a person suffering a mental illness wants or needs is to be treated differently, because that is a form of stigma.
This does not mean acting as though everything is as before. It is not; your friend is suffering. But treating your co-worker with artificial gestures is a form of isolation that is purely destructive.
Third, if you feel sufficiently close to your colleague, you might make a few gentle, informed inquiries. You might also say that whatever happens, the office is totally and unconditionally supportive.
This can be a difficult thing to do. Initiating a conversation of any sort is a challenge; when that conversation is about a deeply private and painful illness, the challenge is multiplied.
Be delicate, but also direct and honest.
You might have questions yourself. You may wish to understand more fully what your colleague is feeling. It’s OK to ask about this, because such questions reveal your sincerity and allow your friend to know he/she is not a “special case.”
It may, at some point, occur to you that your co-worker needs help — that necessary resources have not been exploited.
This is where you can become gently proactive.
If you feel your colleague has not sought professional guidance, it’s OK to do a little digging in the community to see what resources are available. Then, with the utmost delicacy, you can present your findings to your friend.
Believe me, the gesture will be appreciated.
Editor’s note: Hugh Macaulay is vice president of the Arrowhead Clubhouse in Sechelt. He writes monthly about mental health issues with a focus on the Sunshine Coast.
