By Rachel Mangiapane, Hult Center for Healthy Living Mental Health Subcommittee Member & Whitney’s Walk Supporter
I recently had one of the greatest days at work ever! The morning of my great day, I woke up, got in the shower, and thoughts of my day started flooding in. With all my personal and professional to-dos, I must have subconsciously known I needed to move fast. After washing my face, I stepped out of the shower. It took a minute for me to realize I had missed a step—I had forgotten to wash my body. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
At work, needing a mental break, I took time for lunch with a coworker. I shared my morning shower story expecting a laugh but instead received truly caring words about needing to slow down. With her, for the first time, I shared my personal mental health story.
After lunch, I had a quick meeting with another coworker with whom I often bond over trials and triumphs. She shared that she was taking a family member to an appointment many of us have had but are too embarrassed to talk about. With her, for the first time, I shared my personal mental health story. She suggested I talk to another coworker who had recently gotten a semicolon tattoo. (If you aren’t familiar with Project Semicolon, check it out at www.projectsemicolon.org). We did not have to discuss the details of our mental health stories—they were immediately understood and felt.
I brought my whole self to work that day for the first time in a long time to three different people. It wasn’t scary to share my story because, like many others, mental health had touched their own lives somehow. I felt accepted, understood, and appreciated for who I am.
So what is my mental health story? It’s deeply personal and still being written. I’m just one example of the one in five U.S. adults who experience mental illness each year. If you are one of the five, you know you aren’t alone, but you may feel alone in certain situations. While not easy, with research and time, you can find the support you need outside the office. However, as in my case, support at work may be limited to private conversations with corporate medical professionals. It shouldn’t have to be that way.
There is a huge stigma around the words “mental illness.” We openly talk about many illnesses at work by offering kind words of support and checking in on progress. But with mental illness, somehow it is often believed to be the person’s fault. Knowing some people believe the stigma, we feel embarrassed to talk about our mental health.
My illness was triggered by a number of seemingly normal life events. I had no prior family medical history and no familiarity with how to get help. I’m extremely lucky to have an amazing support team of family and friends as well as a therapist and psychiatrist. Mental health is a challenge I take on every day. It’s a challenge I’m very proud to feel I’m winning (or in partial “remission” according to my medical chart).
I never felt comfortable sharing my story at work while I was fighting my challenge uphill. I felt I needed to re-prove my professional capabilities before I could share my story. I wanted people to know me for my work ethic and not my medical condition.
Today I am a stronger and smarter person than before I was diagnosed with mental illness. If you create an environment where others can feel comfortable sharing their story, I know you’ll discover a fascinating perspective toward work/life harmony that is only familiar to those who manage mental illness each day.
Because May is Mental Health Month, we at the Hult Center for Healthy Living want to shed light on and break down the stigma surrounding mental health by sharing this personal story. Help us #HultTheStigma, and take the #IAmStigmaFree pledge at www.nami.org/stigmafree.
Sources upon request.