Posted: Thursday 10 March 2011
As a Media Officer at Mind I embarked on this blog post to encourage people with experience of mental distress at work to come forward and speak to the media about mental health issues, and give a voice to Mind’s campaign on the topic. But…would I be brave enough to speak to a journalist about my experiences?
I can talk endlessly about the power of a personal account to bring real meaning to a campaign and emphasize to readers the reality behind a story on the news or in a paper. However… it’s undeniably a pretty daunting prospect. In search of an insight, I turned to someone who has experience of being in the media spotlight through Mind.
Carlene Brown began sharing her experience with the media this time last year. Carlene experienced severe depression while in full time work. Unsurprisingly, a ruthless and hostile response from her employer exacerbated her problems. She was eventually dismissed from the workplace because of her mental health issues. It was this series of events that prompted Carlene to contact Mind with her story, and, with our support, speak to media professionals about her experience – here she is on BBC News.
I got in touch with Carlene last week to pick her brains about the experience. In Carlene’s words: I stumbled upon the Mind website by accident after trawling Google for anything I could find to help me understand my depression. When I read the appeal for media volunteers, I couldn't believe I had found something which captured exactly what I was going through. I immediately sent in my story, almost impulsively.
Carlene was surprised to hear back from Mind as felt sure her story would be overlooked as a ‘boring moan’! However, her experience of discrimination is sadly all too common – this situation occurs in workplaces around the country. Mind is fighting to end such discrimination with our employment and mental health campaign.
But how does it feel to voice your experiences so publicly?
Carlene: After telling my story to Mind I felt that I was getting some kind of justice by speaking out about the way my former employers treated me. Unquestionably this process has been pivotal in my recovery.
In my job I speak with the media every day, but I can understand others’ hesitations about doing so – journalists don’t exactly have a great reputation! I asked Carlene whether the stereotypes of hard-nosed reporters are true.
Carlene: I was concerned that the journalists would be ‘showbiz’ and urge me to ‘sex up’ my story for their publication, but, in fact, they have all approached interviews with extreme sensitivity. My opinion of the media has totally altered since I became a volunteer – they are genuinely understanding and interested in raising awareness for the cause. They understand Mind’s campaign, and their reporting reflects this.
What is Carlene’s advice for those who are considering contacting Mind to share their stories of employment and mental health issues?
Carlene:
I would not hesitate to do it again. My experience of being a Mind media volunteer has given me so much more confidence – nowadays I'm loving life and I would put a lot of that down to opportunities from Mind. For that I am eternally grateful.
By offering to share her story, Carlene has played a key role in raising awareness of the issues that surround mental distress in the workplace. This May, we’re launching the next stage in our major campaign on mental health and employment, and we need your help.
Have you disclosed your mental health problems to your employer? What happened? Perhaps your employer was supportive? (we’re looking for positive experiences as well as negatives!) Or, like Carlene, have you been faced with hostility or even dismissal? Mind will support you throughout your time as a media volunteer. I will always ask for your permission to be put forward for any interviews, brief you on the questions you’ll be asked beforehand, and speak to you afterwards to find out how it went. We try to approve the final copy of all interviews before they’re broadcast or published, and it’s your choice who you agree to give interviews to.
Find out more about how you can speak out and support our campaign to end discrimination around mental health issues at work. If you think it might be for you, do fill out the online form, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Camilla Swain, Mind Media Officer
after working for a well known food manufacturer for three years, often working twelve hours shifts, six days a week, i begun to suffer from anxiety and mood swings, and began to get bullied at work. After it became so unbearable i began to self harm, and once this was discovered, i was made to face two supervisors and an occupational health worker who were all very aggressive and bullying.
It all came to a head when i refused to quit, i was called into the office, the door was shut and the blinds pulled down and they both started to shout at me, became physically threatening, i believe to make me react badly, so that they could sack me. i eventually went onto long term sick leave,
for which i will always be grateful, however when i was ready to return to work, after years of therapy/ hospital treatment, i was told i would not be accepted back to work, and it would be better for me to quit, and they would give me a reference, but i wouldn't be able to work for my firm, or their group of companies again.
Its only been in the past six months that i have realize how badly i was discriminated against. Since then i have tried tog et back into work, a few times, with each employer being less than understanding of mental health issues, particularly my last workplace that forbid me to work, because 'i was a potential danger' to others, because i self harmed.
I now have quite low self esteem, although through being involved with local projects such as art-tea events, Bright-sparks arts in mental health group , and a year on the NAP, i am beginning to move forward again.
I was a Chief Photographer for a group of newspapers when I had a "Nervous Breakdown", or whatever the term for the illness is now called. I had worked for the company for about 25 years, but after 3 months they stopped paying me and refused (despite letters from my psychiatrist and sick notes from my doctor) to accept I was ill. Eventually I felt obliged to resign, thus losing my job, much of my pension and my dignity. I was too ill to fight and so I am now trying to earn a living as a freelance, but I have earned so little since the incident (5 years ago) that I don't even pay tax.
I then decided to return to a job i used to do, working in a well know theme park. I had an excellent relationship with everyone and had been in line for promotion before i chose to leave and pursue nursing.
However, when i saw the nurse for the routine check before work started, i explained the reason i was back, i was told to keep quiet about my mental illness as i would lose my job, the nurse was not trying to scare me, just ensure i knew the lay of the land.
Coincedentally, i was put in charge of training new starters, one of which i recognised the signs and injuries of a self harmer. I spoke quietly to her that i understood and did my best to support her. Unfortunatly my manager was very ignorant and one evening i heard him and some other collegues joking and talking about this person, i asked what they were talking about and was told she was being sacked, after all she could be a danger and even if shes not she would scare the children. It was ridiculous.
I am ashamed to say i did not speak up for her, i felt there was no point. I began to work under a constant fear of also being found out, and eventually it caused me to become ill again and i left.
After a suicide attempt, living at a homeless shelter, and having my ex-wife say to me "If I knew that you were going to go crazy, I never would have married you," I was released from a three week suicide watch and was told that I could go back to work, part time. The good news in all of this is that I worked with the mentally challenged, and had the most understanding managers, ever. And most of my co-workers were fantastic. Having a non-smoker come up and stick a twenty dollar bill in my pocket "for cigarettes," was amazing. Management would ask me how I was doing on a regular basis was not annoying, but done out of compassion. And having a co-worker offer a room in her apartment so that I could get out of the shelter was an act of love and mercy. There were only a few co-workers that had a problem with my suicide attempt, mostly from fear and their religious beliefs. I would recommend that those that are gifted, seek to work with the mentally challenged because most of the people I worked with were broken people, and only the broken truly understand other broken people.
Thank you so much for your comments and for sharing your stories. If you're interested in sharing your experience with the media, please do complete the online form at http://www.mind.org.uk/take_action/media_opportunities/opportunities_for_mind_week_2011#share
I'm not able to contact you through blog comments left here, but please feel free to copy and paste your story in the online form if you have already written it above, and are keen to get involved with Mind as a media volunteer. Thanks again for sharing your stories.
Camilla
My experience of employment has been very mixed. I got ill as a 2nd year student at Cambridge in 1990. Although I completed my degree whilst psychotic-not quite sure how-the 1990s were a complete writeoff for me employment wise. But once I got well and tried to get a job in my new found profession I was met with a stoney silence. I applied for 150 jobs in the field and despite having the best qualifications and references one could ever imagine never got a job. But all that changed when I fell into working in mental health. This was really by accident but my experience is now seen as a great asset not a hindrance.
Since 2002 I have worked for statutory and voluntary organisations and now work for a university. When I had a relapse last year my colleagues were overwhelming in their support. So out of bad can come good.
I hope that time permitting I will be able to help with the Mind campaign in May.
Mark
My first part seems to have gone for some reason.
I started traing to become a children's nurse in 2004, I have a history of depression, anxiety and self harm, but had thought i have overcome it all as i have had no episodes for years. I had to be honest about my health issues and was referred to have an occupational health check. I was cleared on all fronts and started training.
I was forced to take a gap from studying for financial reasons, When i returned, it became clear that my mental health history had become up for discussion among my tutors, as my personal tutor sent me a letter requesting i have 4 weekly checks with the occupational health team.
My reason for choosing to become a nurse, was to help those like me. I was gobsmacked at the ignorance of 'so - called' professionals. ALL my tutors were Ex Children's nurses.
My problems really began when i submitted an essay. I was asked to look at an assessment tool used on the ward in which i was placed and discuss its effectiveness, then explain my choice for the subject.
I decided to use the intial assessment used when someone is admitted onto a ward as i had seen and cared for a number of patients who had attempted suicide. I had noted that there was no part in the assessment that covered this and felt it was an excellent issue to write about. I gave my reasons as being empathetic to the patients due to my own history.
I was then called into my tutors office and told that the essay and information in it was too distressing! This from a nurse who would have encountered this every week on her ward. I was then told that if i did not write about something else that i would fail, i was also told that i would be a dreadful nurse.
A few weeks later, i was called to see the head of department, nothing had actually happened, but i was told that the department were suggesting i leave the course, that it was not appropriate that 'someone like me' should become a nurse and that after all they did not want another 'Beverley Allit' on their hands.
In shock i left.
I don't think it sunk in exactly what they were saying until much later. The very people who were supposed to help these children/teenagers were comparing me to a child murderer.
I am still disgusted to this day.
Cherry, I'm so sorry to see that the 'Clothier criteria' is alive and kicking.There is absolutely no evidence to support the assertion that people who have experienced self-harm, attempted suicide or eating distress are a greater risk to others than anyone else. These were simply picked out because Allitt had experienced these.
Most convicted paedophiles and child killers have no such history and to suggest otherwise would be like saying because a murderer liked strawberry jam anyone who likes it is a potential.killer.
Perhaps medical schools should start screening students for potential Harold Shipman's? So that would mean ejecting anyone in possession of a beard,tweed jacket and nice bedside manner.
bad work is worse than no work
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