1 in 6 British workers are affected by conditions like anxiety and depression every year. It is a myth that people with mental health problems can’t work. With the right support people with mental health problems perform vital roles in workplaces across the country.
However, mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace remain an issue. The blogs below are written by people who have experience of mental illness in the workplace and show the different ways people can react.
By writing about their experiences they aim to raise awareness of the issue and challenge stereotypes around something that can affect all of us. Pledge to talk about your experiences of mental health >>
Read more about what support is available at work and information for managers and employers.
I had always been described as a child ‘with highs and lows and a tendency to angry outbursts’. When I was in high school I suffered from a period of depression where I began self-harming and monitoring exactly what I ate and when.
I walked away from my empty office and my tidied desk that night not knowing when I would return. I had endured a year of an insidious meltdown into depression, I was in a state of denial to myself and I had become blind to how ill I had become. My manager had encouraged me to seek medical help and a break from the stressful work routine. I now realised the time was right to dutifully oblige.
