ReDiscover conducting cell phone drive

By Brett Dalton

A local organization is looking to raise funds by collecting and recycling items everyone seems to have.

ReDiscover, a local non-profit mental health agency, and the ReDiscover Auxiliary are seeking out area individuals and businesses to participate in a pre-owned cell phone drive. The goal of the drive is to collect 5,000 used cell phones, which will be recycled to help raise money for services offered by ReDiscover. Beverly Ward, ReDiscover Auxiliary president, said used cell phones of any brand, model or operative ability are welcome. “If you know of any businesses that provide cell phones to employees, please ask if there are any unwanted cell phones they would like to donate,” Ward said. “We don’t need the chargers or accessories. We only need the cell phone and battery — chargers and other accessories are not necessary. The phones can be working or non-working, old or very old.”

There is no cost to participate in the drive, which is being described as “environmentally friendly.” This is the first year ReDiscover has conducted a cell phone drive to help raise funds. “They are pretty much getting their feet wet with it this year,” said Robin Blakely, spokesperson for ReDiscover. Already, some area businesses have taken part in the drive and have drop boxes set up at their area locations. ReDiscover has drop boxes available in Lee’s Summit, South Kansas City and Kansas City. Other area businesses already participating are Bank Midwest, Metropolitan Community College–Blue River, Fantastic Sam’s, Plato’s Closet and Progressive Insurance. “This is a great opportunity for the Lee’s Summit and surrounding communities to come together and help raise money for ReDiscover’s clientele,” Ward said. “This particular cell phone drive is different than all others because it is so easy to participate, it helps the community and the environment and the funds raised will help obtain necessary treatment for people that live in our community.”

The drive is considered favorable to the environment as the cell phones that can no longer be used will be recycled, instead of “being thrown in a landfill somewhere,” according to Bev Hatley, ReDiscover drive organizer. Hatley said the cell phones that can be used will be repaired as needed and distributed throughout the United States and other countries for use by emergency response agencies.

For a business to participate in the drive, Hatley said a representative from the company can call ReDiscover at 816-347-3259 and a ReDiscover representative will deliver a drop box to the business. For more information about ReDiscover, visit its Web site at www.rediscovermh.org.

Warning Signs of Mental Illness At-Work

Business is business, but sometimes the work life and the personal life can collide.  As a supervisor or office associate, you can’t professionally diagnose a fellow employee’s mental wellness. However, you may be one of the first people to notice and offer help when something is seriously wrong or when a personal crisis is brewing for someone you work with routinely.

            What are the warning signs that an employee may be facing serious mental health issues?   

            According to www.MentalHealthAmerica.net, mental health problems manifest in a number of ways in the workplace.  Some employee behaviors that may be signs of a mental health problem include:

·                     Working slowly

·                     Missing deadlines

·                     Expressing irritability and anger

·                     Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

·                     Appearing numb or emotionless

·                     Withdrawing from work activity

·                     Overworking

·                     Forgetting directives, procedures and requests

·                     Having difficulty with work transitions or changes in routines

            Alan Flory, CEO and President of ReDiscover, identified a critical indicator, “One of the most important signs that an employee is struggling with mental health issues is when normal job performance declines and he or she begins calling in sick frequently.  When work performance decreases and absenteeism increases, a lot is placed at-risk for both the business and for the employee.  Help and support need to happen quickly for the good of both the individual and the work environment.” 

            Why?

            “Absenteeism as a result of mental health issues has a large impact on employee productivity and the company’s bottom line. In fact, depression and stress cost more for a corporation than diabetes, heart disease and hypertension combined,” said Rita Piper, Vice President of Wellness Services for Workplace Options, the largest provider of work-life programs and services to corporations in the United States.

            Piper shared the following startling statistics about mental health issues in the work world:

·         Depression is the leading cause of disability in the workforce

·         20 percent of the workforce suffers from some sort of mental illness

·         About ¾ of all visits to a doctor’s office is related to stress

·         60-90 percent of medical problems are in some way associated with stress

            According to Piper, companies can take a proactive approach to help their employees achieve a healthy work-life balance. Once employee issues are identified, companies can bring in specialists to offer on-site seminars on time and stress management, relaxation techniques, and even provide referral services and resources for things such as child care, adoption, elder care, wellness, education, and more. To help with mental wellness, some employers offer on-site work-out centers and breaks throughout the work day for employees to get up, stretch and walk around.
            Flory elaborated. “Sometimes people wonder: ‘what’s that got to do with mental health?  How can exercise breaks or access to information on childcare, physical health, or time management possibly help an employee’s mental health management in the work environment?’  The reality is that serious family stress can derail a dedicated employee. Providing needed information that is clear and timely helps diffuse stress and offers hope for employees who are dealing with a mental health problem of their own or one that is in their family. When an employee’s child, spouse or elderly parent has a serious mental health problem, it can disrupt the employee’s work schedule, lead to absences, and interfere with concentration in almost the same way as if the employee had the mental health problem personally.”

            Access to timely information can also reduce fear and anxiety and help pave the way toward recovery.

            Employees commonly struggle with how to tell managers or the staff that they directly supervise what’s going on when mental health issues arise.  Concern about what co-workers may think—the stigma that commonly surrounds mental illness—is one of the most serious barriers to treatment and recovery. Many employees do not know that with proper treatment most people recover from mental illnesses and continue to live productive lives.

            Help is available.  If you or someone you know is suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety, ReDiscover or other community mental health agencies can help you understand ways to handle your situation at home and at work.

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Warning Signs for ‘Workaholics’: Are You On The Brink Of A Big Break Or A Big Breakdown?

By Robin Blakely

You may love your job. You may eat, sleep, and breathe all things work-related. You may be taking hours of work home because that’s how you get your best work done or that’s where your home-based business is already located.

But, when is enough, well, really enough? 

Research clearly shows that the stress associated with ‘workaholic’ behaviors can take a toll on both your mental and physical health,   So, what are the warning signs that burnout is looming around the very next corner and that your mental wellness is genuinely at-risk? 

According to Bob Livingstone, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and author of The Body Mind Soul Solution:  Healing Emotional Pain through Exercise, serious lack of sleep, severe job stress, and persistent physical exhaustion can add up to just too much.  Livingstone advices ‘workaholics’ to watch for the following warning signs:

•         increased lack of concentration.

•         increased irritability and mood swings. 

•         allowing previously minor nuisances to be experienced as major crises. 

•         Difficulty falling asleep at night and feeling exhausted during the day. 

•         Experiencing signs of depression such as lack of appetite, no enjoyment in activities that previously provided pleasure and feeling fatigued most of the time.

ReDiscover CEO and President, Alan Flory agreed, “The key is to pay attention to emotions and how you feel.  Too many hours working can lead to exhaustion and burn-out, but it’s not always about the quantity of time spent at work as much as about the quality of time spent at work.  Some people can be energetic and work very long hours without being overly stressed.  People all need different amounts of sleep. Thomas Edison was reported to sleep very little, without any known negative impact—it allowed him more time for the inventions that he was passionate about creating.  But, you need to be honest with yourself.  Your health is at risk if you are so tired or so stressed that you must drink coffee to wake up, must have it every day to function, if you can’t concentrate or focus on detailed tasks as well as usual, or if you are easily irritable. You are in a dangerous health area if you are taking pills to stay awake and taking other pills to go to sleep.” 

 What can you do?

Flory explained, “Make changes to reduce stress, allow for sleep, and provide some relaxation. Exercise can reduce stress, anxiety and depression significantly.  Exercise early in the day…you will be less stressed and the activity will also help you sleep better.  Don’t drink caffeine after noon.  Most people who quit caffeine or stop taking any pills to either wake up or sleep, eventually sleep better. It is normal to have some nights where it is hard to sleep, but sleepless nights may be a warning sign that you need additional help like counseling to make lifestyle changes that are long overdue.”

Livingston added, “Make sure you eat well and regularly.  Don’t over ride sleep.  In other words, if you are tired at night, go to bed.  Don’t over ride it by completing a work project on your computer.” 

But, how do you stop working if the work isn’t done?  And, how do you say ‘no’ if ‘no’ is not an option? 

Jeanne Hurlbert, PhD is a network coach who heads OptiNetResources.com, a nationally known group that helps entrepreneurs build social networks. She said, “As businesses increasingly demand that we “do more with less,” as recession looms and many people fear the repercussions that can result from declining assignments or questioning increased demands, saying ‘no’ may not be an option.  But there’s another way to avoid the mental health costs—look to your social network, on and off the job, for social support.”

According to Hurlbert, research shows that, if two people face similar levels of stress, the person with more social support is less likely to suffer health effects.  She explained, “That support comes from our social networks.  And, although it can come from work-related sources, it more typically comes from the strong ties to close friends and relatives in our social networks.  The scary news?  Research shows that Americans’ stock of those close personal ties is declining.  It’s critically important, then, that workers learn how to build and use those ties to combat work-related stress.”

Developing relationship skills and learning ways to say ’stop’ and ‘no’ can be important ways to avoid the harmful effects of ‘workaholic’ behaviors. Help is available.  ReDiscover, and other community mental health agencies, provide counseling and other services to help individuals and their families cope with work-related stress, anxiety, and depression.

Workload plunged woman into depression

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

As she stood in the rain outside a convenience store, all Debby Tangblade could do is scream. The Lee’s Summit woman had had enough of just about everything. She’d had enough of work, and sometimes felt she’d had enough of life.

So on that rainy day in May 1999, near the end of a hellish work week, Tangblade tried to let it all out – her anger, her frustration, her pain. But she found out that all of the negative emotions she was feeling would last much longer than she expected.

“The last week I worked was a 93-hour week,” Tangblade said of that week in 1999 in which her bout with major depression began. “I was a distribution supervisor with a lot of responsibility in supervising, warehousing, shipping, computer systems and inventory control. That day I just snapped. I left work for an early lunch, stood in the rain in a parking lot and just screamed. I never made it back.”

Tangblade, who has battled depression for the past nine years, said her mental health “spiraled downward” after that day in the rain and said during her lowest point, she stayed in bed for the better part of seven months.

She said she could no longer do simple, everyday things such as read, write, drive, cook, make decisions or even be around people. She said her family life suffered, and she even forgot her sisters’ names.

“I became reclusive and wouldn’t allow my kids to open the door if I was near it,” she said. “Mostly, I just sat. It felt as if my brain said ‘enough is enough’ and just shut off.”

The depression was so bad, Tangblade said she gained nearly 90 pounds and even lifting her arms was “harder than any full day’s work I ever did.” Other medical conditions followed, she said.

Tangblade said she also suffered from the stigmas that surround mental health issues. She said those who don’t suffer from illnesses like depression can’t understand what she and so many others go through on a daily basis.

“I’ve had people tell me to just snap out of it,” she said. “People see me as lazy or think I just want to sit at home. People say, ‘Oh, it must be nice to sit at home every day and not do anything.’ Well it isn’t nice. It isn’t fun and it’s not a life anyone healthy actually chooses.

“Others can talk about their medical issues – cancer, heart disease, etc. – with some expectation of compassion,” she said. “People want to run if you tell them you have a mental illness that you need to see a doctor for.”

However, Tangblade is on the road to recovery thanks to her doctors and her support groups at Lee’s Summit’s ReDiscover, a nonprofit community mental health agency that offers programs and services for those with mental illness.

“With my support group, I know I will be 100 percent again, even though it’s been a long hard battle,” said Tangblade, who just recently began doing her own grocery shopping and conversing with others again.

She also said her recovery is being made possible by her husband and five daughters.

“I am lucky because I have a very supportive family,” she said. “I have been sick for a long time and have put them through a lot. But they’ve stood beside me. With the stuff I have put them through, their responses of love and support made me cry.”

Recovery wasn’t possible, however, until Tangblade acknowledged the severity of her mental illness.

“I think I started making improvements when I finally admitted that I was sick and learned to accept my illness,” she said. “(I’ve been) working with my doctor on medications and my therapist on life-coping skills, boundaries, balance and teachings on how to just get through the difficult days.”

Tangblade, who said her depression was brought on by her demanding work schedule, said she’s learned a lot from her bout with mental illness. She said she’s learned that mental health is just as important as physical health and added that anyone who is experiencing mental health issues should see a doctor immediately.

“There are doctors to help your brain sicknesses just as any other sickness,” said Tangblade, who has yet to return to the workforce, but who does volunteer at ReDiscover during the week. “There is no shame in getting help or talking about your illness. There is help, and there is no shame in seeking it.”

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Are you crazy or is your job hurting your mental health?

Think your job is impossible? Hate Mondays? Want to quit, but fear it will only be worse somewhere else?

You need to know that intense negative feelings about your job could be undermining your good mental health.

“Millions around the world are thinking, planning, and scheming about how to stretch a 24-hour day into an endless and productive workday,” said Gaby Cora, MD, MBA, President of The Executive Health & Wealth Institute, Inc. and author of “Leading Under Pressure: Strategies to Maximize Peak Performance and Productivity while Maximizing Health and Wellbeing.”

“Burnt-out, energy-depleted, or constantly stressed, many individuals find themselves unable to take pleasure in their hard-earned positions” she said.

Job misery can happen for many reasons. If it’s happening to you, you’re not alone. For some, it strikes when they feel mentally stressed to perform beyond reason. For others, it occurs when they struggle emotionally in a work environment that is psychologically toxic.

According to Edward Muzio, President and CEO of Group Harmonics, Inc. “The statistics are truly alarming. More than half of the workforce is relatively disengaged and dispirited; more than 15 percent is actively working against the employer. This means that even the people trying to contribute are in a minority. It’s hard to imagine maintaining good mental health under such circumstances.”

Hating your job or feeling hopeless or overwhelmed about your work life could be enough to make you sick.

“Sustaining high levels of stress plus the underlying feeling of constant worrying or sadness, may then trigger full-blown medical, depressive or anxiety-related problems in those genetically susceptible to experience these medical conditions. When the person expects that more money will resolve all their concerns, or when they target a specific goal as it being the magical solution to all their problems, this is when the person should do a quick assessment and address their overall degree of mental, physical and social well-being,” Cora said.

So, how do you know if your job is placing your mental health at risk?

“It’s important to recognize the tremendous impact – both good and bad – that your work can have on your individual wellness,” said ReDiscover CEO and President Alan Flory. “If most days, week after week, you are extremely stressed from work, and spend significant time – that you could otherwise be enjoying – focused on dreading going back to work, your mental wellness is at risk. The key, of course, is learning ways to manage the stress and take action to take care of yourself. You may be surprised to find out that in many cases it makes more sense to change your perspective on work than it is to change your job.”

Muzio, who is also the author of “Four Secrets to Liking Your Work: You May Not Need to Quit to Get the Job You Want,” explained a key perspective that can change how you manage your situation. “When it comes to stress at work, the cliché holds true: You’re either part of the solution, or part of the problem – your own problem,” he said. “The relationship between person and job is just that-a relationship. Like any other relationship, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but if there are too many areas of contention, it becomes untenable. Worse, it can sometimes become abusive. By owning his or her role in the relationship, the unhappy employee can move toward solution – either within the current relationship, or by moving on to the next one.”

What are some realistic goals to consider for a happier, healthier work life?

“Many, if not most, people report that the most enjoyable work involves people on their work team who can or have become good friends,” Flory said. “Strong relationships and frequent praise are ideal aspects of a healthy workplace. It helps to sort out your feelings about your work. Some good questions to ask yourself that could lead you toward improving your work life include: Do you clearly understand what is expected of you in your job role? Do you have the appropriate materials to meet expectations? Does your work help fulfill a personal passion or interest? Do you believe you’re doing good work at your job? Do you get recognized for your work? Do you feel like you’re part of the team? Is there room for you to grow at your place of employment?”

If you or someone you know is struggling with their job, help is available. When job dissatisfaction is a contributor to depression or anger, ReDiscover and other community mental health agencies can provide important first steps to help individuals identify lifestyle choices to regain control over their situations and find happier, healthier ways to live.

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