“One key reason people do not talk about their mental health is the stigma associated with it” - Dr. Srini Pillay

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, July 19, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Mental health is one of the leading causes of disability in the workplace, yet 71% of U.S. adults refuse to contact a mental health professional. In fact, people loathe talking about mental health in the workplace, and the C-suite in businesses of all sizes is no exception.

“One key reason people do not talk about their mental health is the stigma associated with it,” explains Dr. Srini Pillay, a best-selling author and neuroscientist, “they likely fear that they will be judged and socially discriminated against. In fact, the pressure for them to succeed is huge, and the stakes are often so high that 72% of entrepreneurs report mental health challenges, commonly referred to as ‘founder’s blues.’”

Srini Pillay M.D. is an acclaimed psychiatrist, brain researcher, certified master executive coach, technology entrepreneur and musician. He is regarded as a pioneer in the field of transformational neurocoaching and has been extensively featured in the media including CNN, Fox, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Forbes and Fortune. He is an award-winning author of multiple books and an in-demand keynote speaker. His most recent book is “Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind”.

Pillay believes that people with ‘founder’s blues’ are afraid of being judged in the workplace. For example, CEOs may feel ashamed they have mental health challenges or feel like they are out of place. However, the World Health Organization predicts that depression will be ranked as the second largest cause of burden of disease by 2020. One in six people will have depression at some point in their lifetimes, and anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses.

“When depression and anxiety start to disrupt your social and work lives, it’s time to start paying attention,” continues Dr. Pillay, “depression is accompanied by trouble sleeping, poor diet, and lower energy, and you may also find you no longer can concentrate on your work and the work itself feels far less interesting than it used to. Often, entrepreneurs feel guilty about this.”

Anxiety can also present itself in a variety of forms. People might notice panic attacks that appear out of the blue, feel excessively worried, or feel anxious in social situations. Each of these types of anxiety connotes a specific type of anxiety disorder and should be attended to. These symptoms are often accompanied by a fear of being able to escape when in crowds, anger, body tension, or a fear of being embarrassed in front of a group.

“If you are wondering when you should take action, you should do so the first time you register that something out of the ordinary is happening,” Dr. Pillay states, “you may be so consumed by work that you think that poor sleep or trouble concentrating is par for the course. But if you seek help early, you may be able to prevent severe depression or anxiety. The first person to talk to is your primary care physician. Depression and anxiety could signify a medical illness.”

Once medical issues have been ruled out, people may want to consider medication or psychotherapy as a treatment. There are many effective medications and psychotherapies for depression and anxiety. A psychiatrist or registered nurse practitioner can prescribe medication, and psychologists and social workers can provide psychotherapy, too.

Apart from formal mental health treatment, people can also make lifestyle changes to help their anxiety and depression. For instance, physical exercise can be helpful, as well as building breaks into days to manage energy more effectively and to strategically unfocus. Contrary to what some may think, it is better not to isolate and jump into pajamas as soon as work is done. Natural light can be helpful for dealing with depression, and at work, moving a desk toward light might help, too.

Pillay is the founder and CEO of NeuroBusiness Group, voted one of the Top 20 movers and shakers in leadership development in the world by Training Industry. He has worked with leaders internationally in many Fortune 500 companies, and is currently an invited member of The Consortium for Advanced Adult Learning and Development (CAALD) at McKinsey &Co. and The Tranformational Leadership Council (TLC). Recently, Pillay created a series of videos on “Managing Depression in the Workplace” for LinkedIn Learning.

“If you think you need to communicate you condition to other members of your team, you don’t need to describe your exact condition, but you can say you have been diagnosed with a condition that might affect your working patterns and the duration is not known, concludes Dr. Pillay, “when a leader takes care of his or her own depression and anxiety, he or she is also taking care of the mental health of the company as a whole.”

Aurora DeRose
Michael Levine Media
+1 310-396-6090
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