Dimensions of Psychological Disabilities:
Effects and Ways to Break Through AD(H)D and Workplace Depression Presenteeism – a kind of absent presence can be observed in our daily life. There are kids who can’t sit tight; girls who tend to daydream anytime; students who try to sneak out of so called boring lectures; jobholders who lack positivity, patience or anger management. These people are around us or one of us. Are they sick? Or do they lack humane behavior? Answer lies deep within. Psychologists pointed out depression and neurological disabilities are the keys to the broken rings. These people can be changed to cope up with the usual flow of life just by proper treatment, care and many other ways. I am willing to present some methods we can use to help these people as well as maximize our own benefits.
Lynette had been the star employee of her company until past few weeks. Out of nowhere, Lynette recently was being late, negative even short tempered. Diving through her, it’s been found that, she was depressed as her ex-husband and best friend married someone else. Lynette was hoping for the comeback of her husband and her heart was broken. She kept the things in her and continued to work lethargically.
Tom’s teachers are always complaining about his grades as he is known as the most inattentive one who always pulls prank on other kids at class. Tom’s mother is so worked up with constant complaining that she has decided to put Tom in residential school but it seems that Tom somehow managed to keep his name as the inattentive prank puller.
The 1st case is known as WPMHD or Work Place Mental Health Disorder. (Knippers, C, 2006)
The 2nd case shows that the hyperactive boy has a neurological disorder called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) (Biggs, S., & Nadeau, K. 1992, December). Experts recently have agreed that the daydreaming can be ADHD – sometimes called ADD because it occurs without hyperactivity (Biggs, S., & Nadeau, K. 1992, December). But what happens when the child with AD(H)D grows up? How can tutors work with college students who have AD(H)D? How can employees cope-up with workplace depression?
Effects of Workplace Depression and AD(H)D
Workplace Depression
Workplace Depression can be hard to explain as it is an outburst of internal mental disorder of a person. At workplace depressive behavior may be found out by noticing attitudes like: Working slowly, Making mistakes more often, Unable to concentrate, Forgetful, Late for work or meetings, Getting into disputes and arguments with colleagues, Unable to delegate tasks, Working, or trying to work, much too hard (Marano, H.E. 2003).
Now, everyone feels “blue” or sad from time to time. It’s a normal life experience. But when these emotions increase in intensity, persist for more than a few weeks, and start to interfere with a person’s life, it may signal depression. No amount of “cheering up” can make the depression go away; no amount of exercise, vitamins or vacation can make it disappear. That’s because depression is an illness, not a weakness. So, depression is the change in behavior which is caused by personal warfare or other problems that occupies someone’s mind and making his\her days numb.
AD(H)D
The three most important symptoms of AD(H)D are inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity ((Author)). These symptoms must be “persistent” and they must be “more frequent and severe” than they are for other people at about the same level of development (Latham, P. H., 2000).Symptoms might not show up if the person is under “very strict control,” is in a new place, or is doing “especially interesting” activities, or is working with only one other person.
AD(H)D is not a single condition; instead, there are three subtypes. People with the predominantly inattentive type have trouble paying attention. Those with the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type are hyperactive and impulsive. The combined type includes all three major symptoms (Latham, P. H., 2000). Perhaps the most well known symptom of AD(H)D is hyperactivity and mostly girls and women-are quiet daydreamers. Booth, R. C. (1998) notes that children with AD(H)D are “consistently inconsistent.” That means the same student could do very well in school one month then very poorly the next. Booth, R. C. (1998) also point out that people with AD(H)D are sometime able to hyper focus. That means they may focus very well on one thing for a long time and will have trouble stopping when it is time to finish.
What exactly does it mean to be inattentive, impulsive, or hyperactive? Some specific symptoms of inattentiveness can include overlooking details, making careless mistakes, doing messy work, having trouble paying attention, changing from one activity to another without finishing anything, and being easily distracted. Some examples of impulsivity include impatience, frequently interrupting other people, talking at the wrong time, clowning around, and doing dangerous things without thinking about what will happen.
Ways to Fight Through
Working up WPDMH
According to Knippers, C (2006) the best things to fight depression can be:
1. Confront the situation quickly. One way to do this is for the person doing the confronting to open with an admission of their own personal struggles, past or present, and how that affected their work behavior. Then they can point out to the depressed person that some specific behaviors have been noticed. But avoid saying anything like, “Everyone is noticing?.” The depressed person is embarrassed already and doesn’t need to think that everyone is talking about him or her.
2. Be empathic. Empathy is the mental and emotional attitude of actually entering into another person’s experience, and standing “beside” them in their feelings, rather than standing above them in pity, judgment or of being “above it all.” Empathy says, “I’ve been where you are emotionally, and I know it’s rough.” This supportive attitude helps the depressed person immensely because they will no longer feel alone in their pain.
3. Listen to their story. Every depressed person has a story that they are longing to tell, and it is a huge relief to know that someone cares to listen to their life experience. In fact, when depressed people hear themselves relating their story, they can often gain a new perspective on the situation, and sometimes they even realize a solution.
4. Provide a solution to the employee. A counselor needs to be made available at an affordable rate for that employee. There are some brief forms of therapy or counseling that are extremely effective. Cognitive therapy is the most highly respected form of brief therapy today. Medication alone is not the answer.
5. Offer practical assistance within the workplace. Maybe there are some ergonomic concerns that can be addressed; or maybe they need a little temporary assistance with their duties to get back on track. A day or two off work or temporarily reduced hours can help.
Last but not the least point is the fact of being unaware about organizational depression can be severe. Because, depressed people live with their feelings. But it’s in the workplace that they will try hardest to mask their illness. Fear of being reprimanded, dismissed or stigmatized for feeling “down”, and feelings of shame will prevent someone from seeking help.
Helping AD(H)D’s
There is very little information on how to tutor students with AD(H)D. However, many authors have shared ideas on how teachers can help children in their classroom who have AD(H)D. Other authors have shared ideas on how people with AD(H)D can help themselves become more organized.
Booth (1998) emphasizes that it is important for teachers (and, one presumes, tutors) to be aware that “no two students with ADD are alike and that there are multiple approaches that can and will be different from student to student” (para. 7 under subhead “Teacher attitudes and beliefs”). Accordingly, Booth encourages teachers to be flexible. For example, one student with AD(H)D might have trouble starting a task, and another student might have trouble finishing one task and starting the next (General Information, 1999, August, para. 2 under subhead “Teacher Tips”).
Booth (1998) strongly encourages that teachers use accommodations to help students learn to become more independent. Accordingly, teachers should only give students additional interventions or accommodations when the students really need them. The goal should always be to slowly remove accommodations when possible. Teachers can provide support in planning long projects until the student gradually learns how to use better time management skills and how to plan ahead better.
People who work with children or other students with AD(H)D can help them by reminding them about assignments they need to do. Also, teachers should give directions both face to face and in writing. When a person with ADD is daydreaming, it can help to make eye contact with the person. The eye contact “pulls” them away from their daydream so they can pay attention (Hallowell & Ratey, 1994). Students with AD(H)D can usually focus better in a quiet, “low distraction” work area (“General Information,” 1999, August; Booth, 1998). People with AD(H)D can help themselves by making lists to remind themselves of things they need to do (Hallowell & Ratey, 1994). They should divide large tasks into small ones and give themselves deadlines for finishing each small part (Hallowell & Ratey,1994). Perhaps a regular tutor could serve in the role of an ADD coach by helping AD(H)D students divide each big project into many smaller steps and decide when they will complete each step. For example, a student who needs to do a term paper could choose a deadline for each of the following steps: choosing a topic, deciding what information he or she needs to gather, finishing the research, writing a rough draft of the paper and showing it to the tutor, revising the paper and showing it to the tutor again.
When tutors meet with students, they should ask them where they concentrate best. Can they concentrate well if they work at the tutor’s usual table? Or should the tutor and student meet somewhere else? Also, tutors should be ready to repeat or write down their directions. In addition, tutors can make eye contact more often to help students with AD(H)D stop daydreaming and focus better on their tutoring session. If a tutor meets with an AD(H)D student on a regular basis, then the last five or ten minutes of each session can be used to discuss what homework the student will do before the next session and what things they will work on during the next session.
Conclusion
WPMDH or AD(H)D both are not sickness rather it is best to call them barriers which stops one from attaining the best. Today most of us are afraid of mentally sick people and make inaudible comments about them. But we must know that no one in this world is perfect. May be one of us is having mental trouble. It may be depression or frustration or anything. So what is better is to show a little positivity towards mental sickness and help the people get through their disabilities. It is also essential to know that AD(H)D or workplace depression can’t be just driven away. They need proper care with steps followed by people near AD(H)D or depressed persons. Most of all we need to remember that they are also normal people with a little disadvantage.
References
Biggs, S., & Nadeau, K. (1992, December). Students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Presented at Chesapeake Psychological Services to members of Nation’s Capital Area Disability Support Services Coalition. Retrieved April 10, 2008 from http://www.adult-add.org/study/student/study_study_tips.htm
Booth, R. C. (1998). List of appropriate school-based accommodations and interventions. Highland Park, Ill.: National Attention Deficit Disorder Association. Retrieved April 10, 2008 from http://www.add.org/content/school/list.htm
General information about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder fact sheet number 19 (FS19). (1999, August). The Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs. Article retrieved April 06, 2008 from http://www.adult-add.org/study/teacher/study_teach_tips.htm
Knippers, C (2006). 7 Steps to Combat Workplace Depression. Article retrieved March 12, 2008 from http://hr.blr.com/whitepapers.aspx?id=18885
Latham, P. H. (2000). Attention Deficit Disorder in college faculty and students: Partners in education. National Center for Law and Learning Disabilities. Article retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www.adult-add.org/study/student/study_student_college.htm
Marano, H.E. (2003). Depression Lowers Productivity.Article retrieved March 12, 2008 from www.psychologytoday.com/id:2877