In My Experience: Surviving Major Depression: Part Three

Today’s post is the third in a series written specifically for Mental Health Notes by Vancouver blogger Airdrie Miller. It chronicles her personal experiences with anxiety and depression, and how she handles the delicate balance of work, rest, and play.

Tips for Returning to Work

After having been on medical leave for 12 months, I returned to work. I remember feeling awkward about what I would say, and how I would manage. After all, I hadn’t been on vacation – I’d been through a difficult episode of major depression. Coming back turned out to be very successful, and I would like to share with you some the things that helped my return to work go smoothly.

1. Start slow. I returned to work part time (30% at first, then increasing to 60% when I was ready). My long-term disability plan has a specific program designed to help you return to work slowly. The income you earn is deducted from your monthly benefit, thus allowing you to have some regular sick days – depression doesn’t make you immune to colds and flu, after all. People returning to work after a long medical absence usually have no sick days accumulated, which can be daunting.

2. Take ownership of your information. The specifics of my illness are details that I can choose to share with co-workers or not. I chose to tell a few key friends at work about my illness, but that was it. There is no rule saying that everyone needs to know your business. In today’s information age (think Facebook, Twitter, blogging, tabloids), we sometimes forget that privacy is still an human right. It’s okay to keep stuff to yourself.

3. Rehearse what you want to say to people. In group therapy, I was directed to rehearse what I would say to people when I got back to work. I had a chance to come up with some strong yet vague answers for any nosy nellies who might catch me off-guard with personal questions. Most people, it turns out, are sensitive and don’t ask too much. However, one day a co-worker did approached me in the lunch room and said “Hey, what happened to you?” really loudly in front of everyone. I was prepared, and replied, “I would be happy to sit down and tell you about it later, but now isn’t a good time for me to get into it. But I’m fine now; thanks for asking.” I walked away feeling both empowered and polite.

4. Be aware of self-stigma. In hindsight, I realize that I was far harder on myself than any of my co-workers. Many people have a friend or family member with an illness like depression, so they understand the difficulty and are sensitive to that. My co-workers were just glad to see that I was back.

5. Try to stay balanced. Try to balance the hours you work with other more self-nurturing activities. Make time to see your therapist (don’t quit therapy just because you are back to work!). Factor in exercise, friends, and family to your new balanced lifestyle.

In Part Four: The silver lining: I’m stronger than I thought.

© Airdrie Miller

Image: SXC

Airdrie Miller teaches high school mathematics in Vancouver, BC. She also co-hosts and produces a podcast called Lip Gloss and Laptops. She has two beautiful daughters and a bloggable husband. Check him out at penmachine.com.