How does my EAP work? Take these steps toward help
	Screening tools & information Tools to help you identify the problem
	Helpful articles, links & resources A library of online and print information
	Work-life services A healthy balance in a complex world
	Toolkits Managing stress and creating balance
	Return home Return to the Aurora EAP employee home page

Working through depression

Illness has impact at work and at home

Donald has spent 18 years as an upper-level manager with a mid-size manufacturing company. He likes his job and is well-respected by both colleagues and customers for his knowledge and professionalism. Six months ago, his family and coworkers noticed changes in Donald's behavior. He missed appointments, forgot to return phone calls, and displayed uncharacteristic fits of anger. Donald's wife discovered that he had run up hundreds of dollars in gambling debts.

At the urging of his family, Donald finally agreed to consult his company's Employee Assistance Program. To his surprise and relief, his problem was diagnosed as clinical depression. While most people associate depression with the classic symptoms of hopelessness and fatigue, it affects some people in quite different ways, sometimes provoking rage and destructive changes in behavior.

In therapy, Donald realized that his 57th birthday earlier in the year had brought back memories of his father's death at the same age and stirred up fears of his own death. Changes resulting from a merger at Donald's company also contributed to his feelings of powerlessness; his gambling, and his angry outbursts, were attempts to exert the control he felt he had lost. Once Donald realized that depression was at the source of his problems and took steps to deal with it, his symptoms began to improve, along with his job performance and relationships.

A recent study on workplace depression by the National Institute of Mental Health found that 9% of male workers and 17% of female workers had experienced a major depressive episode in the previous year; incidence of depression during an individual's lifetime was 23% for men and 36% for women. More than 50% of depressed individuals reported work-related problems, including difficulty in concentrating and feeling withdrawn from coworkers. It is estimated that depression costs the economy over $43.7 billion each year in absenteeism from work and lost productivity. “Untreated depression is as costly to the American economy as heart disease or AIDS,” according to the National Mental Health Association.

Although depressive disorders are much easier to treat if identified early, the symptoms are often not recognized as depression but as vague physical complaints—stomach problems, sleep disorders, general malaise, or as in Donald's case, sudden personality changes. Often individuals seek medical treatment that addresses the symptoms, while neglecting to identify the underlying causes.

During National Mental Health Month in May, it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of depression and of the resources available to alleviate this common illness. Although some of the contributing factors to depression are beyond your control, you can control your response to them. Those who feel in charge of their lives and their reactions to change and stress are less likely to be immobilized by depression. The accompanying article will give you some useful “self-care” strategies to help you manage change constructively.

If you find your depression is more than you can handle alone, seek professional help. Your EAP can evaluate your situation and recommend options to help you regain a sense of control over your life.

Call your EAP at (414) 257-2124 or 1-800-236-3231