They Could Have Made a Difference

“Work is about daily meaning as well as daily bread”, Studs Terkel

Davis is a kind, intelligent man who graduated magna cum laud from a highly regarded private high school in Nashville, TN in 1981.  After attending the prestigious Vanderbilt Unviersity and receiving a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, he decided he wanted to further his education and marketability and pursued a masters degree in business.  Sailing through his coursework with only minimal difficulties, he is now the proud owner of an MBA.

To hear this story, one might imagine Davis as a thriving professional in a corner office, who lives in a big house, holds a prestigious job and celebrates the daily luxuries of home, prominent social standing and family.

Unfortunately, this is not the picture we see, however.  Instead we witness Davis as someone who is single, living at home with his parents and drawing government disability.  His IQ is still well over the gifted range and his computer skills are outstanding.  Yet even with all these accolades and credentials, Davis is still unable to find gainful employment.  Despite the fact that he has six years of professional job experience.

Why, you ask? Why would someone with these advantages and opportunties be unable to work? Why can he succeed in college and not in the real world?

Quite simply, there are a multititude of factors that contributed to Davis’ current situation.  Largely, however, the reason is because at the age of 21 he was diagnosed with a mental illness.  And currently, there are very few services tailor made to address his unique (although not at all uncommon situation).

It is estimated that currently 57 million Americans(one in four) are suffering from a mental illness.  Anxiety disorders such as Panic Disorder, Depression, Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder are affecting Americans at an alarming rate.  Once considered to be the result of poor parenting or personal weakness, there is overwhelming scientific and medical evidence now that these disorders are the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain.  Genetics, life stressors and vulnerability to stress are factors that exacerbate these disorders.  Added to this is the continuous pursuit and struggle to fullfill the American Dream, recurring symptoms and stigma only prove to feed into and exacerbate the problem.

The focus of this article is simply that between 70 and 90 pecent of people with mental illnesses are currently languishing at home on disability, when in actuality, they could be procuctive members of society.  The emphasis is primarily on those who have a detailed work history and have received degrees or attended college.  In many instances, consumers who may not have a great deal of education or whose illnesses have not yet stabilized receive more intensive services.

It is well known by mental health professionals and consumers themselves that inactivity and social isolation feed depression and anxiety.  All agree that work is essential towards recovery.  Those who have been ambitious in the past deserve to be ambitious in the future.  Many have worked hard for their achievements.  Their degrees and succesful work histories should be a testament that they are not lazy or shirking from responsibility but instead are battling an illness that currently has excellent treatment for, yet no cure.

Admittedly, issues in the work force have unique challenges for employers and those with mental health diagnoses.  Sympoms such as increased absenteeism, pressure to perform, inability to concentrate and recurrence of symptoms are not the exception but the norm.  These setbacks refer not only to the waxing and waning of the illness but the need for medication tinkering as well.  For the most part, however, these issues can be successfully resolved with job restructuring, flexibility and reasonable accomodations, flex time, mental health leave and increased collaboration between mental health officials and the community at large.  With proper support systems in place, most can improve, learn their job and go on to maintain employment.  Some actually advance in their field.

If society’s role is not for the greater good – if mental health centers and the federal government don’t begin to act aggressively – then what will result is more and Americans with mental illness becoming dependent on federal subsidies, escalating unemployment rates and families literally pulled apart by poor economics, failing jobs and unfulfilled dreams.

Mental health centers and private practitioners have an obligation – a mission as it were – to provide or at least publicize more and improved Job Search Assistance.  Job placemenet, better networking and education to employers and the community at large about mental illness is badly needed.  That and funding combined with old fashioned determination is needed to change a system that is largely failing a substantial percentage of our workforce.

Although many mental health centers have Job Link programs as a component, a large percentage of these centers fall short of pinpointing assistance for the highest functioning consumers.  They either offer assistance to obtain low wage jobs or simply assume these individuals can fend for themselves.

This segment of society is a proverbial gold mine of education and talent who, with understanding, support and encouragement could contribute a great deal to society and move a step closer toward living the American Dream.  It could drastically reduce the millions of dollars spent yearly subsidizing those who’d like to work, but have no opportunity to do so.

While we are currently excellent at treatment and creating new and improved psychotripic drugs, we fail those struggling for employment support who have such a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer.

The dissolution of unfullfilled dreams pushes many consumers over the edge and oftentimes worsens their conditions.  With increased funding and programs, focus and diligent determination, however, these people have the potential to bring a great deal to the table in our workforce.

Who knows, they may even be able to achieve the American Dream.  Or at least a slice of it anyway.