It’s a great time to be in technology. Computers keep getting better. More and more devices keep getting connected to the internet. Javascript frameworks are multiplying like bacteria. And yet despite the improvement in our tools, we somehow don’t spend time talking about how to maintain our most important tool - the one between our ears.
Constantly feeling worn down, experiencing anxiety over making decisions, and burning out are not just facts of a developer’s life! They’re challenges that can be dealt with. In this talk we’ll cover the most common mental health challenges facing developers, and then learn about some techniques to supercharge your brain by improving your mental hygiene (whether you have a psychological disorder or not). Most importantly, you’ll learn how to have a conversation with your coworkers (and other people in your life) about supporting each other and finding your best selves.
9. The Reality
What IS a mental health challenge?
The most common mental health challenges
Who is Art?
How to talk about mental health at work
Some methods for good mental hygiene
12. Changes in energy level and sleep patterns
Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
Difficulty with concentration or decision-making
Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, worthless, or guilty
Extreme or unusual mood swings
Feeling like your brain is playing tricks on you
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-screening-tools
15. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE SUBSTANCE USE
NUMBERS
CDC Mental Illness Surveillance Fact Sheet (https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealthsurveillance/fact_sheet.html)
16. Mental health challenges are associated
with:
•Increased occurrence of chronic diseases
•Decreased use of medical care
(especially preventative)
•As much as a 25-year decrease in
lifespan for SPMI sufferers
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health/index.shtml
17.
18. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)
31. MOOD DISORDERS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY
DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO REGULATE
MOOD
Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry (9th ed.)
32.
33.
34.
35. ANXIETY DISORDERS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY
DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO REGULATE
ANXIETY
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
36.
37.
38.
39. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)
60. “I could really use some support. Can you
please [helpful action here]?”
OR
“I don’t know if you knew this, but I deal
with (or am having problems with) [a specific
kind of experience]. You’ve been helpful to
me in the past; would it be okay in the future
if ask you to [actionable thing] when [event
happens]”
61. “Hey, I’ve been having a tough
time with my mood lately. If you
see me starting to isolate myself,
can you take me out for a cup of
coffee?”
62. Ideally, Jordan:
• Is clear and direct in both what they’re
asking Taylor to do, and when
asking Taylor to do it
Ideally, Taylor:
• Doesn’t problem-solve
• Doesn’t promise anything they’re
uncomfortable doing
Jordan Asks Taylor for Future Support
68. “Um, you might not know this but
I deal with some mood issues…
and… I need some help telling
which emotions are real right
now.”
69. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will ask for whatever they need right now,
as specifically as possible
• Will explain that they need to leave if they
feel like they need to exit the situation
Ideally, Taylor:
• Remains calm
• Doesn’t take Jordan’s leaving as an insult
Jordan is in Crisis and Asks Taylor for Support
72. “I noticed that [behavioral observation
here].
Can we talk about it?”
THEN
“Do you think you could use [action
here]? Can I help provide that?”
73. “Hey, Taylor. I noticed that when
someone disagrees with you in a
meeting you stop talking and
shut down, even though you
clearly care a lot about what
you’re saying.
Would you like me to help back
you up when that happens?”
74. Ideally, Jordan:
• Accepts a “No” answer gracefully (and
doesn’t take it personally)
• Keeps their judgements and opinion out
it
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will only talk about their mental state if
they want to
• Will provide clear guidance for what
Jordan Offers Future Support to Taylor
76. “It seems like you’re going through
a rough moment. If you want, I can
cover for you if you need to step
out.”
77. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will keep their judgements and opinion out
of it
• Will follow the safety guidelines, unless
they’ve prearranged a support response
Taylor
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will be honest about what they need, even
if it’s nothing
Taylor is in Crisis and Jordan Offers Support
80. “When [event happens], I [sometimes,
often, always] feel like [insert feelings
here]. To cope with that, I [insert
behavior here].”
81. “When I’m in a meeting and
someone asks me a question, my
brain freezes and all I can think
about is what happens if I screw
up and answer incorrectly. To
cope with that, I spend time
before the meeting obsessing
over all the things people could
ask me, so I’m not very
responsive.”
82. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will listen respectfully
• Won’t problem-solve
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will avoid blaming or ranting
• Won’t apologize for their feelings
Taylor Explaining to Jordan What They Feel
87. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will answer as with much depth as they
feel comfortable – including not at all
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will legitimately care about how Jordan is
doing
• Will consider setting up a check-in
schedule or recurring appointment with
Jordan
Taylor Checking In with Jordan
89. “Hello fellow human! It is a good
day to enjoy things like oxygen
and carbon, is it not?”
“It is! Since I am also clearly a
human I too enjoy those things,
as well as making pleasant
conversation through my mouth-
parts.”
90. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will talk with Taylor like they are a fellow
human being who has varied attributes
interests
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will talk with Jordan like they are a fellow
human being who has varied attributes
interests
Jordan and Taylor Talking Like Normal Humans
125. BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH
COWORKERS (AND OTHERS) IS IMPORTANT
126. ENABLE THESE DISCUSSIONS BY:
1. Using experiential language
2. Being descriptive, not prescriptive
3. Being compassionate
4. Recognizing that just because you
know for one person doesn’t mean
you know for everyone
128. • osmihelp.org
• Largest nonprofit
dedicated to mental
health in tech
• Annual survey
• Free guidebooks for
employees and HR
OPEN-SOURCING MENTAL
ILLNESS (OSMI)
129. • mentalhealthfirstaid.org
• 8 hour course
• Literally teaches first aid for
acute psychiatric symptoms
• Includes things like how to
actually ensure someone is
safe if they’re contemplating
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
TRAINING
130. • mentalhealthamerica.net
• Self-screening tools for
potential mental health
issues
• Excellent collection of
other resources to learn
about and deal with
MENTAL HEALTH
AMERICA
Sometimes they don’t quite work the way we want. When that happens we often say that there’s a “mental illness”
But often really what’s going on is that your brain is kind of fighting itself – its internal physical and psychological structures aren’t playing together nicely and we see this as behavioral symptoms
What makes all of this worse is two things: a social stigma against “crazy people”…
…. Which makes it impossible to develop an actual language to talk about our experiences.
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This means that mental health issues can come and go! i.e. episodic or chronic.
DALYs = Disability-Adjusted Life Years – the # of years lost to the illness/disability for that population
They have a lot of different names!
Ask this question out loud
The DSM V is the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”, 5th edition. It’s the Big Book of the Ways Your Brain Breaks
But it’s not focused on WHY something is happening – it’s focused on diagnostic criteria… aka, symptoms. Each diagnosis in the DSM is basically just a checklist of symptoms. If you have 5 of 8 of the symptoms, or 6 of 9, or whatever, you qualify as having the diagnosis.
And really it’s been criticized as more like a field guide to birds – something that’s more useful for categorizing and logging crazies in your spotting book than for actually helping anything
In fact, many of the more common diagnoses require the effects to have a minimum duration or intensity before the clinician can diagnose it
Some of the diagnoses are really just extensions of normal human experiences into places where they start to dramatically and negatively effect the person’s daily life
The human brain is the most complex system we’ve ever encountered
Talking about reality/truth
Clinical language seeped its way into popular culture because there was a void of any actual discussion about it
Jordan approaches Taylor
Put type descs above these slides
“I” statements
You are in control here.
Include relationships?
What feelings are happening in this moment?
What thoughts are happening in this moment?
This fits in with a lot of modern neurobiology & psychology about unconscious systems
Yeah, I know.
Basically a workbook version of figuring out what support you need and when
Not just Freud anymore
Anyone who is dealing with problems they feel are bigger than them can use therapy
It’s a whole toolbox of techniques
Add peer support