Testimonials

In the workplace, it’s not always easy to tell others that you are suffering from a mental illness. When people come back from sick leave, it is equally difficult to get help and support, as Sylvie G.’s story attests to.

“I knew something was wrong. I could see it, my husband would tell me. I had lost patience with the kids; I was irritable. I flew into rages against my colleagues; I would cry without knowing why. What was I supposed to do? What door should I knock on? Who should I see? I didn’t know.

Talking to my colleagues, and particularly my boss, would have been to admit that I was weak and could no longer be counted on. I could no longer be part of this super effective team that had never once flagged since it was formed. I was crushed.

To prepare for my return to work, I learned to reprioritize, revalue, not overdramatize. But when the time came, it wasn’t so simple. I realized that I had been excluded for months. My space had been used, invaded, and my personal items were put in a box. My return to work was simply not planned. I had to reappropriate each of my responsibilities and prove that I could handle them. What was most difficult to manage was the lack of understanding, the doubt. Not ill will on the part of my colleagues or my supervisor, just a lack of understanding of my illness and how to support me when I returned to work. It seemed as though the order had been given: “don’t ask any questions; avoid the subject.”

Sylvie G.’s words reveal the profound helplessness both on the part of the person who suffers from mental illness and those around him or her. This testimonial shows how important it is to better understand the symptoms of mental illness and to know how to support people who are ill.

 

 

Sylvie G.’s words reveal the profound helplessness both on the part of the person who suffers from mental illness and those around him or her. This testimonial shows how important it is to better understand the symptoms of mental illness and to know how to support people who are ill.