Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : October 10, 2017 12:39 PM IST
World Mental Health Day is on 10th October and the theme for this year is Workplace Wellness.
Sometimes it happens to us, we hear about a colleague or co-worker commit suicide and the news comes to us as a shock, because everything in that news seems unbelievable. You go into a quick flashback and realise that you had lunch with the same colleague just the day before, indulged in office gossip over coffee, discussed ideas for a joint project, left office together and now you hear that you are not going to meet the same person ever again. It is devastating.
This makes you think, in fact, think really hard that why your colleague whom you considered your trusted ally in the workplace couldn t trust you back and ask for help. You tell yourself, you would have done anything to turn the flow of the events, but now it is too late. Here are some warning signs that might suggest your child is suicidal.
Sometimes people don t ask for help. As society has long portrayed that picture of a strong, successful individual who falls and gets back on his feet all alone. And by trying to live by such unrealistic expectations of being successful and perfect we falter, we fail to ask for help. As asking for help was never considered to be a sign of bravery. Here are eight modern-day signs of depression which you cannot miss.
A person who plans or commits a suicide doesn t do it overnight; he might have tried to help himself for long before he gave up. There are subtle signs that they show at the workplace which should make a co-worker or colleague worried. A person who is suicidal shows the withdrawal symptoms at work much before planning a suicide. But the symptoms are so subtle that one might pass it off as regular work-stress and tension. This is one reason why it is difficult to identify workplace stressors and point out at a suicidal person. In fact, since it is stressful for most people to cope with the pressure at the office, organisations should take necessary steps to ensure workplace wellness, opines Dr Milan Balakrishnan, consultant psychiatrist, Juno Clinic, Mumbai.
Here are few signs he suggests an empathetic co-worker or colleague should be watchful of to recognise if his/her colleague is suicidal:
If you notice any of these symptoms in your friend or co-work take necessary steps to prevent a suicide that could be his next move.
What you can do:
Here are few tips Dr Balakrishnan offers to help your colleague:
Start a communication channel: If you notice the above mentioned signs and symptoms in a person, talk to get deeper to into the problem. However, refrain from asking questions like, Are you depressed? Do you feel lonely? or Do you need help? Instead try to instil a confidence in your co-worker by asking questions like, Do you want to talk? Can I help you with something? Is anything bothering you? as direct questions might make one withdraw even more.
Create a caring environment: If you have recognised someone in your team is suicidal, create a caring environment for the person. Smile often when you see your colleague and ask your team members to do so. We don t realise but a friendly smile from you can do a great deal of good to others.
Start a support group: Ask your HR team to set up a support group to deal with workplace stressors. A person appointed who is non-judgemental and can deal with others troubles better, be an empathic listener and help one find a solution for this problem.
These small changes can go a long way in ensuring workplace wellness and prevent an innocent life from falling prey to suicide.
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