According to the National Institutes of Health, it takes people an average of 11 years to seek help after the onset of symptoms related to mental health. If that isn’t disturbing enough, Mental Health America cited that of those who suffer with mental illness, about 55% will never seek help. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s time for me to climb atop my mental wellness soapbox for my annual dissertation.

With concerns around elevated reports of mental illness in slaughter facility employees and farmers, our industry is no stranger to the need for more comprehensive care. And in recent years, strides have been made. Employee assistance programs and expanded healthcare benefits are fantastic ways to provide access to resources that are much needed by some many in these taxing professions.

But let’s take this a bit further. Let’s say you are 10 years old for a minute. And let’s say that you still can’t tie your shoes. You are intelligent, able-bodied, and by all means a typical 10-year-old kid that should be able to tie a shoe. But you just can’t seem to get the hang of it. So you wear Velcro and slip-on shoes to not draw attention to the deficit. When people rarely notice that you never wear laces, you shrug it off and say you just prefer to wear shoes without them. Why? Because you are ashamed and embarrassed. All the other kids seem to be able to tie their shoes with what seems to be no problem; why can’t you?

Fast forward. You are now 29 with a career in our industry for the last seven years. You’re reliable, smart, and by all assessments a great employee. But you can’t sleep at night. And when you get up in the morning, it feels like there’s an 18-wheeler on your limbs, keeping you from leaving your bed. It’s a struggle to move, to be motivated, to gain any kind of momentum and certainly arrive to shift on time. But you should be able to get up and go to work. You just can’t seem to shake the insidious thing weighing you down. When people rarely notice that you aren’t yourself at work, you shrug it off and say you just didn’t sleep very well and are fine. Why? Because you are ashamed and embarrassed. All of your colleagues seem to be able to come to work on time and sail through the day with what seems to be no problem; why can’t you?

You’re 10 again. Your teacher is an absolute saint of a person. Always so kind and helpful whenever you need extra help with math or science; you love your teacher. One day at recess, your shoe comes off in kickball and flies across the playground. Your teacher kindly walks over to retrieve your shoe and you share a private moment together. She says that she noticed your shoe selection. She confides in you that she didn’t learn to tie her shoes until she was close to 13 and wishes they have more Velcro when she was growing up. Your chest feels lighter and your eyes well up with tears. You are not the only one. Her shoes have laces, which means there is still time to learn. You find some courage and ask your teacher how she figured it out and she offers to help. You are not alone and now you will take this journey together with a resource that does not judge.

You’re 29 again. Your team lead is the best. They always lend a hand and make you laugh, lightening the day enough to make it tolerable. One day at lunch, you just stare at your food. You are exhausted and in such a state that you just can’t bring yourself to eat. The team lead notices that you haven’t touched your food and have not been yourself lately at work. He grabs you both coffee and you have a moment out of earshot from others. He tells you that she sometimes has a lot of trouble sleeping and that he suffers with depression, but that the EAP program really helps him cope. Your chest feels lighter and your eyes well up with tears. You are not the only one. He struggles but seems to have still progressed in the company and manages to show up to work on time, meaning there is hope for you too. You find some courage to ask the lead for the information so that you can get some assistance too. You are not alone and now you will take this journey together with a resource that does not judge.

See where I am going? Isolation and shame stop our amazing employees from getting the help that they need. The fear of being a burden or being perceived as weak make it seem impossible to seek treatment or companionship when it pertains to mental health. Do you remember my blogs about anxiety and authenticity? My employees read those. It’s not a secret that I am a human with big feelings and a diagnosis to deal with. And that makes it okay for them to not be okay all the time too. That makes it okay for them to ask for help.

I know that we are all doing more and more to address mental health issues in the workplace, regardless of location and profession. But the one thing we can’t overdo is reminding our people that they are never, ever alone. Let them know that it’s ok to be overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or any other term that describes simply not being okay. Let them know that there are other people like them and what resources are available. It’s not enough to put it in the onboarding packet. It’s not enough to send an email each May and January. It’s not enough to put a bulletin in the lunchroom. Say it. Tell them. Be open. Be real. Encourage them.

We simply cannot know what the person next to us is feeling. And we don’t have to. But what we must do is make sure that they are not made to feel like they are alone.

Better together

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