It’s a great time to be in technology. 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. Your mental health is arguably the single most important factor in your ability to perform well, avoid burnout, and build resiliency, but we shroud the topic in secrecy, stigma, and co-opted clinical language that makes us think we know what's going on. We often don't even speak of what we feel to family and friends until we're facing a crisis. We need to change all of that. You don't have to stay in the dark, and you *don't* have to suffer alone. In this talk we’ll start with some basics about mental health, then 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.

1. Arthur Doler
@arthurdoler
arthurdoler@gmail.com
Slides:
Handout:
LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH
Because it’s about @%#*& time!
http://bit.ly/art-mental-
deck
http://bit.ly/art-mental-
handout
Arthur Doler
@arthurdoler
arthurdoler@gmail.com

2. WHAT’S THIS TALK EVEN ABOUT?

8. 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

10. REALITY CHECK

11. 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

12. CDC Mental Illness Surveillance Fact Sheet (https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealthsurveillance/fact_sheet.html)

13. CDC Mental Illness Surveillance Fact Sheet (https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealthsurveillance/fact_sheet.html)

14. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE SUBSTANCE USE
NUMBERS
CDC Mental Illness Surveillance Fact Sheet (https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealthsurveillance/fact_sheet.html)

15. 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. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)

18. NIMH / NIH - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/disability/us-leading-categories-of-diseases-disorders.shtml

20. MENTAL DISORDER
MENTAL ILLNESS
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER
NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDER
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE
MENTAL HEATH CHALLENGE

21. BUT WHAT ARE THEY?
WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF A DIAGNOSIS?

23. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition

24. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition

26. DIAGNOSES ARE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE
THEY ARE DESCRIPTIVE

28. Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry (9th ed.)

31. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition

35. OSMI 2016 Survey General Report (https://osmi.typeform.com/report/Ao6BTw/U76z)

36. REMEMBER – DIAGNOSES ARE DESCRIPTIVE,
NOT PRESCRIPTIVE

37. JUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW ONE PERSON’S
EXPERIENCE DOESN’T MEAN YOU KNOW
ANOTHER’S EXPERIENCE

38. SO…
WHO IS ART?

39. WHO AM I?

42. It’s
clinical
versus
experiential
language

45. SO…
HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH AT WORK?

46. EXPERIENTIALLY!

47. YOU ARE NOT A PROVIDER OF CARE.
DO NOT USE CLINICAL LANGUAGE.

50. A CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
NEEDS SOME GUIDELINES

53. NOTE:
THE SITUATIONS HERE ARE HYPOTHETICAL
THE ADVICE IS REPRESENTATIVE
DO NOT ASSUME IT’S THE CORRECT ADVICE

54. TYPE IA
Jordan Asks Taylor for Future Support

55. ASKING SCRIPT

56. “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]?”

57. “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?”

58. 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

59. TYPE IB
Jordan is in Crisis and Asks Taylor for Support

61. WHAT DOES A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS LOOK
LIKE?

64. “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.”

65. 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

66. TYPE IIA
Jordan Offers Future Support to Taylor

67. OFFERING SCRIPT

68. “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?”

69. “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?”

70. 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
can do

71. TYPE IIB
Taylor is in Crisis and Jordan Offers Support

72. “It seems like you’re going through
a rough moment. If you want, I can
cover for you if you need to step
out.”

73. 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
• Won’t assume they’re being a waste of

74. TYPE III
Taylor Explaining to Jordan What They Feel

75. EXPLANATION SCRIPT

76. “When [event happens], I [sometimes,
often, always] feel like [insert feelings
here]. To cope with that, I [insert
behavior here].”

77. “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.”

78. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will listen respectfully
• Won’t problem-solve
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will avoid blaming or ranting
• Won’t apologize for their feelings

79. TYPE IV
Taylor Checking In with Jordan

80. CHECK-IN SCRIPT

81. “Hey, how are you doing?”

82. “Good morning, Taylor. How’re
you feeling today?”

83. 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

84. TYPE V
Jordan and Taylor Talking Like Normal Humans

85. “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.”

86. 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

88. THEN DON’T!

89. MOST IMPORTANTLY

91. OKAY. TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

92. TIME FOR SOME ARTTRUTH™.

93. IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUE…

96. WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY…

100. Book cover from Amazon, Fair Use
Brad Warner by Doubtboy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8034985

103. The Neurobiology of Meditation and Mindfulness, Tobias Esch

108. http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap-is/

109. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook

110. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook

111. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook

112. Source: Mary Ellen Copeland, mentalhealthrecovery.com

118. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychotherapies

120. MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES PROBABLY
MATTER MORE TO YOU THAN YOU SUSPECT

121. DIAGNOSES DON’T MATTER AS MUCH AS YOU
THINK THEY DO

122. BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH
COWORKERS (AND OTHERS) IS IMPORTANT

123. 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

124. RESOURCES

125. • osmihelp.org
• Largest nonprofit
dedicated to mental
health in tech
• Annual survey
• Free guidebooks for
employees and HR
OPEN-SOURCING MENTAL
ILLNESS (OSMI)

126. • 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

127. • mentalhealthamerica.net
• Self-screening tools for
potential mental health
issues
• Excellent collection of
other resources to learn
about and deal with
MENTAL HEALTH
AMERICA

128. • suicidepreventionlifeline.
org
OR 1-800-273-8255
• Free and confidential
support, 24/7, for people
in distress
• NOT just suicide – any
NATIONAL SUICIDE
PREVENTION LIFELINE

129. meetup.com/Omaha-Mental-Health-User-
Group
@oma_mhug

130. PLEASE TWEET ME FEEDBACK!
What’s one thing I did well?
What’s one thing I could do better?
@arthurdoler

131. Slides:
Arthur Doler
@arthurdoler
arthurdoler@gmail.com
Handout:Handout:
http://bit.ly/mental-kcdc-
deck
http://bit.ly/mental-kcdc-handout