Returning to work?
Dreading the drama?
Feels like ground hog day?
Job dissatisfaction can have a spill-over effect on home life. We spend most of our time each week at work so it makes sense that if you are unhappy with your job, there is a high possibility that you are also unhappy at home.
When job dissatisfaction starts to overwhelm our ability to rest, recharge and deal with the stress of the day it can lead to burn out, depression or anxiety. It can be easy to blame oneself, or be blamed by others for not being ‘tough enough’, ‘good enough’ or not being able to hack it… but as attributed to famous Author, William Gibson, “before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”
What is depression?
According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), clinical depression is when you experience sadness or a depressed mood for at least two weeks, and to the point where it affects your everyday life. You might also feel bouts of anger, frustration, a reduced interest in activities that you used to enjoy, poor sleep, reduced energy, difficulty concentrating and even suicidal thoughts or intention. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008), on average, around 1 in 6 women and 1 in 8 men will experience some level of depression.
What can I do about it?
If you are feeling depressed, please remember that you have options. Draw upon your support network and see if you can speak to a trusted friend or relative. If that’s not an option, consider seeing your General Practitioner (GP) for some advice. They might refer you to see a psychologist who has received specialist training in evidenced-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help you better manage your symptoms.
You are not alone!
Please know that there are ways to manage the feelings of depression. Also, it is possible to feel better without having to give up your job. Sometimes it might all be about giving yourself the permission to allocate some “me” time to re-charge and rebuild your resilience. Of course, sometimes a job change can be a good idea, but you don’t have to tough it out alone.
If you’re struggling with mental illness and have suicidal thoughts, contact the Mental Health Triage Service on 13 14 65, available 24 hours, seven days a week. For emergencies, call 000.
For more information regarding mental illness, see the following links:
Bibliography
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results, 2007. Cat. no. (4326.0). Canberra: ABS.
Craighead, W. E, Ritschel, L. A, Arnarson, E. O, & Gillespie, C. F. (2008). Major depressive disorder. In W. E. Craighead, D. J. Miklowitz & L. W. Craighead (Eds.), Psychopathology: History, Diagnosis, and Empirical Foundations. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cuijpers, P, Geraedts, A. S, van Oppen, P, Anderrson, G, Markowitz, J. C, & van Straten, A. (2011). Interpersonal psychotherapy for depression: A meta-analysis. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 168, 581-592. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10101411
Lee, D-J., Yu, G. B., Sirgy, M. J., Singhapakdi, A., & Lucianetti L. (2015). The effects of explicit and implicit ethics institutionalization on employee life satisfaction and happiness: The mediating effects of employee experiences in work life and moderating effects of work–family life Conflict. Journal of Business Ethics, pp. 1-20.
Rodríguez-Muñoz, A., Sanz-Vergel, A. I., Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. (2014). Engage at work and happy at home: A spillover-crossover model. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15, pp. 271-283. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9421-3
Soleimani, L, Lapidus, K. A. B, & Losifescu, D. V. (2011). Diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder. Neurologic Clinics, 29, 177-193. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2010.10.010
Huisy Howland Psychology 許豪心理 