It’s a great time to be in technology. Computers keep getting better. More and more devices keep getting connected to the internet. Javascript frameworks are multiplying like bacteria. 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. Constantly feeling worn down, experiencing anxiety over making decisions, and burning out are not just facts of a developer’s life! They’re challenges that can be dealt with. In this talk we’ll 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/2yqRfYJ
http://bit.ly/2zrh2hE
Arthur Doler
@arthurdoler
arthurdoler@gmail.com

3. WHAT’S THIS TALK EVEN ABOUT?

9. 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

11. REALITY CHECK

12. 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

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

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

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

16. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

27. DIAGNOSES ARE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE
THEY ARE DESCRIPTIVE

28. WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY…

31. MOOD DISORDERS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY
DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO REGULATE
MOOD
Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry (9th ed.)

35. ANXIETY DISORDERS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY
DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO REGULATE
ANXIETY
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition

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

40. REMEMBER – DIAGNOSES ARE DESCRIPTIVE,
NOT PRESCRIPTIVE

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

42. SO…
WHO IS ART?

43. WHO AM I?

46. It’s
clinical
versus
experiential
language

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

50. EXPERIENTIALLY!

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

54. A CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
NEEDS SOME GUIDELINES

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

58. TYPE IA
Jordan Asks Taylor for Future Support

59. ASKING SCRIPT

60. “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]”

61. “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?”

62. 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
Jordan Asks Taylor for Future Support

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

65. WHAT DOES A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS LOOK
LIKE?

68. “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.”

69. 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
Jordan is in Crisis and Asks Taylor for Support

70. TYPE IIA
Jordan Offers Future Support to Taylor

71. OFFERING SCRIPT

72. “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?”

73. “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?”

74. 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
Jordan Offers Future Support to Taylor

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

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

77. 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
Taylor is in Crisis and Jordan Offers Support

78. TYPE III
Taylor Explaining to Jordan What They Feel

79. EXPLANATION SCRIPT

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

81. “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.”

82. Ideally, Jordan:
• Will listen respectfully
• Won’t problem-solve
Ideally, Taylor:
• Will avoid blaming or ranting
• Won’t apologize for their feelings
Taylor Explaining to Jordan What They Feel

83. TYPE IV
Taylor Checking In with Jordan

84. CHECK-IN SCRIPT

85. “Hey, how are you doing?”

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

87. 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
Taylor Checking In with Jordan

88. TYPE V
Jordan and Taylor Talking Like Normal Humans

89. “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.”

90. 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
Jordan and Taylor Talking Like Normal Humans

92. THEN DON’T!

93. MOST IMPORTANTLY

95. OKAY. TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

96. TIME FOR SOME ARTTRUTH™.

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

103. 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

106. The Neurobiology of Meditation and Mindfulness, Tobias Esch

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

112. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook

113. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook

114. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Workbook

115. Source: Mary Ellen Copeland, mentalhealthrecovery.com

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

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

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

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

126. 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

127. RESOURCES

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

129. • 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

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

131. • 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

132. Slides:
Arthur Doler
@arthurdoler
arthurdoler@gmail.com
Handout:Handout:
http://bit.ly/2yqRfYJ
http://bit.ly/2zrh2hE