The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
"The Right Not to Remain Silent" is a series of candid memoirs by lawyers who have lived with mental health and addiction issues.
One of the authors, Beth Beattie, senior counsel to the Ontario Minister of the Attorney General, joined CTV Morning Live's Rosey Edeh to discuss it.
The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Rosey Edeh: This is really something, that a group of attorneys would get together and write a book about the right to not remain silent. Many times, you have a case, you might tell your clients, 'You need to let us do the talking. Be quiet,' but attorneys have gotten together to talk about why it can be very important to talk about your mental health in the workplace.
Beth Beattie: Absolutely.
RE: Can I just talk to your about your background and your journey through mental health issues while working?
BB: I've been a lawyer for 30 years and when I was a first-year associate at one of the big Bay Street firms, I suffered from a very deep depression and I got help for it and I went on anti-depressants and I did very well. About six years later, I had a floridly psychotic episode, meaning I lost touch with reality and long story short, I ended up being admitted to the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, where I was very well taken care of.
The problem I had was two themes played out. I was convinced I was going to get sick again, either manic or depressed. I'm no one special; a lot of people with bipolar disorder relapse, so I was afraid of that. I was also mortified at the thought that people would find out about my condition because as a lawyer, I'm supposed to be seen as unflappable and strong, and if I worry about my clients, opposing counsel knowing about my condition, they may think there's a chink in the armour, we're going to go after her.
RE: When did you get to the point when you said you can talk about this?
BB: It took 14 years and during those 14 years, I was a condensed ball of angst, worrying about people finding out. When I turned 50, I was financially secure, I had been at my job for awhile, they knew I worked hard, so I thought I would take the plunge because I think I can help other people who are feeling lonely and isolated.
RE: You and several other attorneys wrote this book, "The Right Not to Remain Silent". You wrote a section about disclosing mental health issues at work. Let's talk about the pros and cons of disclosing mental health issues at work. The first pro would be—
BB: Experiencing a wonderful sense of relief because keeping these things quiet is exhausting.
RE: Another pro is you become a role model.
BB: Absolutely. We need people, especially senior members of the profession, speaking out about our conditions and showing that we can have very successful practices while living with mental health issues.
RE: And you would feel invigorated by sharing your story because I would imagine there's a sense of release and relief.
BB: Absolutely. It was a cathartic experience. I was so scared to do it and then I opened up the floodgates and was like, well, this is so much fun, I'm just going to keep advocating.
RE: And then, you get the support you need. When you disclosed that you had some mental health issues, did you get a flood of support and did you find you were not alone?
BB: Absolutely. I made a presentation at our monthly staff meeting, I told my story for 20 minutes, and my colleagues stood up and gave me a standing ovation. When I knew that I had the support of my colleagues, I knew I could go out and be a mental health advocate.
RE: Let's talk about the cons now of disclosing your mental health issues at work. You feel ostracized by coworkers.
BB: That can happen. It didn't happen to me but it could potentially happen to others.
RE: Feeling like people are gossiping about you.
BB: Yes, you can feel that there might be gossip, whether it's happening or not, you get that paranoia. For people like me who also lived with an anxiety disorder, we worry.
RE: And risk of being excluded.
BB: That's the reality if you have a lousy boss, if you have a lousy management team, you may feel that you're not getting the quality of work that you would like to get.
RE: I feel like the pros outweigh the cons, here, because there are a lot of good points to releasing that issue that you have, disclosing it and then feeling empowered by it.
BB: In a sense, I think these cons are actually pros because I didn't feel any of them, I didn't experience any of them. My biggest fear about it being a real downside to disclose, I didn't feel that.
"The Right Not to Remain Silent" is available on Lexis Nexis. All royalties are donated to CAMH.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Stolen septic truck swerves through traffic, spike belt needed to stop it: Manitoba RCMP
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.