Last post Sat, Jan 12 2008 4:12 PM by uisge. 10 replies.
Hi Everyone!
I'm a new Disaboom member and am posting this to get feedback. I have been subjected to employment discrimination because of my depression, which I take Paxil for. Despite the fact that Paxil helps reduce my depression substantially, a couple of employers of mine used "methods" on their employees with mental disabilities, then made the excuse that it was a "method" so it doesn't violate the ADA and civil rights laws. I disagree with their assertions.
Has anyone else been through experiences like this at work? Tell me what you think of them.
Thanks,
GuardianAngel (a.k.a. Judy)
Luckily I haven't, my place I work is very open to people with all disabilities because it helps people with disabilites. They are informed enough to know better. I have seen it, and maybe it will help to contact the Disability Law center to find out. It's hard to know from a post, but they may be able to give yo a good idea.
Hi Judy,
My name is Kris. I recently had an 'issue' with my previous employer. I have Asperger's Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis. They denied me unemployment benefits and I took it to a TWC hearing officer. I took a copy of the Dept. of Labor's Job Accomodation Network (J.A.N.) print out for reasonable accomodations for persons with Aspergers Syndrome. The hearing office read the information and seemed very favorable.
The J.A.N. lists reasonable accomodations for all types of diabilities from Ataxia to bladder control to depression (under Psychatric Disabilities) It is a great site for anyone to go to and see what they can reasonably expect of an employer and what they might need help with if they have not thought of it yet.
This web page is for employers to look at their employees disability and the accomodations they need to make. These are reasonable and any severe deviations would not hold up as ADA compliant I am told.
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/disabilities.html
You can also contact JAN directly by email and tell them what 'methods' your employer is using and they can tell you if they are ADA compliant
The Link to contact them directly is http://www.jan.wvu.edu/JANonDemand.htm
Hope this helps
Sadly, many people experience workplace discrimination regarding mental illness. I have experienced it in a few jobs, as have a few friends of mine.
I'm not familiar with "methods" used by employers. Would you provide an example for me, please? I'm curious to learn about it/them.
Thanks!
Julia
Hi Julia,
Thanks for your question. The method, which is based on Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, involves calling someone harassing names if the method participants believe she has been abused. This is related to cognitive behavior therapy, but in my case it was badly done by the participants, done when I was feeling depressed due to marital problems, and did not help me at all. In fact, it increased my depression to the point where it caused me incredible emotional pain. I believe that the participants, most of whom were high school teachers with no training in psychotherapy, have no business doing this to someone. They are not trained therapists and the physician leading the method is a child psychiatrist, who does not work with adults except when they are parents of his patients.
I don't think calling someone a "whore" and "bitch" helps abuse victims, do you? They also made comments like "aren't you an embarrassment to your parents?" I was supposed to respond with either a "No" or "Yes" answer and this is not my style. I prefer to argue my point with someone, which is characteristic of very bright people, who don't do well with the Ellis method.
Check out my blog for more details on this method. By the way, the employers who forced this one me seem to focus heavily on abused women, not men. In fact, they admitted they had only tried this on one or two men and I'm sure there are many more men who have been abused. This seems sexist to me.
Judy
Hi Kris,
Thanks for the JAN link. It has some very interesting information. I tried to sue in MA against my employer who held the first "intervention" but they all claimed since it was a "method" it was legal and no one was willing to sign affidavits claiming otherwise. How typical. Check out my blog for more info on this.
"Oh my god!" I had no idea that their "method" was verbal abuse.
Have you contacted the local or state board of psychologists? If they do not support this 'method/abuse', they need to know about people practicing it and the employer needs to be held accountable.
Some local news channels have an investigative reporter. I would call one of them if you have them up there - (this was sell on tv as we Americans love a good scandal) I feel quite certain that if you bring this to the public eye you will get alot of people on your side. Then it would not be you against them so much. (that is depressing-I know)
Are you in a better place now? (I mean another job?)
Kris
Yes, I did try to publicize this but because the "physician" who allegedly was in charge of the intervention is "renowned" in MA and wealthy people donate to him, nothing was done. MA has a huge public/private schism. If a physician and trustees at a school are connected to a private institution that is Harvard-affiliated, it is tough to file charges against them or even get other psychologists/psychiatrists to complain about him. I did see a psychiatrist after this who said he had serious issues with the way the intervention was done but since he is not renowned, it was hard to get him to speak up.
I filed a complaint against the physician with the MA board of registration in medicine and had another person confirm this physician's behavior in writing but the board must get three confirmations before they take any action.
I did move from this area and worked for a while but it was at a public university that uses its own "method" on abused (again, predominantly women) people and I believe that this is unethical and unprofessional. Plus, I was slandered and defamed by the employers I had filed complaints against in MA.
Thanks for your support,
Mental disabilities can be so easily hidden...the last taboo. Many people have trouuble dealing with their feelings about the disabled and it makes them act in a less than nice manner.
As a person who's familiar with Rational Emotive Behabior therapy..these "methods" sound nothing like this branch of therapy.....Yes, the founder (Albert Ellis) was known to use some foul language---but it wasn't directed AT his clients in a name-calling fashion.
Regardless, no one should be using REBT unless they are a trained psychotherapist....I'd suggest going the route of unethical practice by professionals not liscensed in the field to ensure that this abuse doesn't continue.
Yikes!! That sounds terrifying, especially in anything less than expert hands. I am familiar with cognitive therapy techniques as I was being in CT for eight years and I also employed some of the techniques in jobs I held after college (youth detention faciilities). I can't imagine very many people being skilled and intuitive enough to use the method your described without dire, and possibly tragic, outcomes. I can see some merit in such techniques, but the potential for more trauma seems huge. Frankly, I'm glad you survived it.
I will definitely check out your blog. Thanks for the info!
