Workers’ compensation is insurance providing cash or medical care for workers employed by a business or company. The compensation results from the direct impact on their jobs such as injury or an emotional or mental breakdown caused by the workspace.
Causes of depression can sometimes be tied to the work environment or nature of the job, which is why workers should be considered for workers comp in that regard. Depression is a hormonal imbalance in the brain that can be triggered by anxiety, stress, physical burnout, and toxic situations that make it difficult for one to function at maximum capacity. Indeed, it’s something that should be seriously tackled.
Workers’ comp helps provide resources required for the assistance required to tackle depression. Here are some of the reasons to file for workers comp for depression:
Insufficient In-House Support
Sometimes, workplaces fail to provide sufficient support for workers’ mental wellness. For example, a corporate structure means the red tape that’s in place may hinder you from being able to express your concerns and struggles regarding a work situation. You may find that you’re passed from one office to the next, and because of the politics or work culture of the organization, your plight may fall flat without any solutions provided.
Perhaps you’re facing workplace bullying, and it seems that the organization doesn’t place such issues as a priority; you may suffer silently, which may lead to depression. Filing for workers comp for depression means you can access external support such as Jacksonhousecares.com, which provides rehabilitation services.
Some of the advantages of rehabilitation include:
- Talk Therapy
Talk therapy is a treatment where a licensed therapist guides you through uncovering the causes of depression. If you’re unable to discuss matters at your workplace because of the lack of support, talk therapy helps to confront the issues you may be battling. As you discuss with the licensed therapist, you may begin to find ways to handle the work dynamics or decide to make other decisions and choices regarding your career.
- Social Support
When in rehab, you’re surrounded by people who are going through similar situations such as overcoming depression. A part of the treatment is to hold group discussions where you share your successes, struggles, and the dynamics of recovery. This may not be the case in your workplace as you may find it difficult to trust colleagues with your heaviness. Your conversations may become gossip topics and may cause more harm to you than support.
- Medication
You can access doctors who diagnose your condition and prescribe medication if required when in rehab. Some medications include mood stabilizers and steroids or anti-anxiety prescriptions, for example. Such medication requires you to purchase, so filing for workers’ compensation helps you access these for the period you require.
- Life Skills
The goal of rehabilitation is to teach life skills beyond rehab, which may help should you decide to return to work in the same position as you were. The group activities and one-on-one sessions build communication, patience, and resilience skills. Gradually, this can help you in functioning normally once again.
Lower Risk Of Harm To Self And Others
High levels of depression may eventually lead to self-harm or harming others. Thoughts of suicide are common when experiencing depression, and it wouldn’t help if one had to frequent the work environment, which may cause depression constantly. Filing for workers comp for depression means you can seek therapy to help you from spiraling towards self-harm.
Some of the symptoms you may have in the space of contemplating suicide include:
- Fantasizing Death
If you find that you continuously play different scenarios of your death, funeral, or how you can end your life, you may be at high risk. It’s normal to sometimes wonder about the afterlife and what would happen to your loved ones should you pass away, but meditating on the thought means you need to seek help and guidance.
- Speaking About Death With Others
When your conversations become increasingly about death and others begin to get concerned, you may likely be fantasizing about death. Therapy settings and rehab are the best space to discuss such matters because the licensed therapists are in a position to determine the seriousness of the conversations and intervene accordingly.
Encourages A Shift In Work Culture
Filing for workers’ compensation for depression may encourage a shift in work culture. When other colleagues realize that you’ve filed and are benefiting from the compensation, they may be encouraged to follow suit should they find themselves in a similar position. The more colleagues file for compensation, the more likely the work culture shifts to preventing more instances that prove toxicity affecting workers’ health.
Examples of toxic work culture which may cause depression include:
- Bullying
- Racism
- Sexism
- Homophobia
- Ageism
- Colorism
- Physical injury
- Sexual abuse
- Slander
Such issues may then be tackled from the corporate or business roots to avoid multiple scenarios where workers are filing for depression compensation.
Maintain Positive Relationships
The nature of depression is such that your relationships, both personal and at the workplace, may take strain. Some of the symptoms which may affect your relationships include:
- Isolation
Isolation means avoiding contact with others because socializing may be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining when experiencing depression. Your work colleagues and family members may struggle to maintain a relationship with you, especially if they’re unaware of the intensity of depression.
By filing for workers’ compensation, you get the guidance and assistance you need, which may help you navigate various relationship dynamics. In some cases, your loved ones are invited to participate in therapy sessions to learn how to walk the road with you.
- Substance Abuse
Should depression be left unattended, substance abuse may become an option to numb the pain of coping with the reality of working in the environment causing the pain. Substance abuse can cause strain in relationships in many ways. Some people become violent due to drug use, meaning those surrounding them may decide to withdraw. In other cases, those that use the drugs may become ashamed of the situation and withdraw from their loved ones.
Substance abuse also causes excessive sleeping and, in most cases, physical discomfort, which makes it difficult for you to function with others. You can consider filing for workers’ compensation to prevent the situation from leading to escape methods such as substance abuse.
- Poor Work Performance
Your relationship with your colleagues may take strain should you experience depression. Your mental capacity and physical energy deplete rapidly, which compromises your work performance. In the case that you work as a team, your colleagues may not understand the dynamics of depression and may blame you for the negative results. This may mean that your colleagues may strategize to have you isolated from the group, leaving you in a compromised position.
Management may not be aware of or understand the dynamics of the condition and expect the work output to be of consistent quality. It may be difficult to maintain these expectations, and filing for compensation is one way of explicitly communicating that you’re mentally struggling at the workplace.
You Save Personal Finances
If you’re able to prove that depression is directly related to the workplace, it’s only fair that you’re compensated for this, just as you may be for a physical injury that occurs at work. Therapy and counseling require finances that not everyone can afford. With worker’s compensation, you can access the counseling resources and therapy required with the peace of mind that you’re financially covered.
A Boost In Working Motivation
Having filed for workers’ compensation, your motivation and morale may increase because you may feel appreciated enough by the company or business regarding your mental health. Having gone through rehab and therapy, you’re more equipped to decide whether to continue at the particular workplace or make a move. Regardless of your decision, compensation for depression may motivate you to act according to the best possible outcome.
Conclusion
If you can prove that your mental health has been compromised at the workplace, filing for workers’ compensation may be the best option for seeking therapy and guidance. You can then check into rehab where licensed therapists guide you through the dynamics of depression and how to overcome what can be a debilitating state of mind.
You also lower the risk of harming yourself and others at the workplace when you seek professional guidance. The sheer initiative of filing workers’ compensation may shift the work culture if it’s toxic. Usually, businesses and organizations work to put out a positive brand and image; if mental wellness is prioritized, the brand is associated with positivity.
Your relationships with colleagues and family may get strained due to depression, and the compensation helps you navigate these under expert guidance. Once you go through the process, you may find that your motivation to perform high at work is ignited.
Depression is a difficult path to travel, but all hope isn’t lost. With the help of professionals and self-care, you may recover fully. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you plan and prepare.