Given A, B, & C, Accommodations for Workers with Depression & Anxiety Should be Required

:) I have to apologize in advance - my arguments get lengthy XD Here's the basis to my first point: P1: Depression and anxiety can be very disabling conditions. P2: Arthritis can be a very disabling condition. P3: Employers accommodate employees with severe arthritis C: Employers should accommodate employees with severe depression and anxiety. Disabling: "(Of an action or circumstance) prevent or discourage (someone) from doing something" - oxforddictionaries. com Also, just to note, I'm taking "doctor-backed accommodations" to imply that some aspect of the condition is severe. 1. To prove the first premise, I must prove that depression and anxiety can be very disabling. I'd like to point out that many people believe depression is just sadness. It's not. Feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness, helplessness, and lack of interest in once pleasurable activities are all symptoms of depression. [1] Individuals with severe depression do not believe they can really be happy again. These feelings contribute to suicidal ideation, another symptom of depression [1]. When serious suicidal thoughts come into play, and a certain aspect of the work field is causing it, work becomes a danger to an individual's life. If a woman with a respiratory disease could die by inhaling fumes from cleaning products, then her employer likely wouldn't direct her to do any cleaning work. But if a task is "only" mentally taxing to the point where a person wants to kill himself, is it a matter of maturity? No. Why should physical stress to the body be taken more seriously than psychological stress? Psychological stress actually contributes greatly to physical problems; there is indeed a chemical response to stress that often compromises healthy functioning of the body. [2] Since depression and anxiety are all about psychological stress, let's take a peek at what stress can do to the body: ". .. evidence is emerging that stress-induced immunosuppression can indeed increase the risk and severity of some diseases. .. " (p. 145) ". .. depressive patients often are at least mildly immunosuppressed, and are more prone to osteoporosis. .. prolonged major depression increases the risk of heart disease about three- to fourfold, even after controlling for smoking and alcohol consumption. .. " (p. 295) In some depressives, ". .. the "architecture" of sleep is different. .. the normal pattern of shifting between deep and shallow sleep, the rhythm of the onset of dream states, are disturbed. " (p.276) ". .. fibromyalgia is more likely to strike people with anxious. .. personalities. " (p. 200) [2] Here's some of physical symptoms of depression and anxiety: For depression: decreased energy, fatigue, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, stomachaches, indigestion, constant headaches, tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing. [1] For anxiety (based on Generalized Anxiety Disorder): "feeling tired for no reason; headaches; muscle tension and aches; having a hard time swallowing; trembling or twitching; "sweating; nausea; feeling lightheaded; feeling out of breath; "and hot flashes. " [3] Take a moment to mix even just three of these symptoms together. Sound comfortable? How about having them for a whole day? That"s not nearly enough for a diagnosis of depression or anxiety. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), "For major depression, you must have five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period, most of the day, nearly every day. At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure. " [4] My source lists those symptoms, and you can check them out, but they're mostly a rehashing of symptoms I've mentioned in this round thus far. For anxiety, the DSM requires, "Excessive anxiety and worry about several events or activities most days of the week, for at least six months. " [5] Sure, some of symptoms I've mentioned thus far may not seem "that bad". However, recall a time you were sick. Perhaps your nose was running, you were nauseated, your head was throbbing, you couldn't sleep - and then all of sudden, you got a cold sore. It shouldn't be that bothersome, it's just a cold sore, right? Well, sometimes minor things put you over the edge when enough is enough. The flu comes and goes though. Depression and anxiety are continuous. They can be described as exhausting and draining. Let me go a little farther into depth with the muscle tension and aches symptom, because that creates, arguably, the most difficulties. You might say that the average working person gets aches and pains, and that's true, but listen to what the APA says: "With sudden onset stress, the muscles tense up all at once, and then release their tension when the stress passes. Chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders. " [5.5] I also wanted to offer more on the fatigue aspect of stress. "When the body is stressed, the SNS generates what is known as the "fight or flight" response" Chronic stress, experiencing stressors over a prolonged period of time, can result in a long-term drain on the body. As the SNS continues to trigger physical reactions, it causes a wear-and-tear on the body. It's. .. what continuous activation of the nervous system does to other bodily systems that become problematic. " [5.5] 2. I argue that, by not accommodating people with depression and anxiety in the workforce, the economy indirectly suffers. Remember all those feelings I mentioned for depression earlier? Emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness, and helplessness? Those feelings do not promote a successful work environment. Employers want confidence and enthusiasm. Lethargy, a negative outlook on life, and poor self-esteem do not equate to productivity. Actually, ". .. experts estimate that depression costs the nation more than $83 billion a year in direct medical costs, lost productivity in the workplace and expenses related to suicide. " [6] That's a pretty high cost. Also, anxiety is characterized by avoidance behaviors. Some people's anxiety is so severe that they avoid leaving their home! Guess what that means. If they don"t leave their home, they can"t go to school or work. Perhaps if their fears weren't so intense - if they knew they could be accommodated for - they would work (though laws against discrimination are in place, there-s still a stigma about mental disorders, which probably stops people from asking for accommodations). Why should anyone care if they work or not? Some people with severe anxiety do qualify for disability and receive Social Security Income. [7] Some people with depression also quality for disability. [8] While some of them might really need SSI, what percentage of them would be more willing to work if they could have accommodations? Fewer people on SSI is arguably very good for the economy! 3. These accommodations won't harm stable employers. Requesting different work hours is well within reason. If the company is in operation at that time, it's a suitable time to request hours. If the old hours need to be filled, then someone out there needs a job and will work those hours. If it costs too much to hire one more single person, then the employer is not financially sound enough to support the business. Sounds harsh, but that's not the fault of the person with depression or anxiety. Employers are responsible for their employees to some extent. Some employers are required to buy health insurance for their employees. It would not be acceptable to drop the health insurance coverage because there's a need for more employees. We should expect companies to plan for financial upsets. Employers wouldn't drop a woman's maternity-leave because of a financial issue. Why treat mental disorders any differently? Maybe an individual with anxiety wants to opt out of giving tours of the company. Have someone else do it. Maybe an individual with depression can't handle being asked to do overtime. Ask someone else do overtime. Since we are talking about doctor-backed accommodations, we can likely assume that they are also reasonable ones. [1] . http://www.nimh.nih.gov... [2] "Why Don't Zebras Get Ulcers? " (third edition) by Robert M. Sapolsky [3] . http://www.nimh.nih.gov... [4] . http://www.mayoclinic.org... [5] . http://www.mayoclinic.org... [5.5] . http://www.apa.org... [6] . http://www.apa.org... [7] . http://www.disabilitysecrets.com... [8] . http://www.disabilitysecrets.com...