Mental illness is blah blah blah, and one in 5 Australian adults will experience a mental illness each

year (Mental health text). Mental illness can have a significant impact on a person in the workplace,
it can affect personal relationships as well as overall health (loss of dimensions article). Due to the
stigma surrounding mental illness a person may prolong seeking help out of fear or embarrassment,
thus intensifying the symptoms experienced over time (www.sane.org video). Making the first step
to seek treatment may be difficult, but the recovery model that is now widely accepted and utilised
involves the person with mental illness, providing autonomy, and ensures active participation in the
recovery journey (Kozier and erb page…). There are a number of services within close proximity to
Marion, South Australia that can provide support to families, carers and clients with a mental illness.
(143)

In the workplace, a person with mental illness may find themselves struggling to find motivation and
having difficulty concentrating even in times of high demand, resulting in poor quality work
(https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/topic/mental-health#mental-health-in-the-workplace). The
person may begin to fall behind with assigned tasks and the added stress could amplify the
symptoms of the illness, potentially leading to a breakdown if help is not sought after. The same
feelings experienced in the workplace may also start to surface at home, thus affecting relationships
with family and friends (loss of dimension article). The person may develop mood swings and begin
to lose interest in the things they once loved, causing them to socially withdraw. The illness can
eventually become so debilitating that the person is no longer able to work, with symptoms
potentially being aggravated further if he/she has a family that relies on that source of income. Not
being able to maintain your livelihood can really affect self esteem, self worth, and instill feelings of
failure at life.

The same feelings experienced in the workplace may also start to surface at home, thus affecting
relationships with family and friends (loss of dimensions article). The person may start to lose
interest in the things they once loved, causing them to withdraw socially. This can be very upsetting
to the person’s partner as they experience the change in behavior, and may even start blaming
themselves, wondering what they could have done to prevent this from happening

Recovery from mental illness is a conceptual personal and unique journey towards a fresh start in
life, with a new sense of self (kozier and erb page 1155) assisted by hope, therapeutic optimism,
resilience and reconnection (mental health text pg 19).