Senior executive’s comeback from depression
By Cecily-Anna Bennett
Having spent much of his life as a senior executive for organisations including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and A.T. Kearney, Graeme Cowan hit rock bottom in 2000 when he was diagnosed with depression. He emerged from his experiences with a new perspective on the ways companies should approach adversity. Now a successful public speaker and consultant, Cowan is the author of two books, Back From the Brink, a collection of inspiring accounts of surviving depression, and Back From the Brink Too, a guide for supporting loved ones overcoming the illness. He also is the director of R U OK? at Work, an initiative of R U OK? Day, the national suicide prevention campaign.
“I’ve probably had five major episodes of depression in my life, but I had a really shocking one from about 2000 ’til 2005. It was very debilitating. I’d had probably two other episodes in a workplace situation before that; I felt a need to surround it with secrecy, which was very difficult. I’d find myself waking up at 2am or 3am, unable to get back to sleep. I put on this mask at work to hide the exhaustion but that mask is a very tiring thing to keep on.
“When it finally came to the point where it became obvious I couldn’t continue at work, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone because it had been an ongoing thing over the previous two or three years. I’d take time off to recover and recuperate, go back to work for six months, then I’d be off again. At the time, I was working with A.T. Kearney and I was very fortunate that they handled it really well.
“For me, my recovery wasn’t an overnight turnaround, it was very gradual, but in essence it was through physical activity, having contact with family and friends and also looking at work that I found fulfilling. Work is such a big part of our emotional wellbeing that if you’re unhappy there it can really have a huge impact on the rest of your life.
“Having been in recruitment, out-placement and career management for 12 years, I knew that was the case. It’s the ultimate elephant in the room. People go to extreme lengths to hide any problems they may be having, to keep their composure in the workplace.
“One of the things that I think positively addresses this issue is a national campaign I’m involved with called R U OK? Day, to encourage people to reach out to others who may being having a tough time. One of the reasons people in the workplace don’t ask their colleagues if they’re OK is that they don’t know how to initiate a conversation or they’re scared the person might say: `No I’m not OK’, and not know what to do about it.
“Last year, over two million Australians had `Are you OK?’ conversations and 700 organisations participated. There have to be fundamental changes in the workplace. Rather than avoiding someone who seems to be struggling, ask, `Are you OK?’ ”
Article from The Australian
