Message Boards
Replies to '11/23 Schizophrenia'
|
November 30, 2005, 11:57 am PST
 Quote From: stryker_m Thank you to everyone for all your kind words of encouragement. I appreciate them all more than you know. The response to my coming forward on the show has been overwhelmingly positive. Yet, I was informed by my boss yesterday that some people from other departments in the county where I work recognized me and are now calling my director asking if I'm a threat to anyone. This is exactly the kind of stigma I had hoped to eliminate. I'm very paranoid now that I'm going to lose my job due to the ignorance of other people who probably didn't even watch the whole show. I'm sure they saw me coupled with the word 'schizophrenia' and panicked. I'm very very disappointed that anyone would fear me because of this illness. If i lose this job because I went on the show, I have nothing to fall back on. Disability, yes, but that takes months to get and it's exactly what i've fought so hard to avoid for 17 years. It just makes me very sad that a few misguided individuals could cause me to lose the one job I've found that I can function adequately with and make enough money to support my family with. My husband isn't working and I am not only dealing with this illness, but I am the only source of income for my family as well. I realize that it may be a little naive to think that i could erase stigma by being on the show, or expecting that everyone who watched would listen to what I was trying to say. i would never hurt anyone in my life. I take my meds regularly. yes, i've been in the hospital a few times, but even then the only threat was a threat to myself. I just hope a few scared uninformed individuals won't cause me to lose the one job i've found that i can be functional and succeed at. Again, thank you all who have been so supportive of me and said nice things to me. it means more to me than i can express.
Mary I am sooo sorry that you are facing ANOTHER challenge. I know it hurts and you are angry, but try to be proactive in this. Ask your boss if you can have an opportunity to provide information from your psychiatrist about your condition to the people who are concerned. Yes, I know you shouldn't have to and it is none of their business, but it would calm people down. Your psychiatrist doesn't need to go into detail, but I'm sure he can reassure them that you are safe and stable enough to rely upon.
The next step is to find the very best human rights lawyer in your area. Fill him/her in on the current situation and find out what your options are. In my jurisdiction, losing your job over a disability would give you a claim against your employer for your income loss until you find another job. |
|
|
November 30, 2005, 1:26 pm PST
Quote From: stryker_m Thank you to everyone for all your kind words of encouragement. I appreciate them all more than you know. The response to my coming forward on the show has been overwhelmingly positive. Yet, I was informed by my boss yesterday that some people from other departments in the county where I work recognized me and are now calling my director asking if I'm a threat to anyone. This is exactly the kind of stigma I had hoped to eliminate. I'm very paranoid now that I'm going to lose my job due to the ignorance of other people who probably didn't even watch the whole show. I'm sure they saw me coupled with the word 'schizophrenia' and panicked. I'm very very disappointed that anyone would fear me because of this illness. If i lose this job because I went on the show, I have nothing to fall back on. Disability, yes, but that takes months to get and it's exactly what i've fought so hard to avoid for 17 years. It just makes me very sad that a few misguided individuals could cause me to lose the one job I've found that I can function adequately with and make enough money to support my family with. My husband isn't working and I am not only dealing with this illness, but I am the only source of income for my family as well. I realize that it may be a little naive to think that i could erase stigma by being on the show, or expecting that everyone who watched would listen to what I was trying to say. i would never hurt anyone in my life. I take my meds regularly. yes, i've been in the hospital a few times, but even then the only threat was a threat to myself. I just hope a few scared uninformed individuals won't cause me to lose the one job i've found that i can be functional and succeed at. Again, thank you all who have been so supportive of me and said nice things to me. it means more to me than i can express.
Mary Dear Mary . It is unconceivable to me that anything would happen to your job because your workplace has the full force of the Dr. Phil Show behind you as well as the eyes of the entire US population who viewed your show segment. I wonder if Dr. Phil could do a followup at your place of work to demystify Schizophrenia to other people who have called your boss? . Mary, I hid my illness for over three decades because I wanted so badly to have the career I enjoyed. The only persons who knew were my husband and two trusted friends. Like you, I was fortunate to have a husband who understood my illness and helped protect me from society. Even today, I would not "out" myself to anyone anywhere because of the stigma. . I know you are frightened that people's ignorance might cause you to lose your job. But you do not understand the powerhouse that is backing you: DR. PHIL!!! . Yes, there are legal remedies if your job were to become compromised, but I cannot imagine that any employer would want the national spotlight brought directly to bear on them by not retaining you as an employee. The ADA Act not only protects you....this is one of the highest profile spotlights on the reason the ADA was enacted! . I really think that Dr. Phil needs to be made aware of what is happening in your workplace. He has the resources to "defang through enlightenment" the mystic of your illness. I think that a full meeting with all those "concerned" employees might be in order in an OPEN QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION. . Mary, believe me when I say I understand completely what you are living with. It's been a long journey for me, but I think you would be surprised and amazed at some of my accomplishments. Maybe someday we can have a cup of tea and talk it over. . You are precious, Mary. You did what to this day I don't think I would do. You are MY HERO! . Love, Plainsue |
|
Return to the Message Board
