One Entrepreneur Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Mental health. Even in 2015 the idea carries a taboo cadence and is the sort of topic hushed at a dinner party- especially in a crowd of go-getters and business professionals. Why? Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders have often been stigmatized as branding of the weak, conjuring images of men in white coats, paper cups of colorful pills, and the sadistic Nurse Rachet from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest- not CEOs. But thanks to an artful lead from Cory Miller, the founder of ithemes, tech entrepreneurs are opening up about their personal struggles and...

getting resources to cope with and overcome their personal struggles. According to the CDC  18.8 million Americans adults will suffer a depressive illness once in their life. Couple this with the isolation of early success and responsibilities of leadership roles we find CEOS are often more likely to find themselves removed from any support system (take Philip J. Burguieres for example) often masking their hidden battles in shame. 

Why you as an OC leader should speak up?
We are brimming with executives and entrepreneurs in the area meaning there is a higher probability others have shared your struggles.  Miller started the conversation within his business and made it part of his "company DNA".

How can you start the conversation today?
+Plan a picnic or a staff powwow and speak up!  Humble yourself as a leader and start a precedent by sharing your experiences.
+Start a staff book club. Provide copies of Amy Mornin’s, psychology sensation: “Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” and have a discussion.
+And last but not least:  sign up for one of Miller’s free webinars here 

You are a leader. It’s time to forget the influence of your instagram feed flooded with pics of colleagues posing on beaches with their gorgeous partners or blissful after a run with their dog and artisan bagel. It's time to recognize we all struggle at some point and get real. Mental Health is not a dirty word. Think of it instead as a company springboard. 

And if you need one last little push I'll allow Nicholson to do the talking:

Written by Julie Schulte