Analysis of Catherines Situation - Essay Example

?Catherine’s Situation At the beginning of this literature, it is clear that Catherine’s career was going on well and she was on the right track. Shegot a promotion and she was performing well in her new role. GlobalEdge is an organization that was known to have a working environment that was not so favourable for employees. Workers were expected to work for long hours, the budgets were tight and the expectations from them were too high. This led to stress among employees. Stress is known to be a cause for several other health complications. Catherine seems to be going through stressing situation, which amplified after she gave birth. The stress may have been one of the results as to why she contracted bipolar disorder. According to McDonald 2005 stress situations have been known to trigger bipolar disorder especially for those people who have a genetic vulnerability. The stress might have been as a result of the work environment which was not very conducive. Catherine did not have the courage to reveal that she was suffering from a dipolar disorder. This made the situation even worse since it added to her stress. Deciding on what step to take was the most difficult situation for her and it actually amplified her stress. She did not want to leave the job since it was the only source of living for her, her husband and their child. On the other hand, she was afraid to tell the manager that she was suffering from the condition since she feared she might be promoted again. Further, resigning was also a difficult action for her having witnessed how people who had resigned before had been treated by the managers. All these situations became too much for Catherine and her condition did not improve, instead it worsened. Catherine was lacking of self- confidence; she did not have self- esteem and did not even have the courage to talk about her situation. As a result of this situation, she could not be as productive as she used to be before and this would also make it hard for her to get a promotion. Risks and benefits of self- disclosure for Catherine Self- disclosure is simply telling others about oneself (Adams and Cantin). “One discloses to other people the things he/she is going through and the situation they are in” (Adams & Cantin, 2013). Self –disclosure is not easy and in most cases is “it depends on the relationship that exist between the involved parties and the trust they have for each other” (Hargie, 2011). Self-disclosure has a number of benefits and it has some risks as well. For instance, in some cultures, self –disclosure is an important element in a relationship. For two people to form a kind of a relationship, they must know one another (Schwartz, Galliher & Domenech, 2011). Therefore, if Catherine discloses herself to the management, there is a possibility that the relationship will improve (Corrigan, Kosyluk & Rusch, 2013). The management will understand her situation and therefore they will be likely to do what they can so as to help Catherine. Her working environment will improve since the management will provide her with what she needs to recover. She might be given an extended leave to go and rest and this might be important to improve the situation. Self –disclosure is likely to help Catherine in positive development and this will be beneficial considering her condition. According to Maata and Uusiautti (2013), communication is important is it improves the status of any form of relationship. This could also be applicable in the relationship between Catherine and the rest of the workers in the organization as well as with the managers. The workers have been seen to discuss her since her return to work and also make smiles about her. This has affected her relationship with them and it is only through self-disclosure that the situation is likely to improve. She will be better positioned to manage the situation. Self –disclosure on the other hand might be risky. It is not always one will be appreciated when they talk to others about themselves. Self- disclosure may lead to rejection (Bareket-Bojmel & Shahar, 2011). People at the workplace may reject Catherine when they learn that she is suffering from dipolar disorder. They are likely to start avoiding her and being unsupportive (Bareket-Bojmel & Shahar, 2011). This will be more stressing to her and her situation will be likely to aggravate. Self-disclosure may also create a negative impression about her to the managers and workmates. They will see her as a non-performer owing to her condition. She will lose her influence. Opinion on What Catherine Should Do From my opinion, Catherine should communicate her problems with the managers. Communication is always very important in any set up and in any situation (Pittman, 2012; Crossman, 2013). She needs to sit down with her manager Elizabeth Pardoe, and tell her what the psychiatrist has said. When the two sit down to talk, they will be able to find a solution to this problem and find the way forward. Talking with her boss will also be very helpful in managing her situation. In addition, I think Catherine should talk to Brian, the Human Resource Manager whom we are told had been in a similar situation before. Brian had suffered depression in the past but has since recovered. It is always important to talk to people who have been in a similar situation as yours before and who have been able to get through it. Such people will be helpful since they will give an idea of what you can do to get over the current situation (Voncken & Dijk, 2013). People who have been through a certain situation will gain insight from the things they experienced in the past. Brian is the veteran in this situation and he is likely to be of much help to Catherine. Finally, Catherine should talk to her husband and discuss the best way forward. With the high mortgage and increasing bills they need to discuss whether giving up the job or taking an extended leave will be the best option. If she is to give up the job, they should decide on the way to survive since they have to pay those bills. Generally, I think communication will be very important for her. She needs to communicate to the concerned party and the will be very helpful and will help her manage the situation. According to Crossman (2013), communication is important in that it improves the relationship of people in the workplace. In addition, communication can improve trust between people and this will be helpful for their interpersonal relationship. If Catherine communicates her problem with the right people, her relationship with people at the workplace will improve. Reference List Adams, R. E., & Cantin, S. 2013, Self-Disclosure in Friendships as the Moderator of the Association Between Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms in Overweight Adolescents, Journal of Early Adolescence, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 341-362. Bareket-Bojmel, L., & Shahar, G. 2011, Emotional and Interpersonal Consequences of Self-Disclosure in a Lived, Online Interaction, Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology, Vol. 30 No. 7, pp. 732-759 Buseh, A. G., Kelber, S. T., Stevens, P. E., & Park, C. G., 2008, Relationship of Symptoms, Perceived Health, and Stigma With Quality of Life Among Urban HIV-Infected African American Men; Public Health Nursing Vol. 25 No. 5, pp. 409–419 Corrigan, P. W., Kosyluk, K. A., & Rusch, N. 2013, Reducing Self-Stigma by Coming Out Proud. American Journal Of Public Health, Vol. 103, No. 5, pp. e1-e7 Crossman, J 2013, Communication in Organisations, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, Sydney (Custom) Hargie, O 2011, Telling others about yourself: the skill of self-disclosure, Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory and Practice, n.p.: Routledge, eBook Collection Maata, K. & Uusiautti, S., 2011, Silence is Not Golden: Review of Studies of Couple Interaction; Communication Studies; Vol 64, No. 1, pp. 33-48 McDonald, C, 2005, Bipolar Disorder: The Upswing in Research and Treatment, Taylor & Francis, USA Pittman, M. 2012, Reviews. Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory and Practice -- Fifth edition. Nursing Standard, Vol. 26, No. 31, p. 30 Schwartz, A, L, Galliher, R, V, & Domenech, M, M, 2011, Self-Disclosure in Latinos’ Intercultural and Intracultural Friendships and Acquaintanceships: Links With Collectivism, Ethnic Identity, and Acculturation; Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology © 2011 American Psychological Association 2011, Vol. 17, No. 1, p. 116–121 Voncken, M. M., & Dijk, K. K. 2013, Socially Anxious Individuals Get a Second Chance After Being Disliked at First Sight: The Role of Self-Disclosure in the Development of Likeability in Sequential Social Contact. Cognitive Therapy & Research, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 7-17. Read More