Meeting my CEO

A few weeks ago I was fortunate to meet our CEO of Johnson and Johnson, Alex Gorsky. When I did, I gave him a copy of my book. His response really amazed me. He said, “When one member of the family  has a mental illness, the entire family is impacted.” He really does get it! This left me feeling very inspired but not surprised. Alex has always been an extremely vocal advocate for mental illness. On October 10, 2017, World Mental Health Day,  he urged all employees to help end the stigma surrounding mental health. Employees from across the globe raised their hands to help cause change and create a culture of inclusion for the 1 in 4 of us who live with mental illness, and for the many more of us who serve as caregivers. I am proud to be part of this culture changing work. When the leaders in my own company understand the importance of this work, I know we are on the right path.

The reality is that for most of us work and mental illness are typically kept very separate. To help those struggling, here is a great article that provides step-by-step suggestions on how to handle your mental health challenges at work.

https://hbr.org/2018/03/when-you-need-to-take-time-off-work-for-mental-health-reasons