The Public Manager

Nehemiahs Sense
Col. Series

Inner Peace: a Christmas Note

If the Prophet Nehemiah were around today, he would surely minister to the public servants in distress. He would anchor his holistic HRD management on the fact that man is body and soul. But he would first give us a picture of how elusive peace has become to the inner man. The silent scourge of modern or industrialized society called stress, with its many causes, forms and manifestation might after all be of epidemic proportion. Middle-aged persons are most vulnerable to nervous depression, hence, the high incidence of the socalled mid-life crisis that sets a confluence of emotional and physical aspects of health. The affliction can be reactive one which is caused or induced by physical and social environments/stimuli. The second type, e.g. organic or endogenous is caused by certain chemical or hormonal change in the body and in the brain. The two types, however, may be mutually reinforcing. The symptoms are many and vary in degrees. Most common is the feeling of despair for trivial or no reasons at all. Others are attacked by fear of so many unknowns and sometimes of fear itself and alternating deep melancholy, feeling of dreariness and being weary of life. Some have low level of tolerance and get annoyed even by a normal noise, somebodys presence or even a usual little crowd. Coupled with restlessness, others complain of some strange thoughts coming simultaneously and uncontrollably which disturb concentration in ones work or sleep which later on undermine overall bodily resistance to other diseases. But some sufferers would rather conceal their conditions under the blanket diagnosis of high blood pressure. Interestingly, this affliction respects no one, though it was thought to be a trendy disease of the affluent. Well-known personalities like Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch artist and an internationally accomplished Filipino musical artist, and bureaucrats are among the sufferers. Yes, even health professionals are not spared. My nurse-friend told me about his colleague who is a well-sought-after cardiologist in Mindanao who is prone

to depression. A lady dentist, with a lucrative practice, admits that sometimes she cannot treat patients when it strikes. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes health as something like the sum total of physical, mental and emotional well-being. Curiously, this holistic view of health approximates the Jewish term Shalom for peace. Shalom is not just a mechanical Jewish greeting and expression of a wish for another person. Shalom is a state of being where a person is at peace with oneself, with his neighbors, and ultimately with God. Now, health and welfare policies of all countries are supposed to be consistent with above definition. But our health insurance provision and coverage and the health dimension of the employee welfare policy (both in public and private sectors) still tend to ignore this concept of health. It seems it is only the physical or the medical aspect that matters. By and large, society, and perhaps, the bureaucracy are not yet prepared to look at depression just like any other ailment for which one should take a leave, seek proper medication and to convalesce from. Thus, for a public servant, it might be professionally hazardous, even suicidal, to state that he is affected by some emotional or mental problems for purposes of seeking medical attention or claiming employee benefits. Because of such oddity, afflicted people might be put at risk by not getting the timely and proper healing. Imagine the grave consequences on HRD and productivity when talented, committed and effective public servants are faced by this dilemma. I might be endangering my own personal dossier and overall reputation by writing on this theme which has to cite my own battle with emotional crises for which I consulted spiritual counselors mental health professionals. But I am coming out in the open just the same if only to pave the way for a healthy and more professional view of emotional problems where people need not fear in seeking the proper cure all in the name of balance and responsive HRD policy. Rest assured I dont intend to engage in illegal practice of medicine and I shall stick to the territory of a personal experience which I just relate to those of the others I have read and heard. I find some convergence among the observations, though. Stress and its possible descent to nervous depression have so much personal and official economic and social costs. On HRD grounds, thus, it is important and proper that the afflicted and his family, the employer and community be parts of the total solution. For the sufferer, the Socratic counsel of Know Thyself, is the right beginning. He should face the problem squarely in its early onset. When one runs out of internal resources to cope with the malady, there should be no hesitation and procrastination to seek professional help. In doing so, an honest assessment of the extent ones ability or inability to help himself would be most advantageous and lead to a proper cure. Happily, for the endogenous type of depression, both holistic and scientific healing approaches are now within ones reach. Together with spiritual-

psychological approaches, I am fortunate to get equally effective therapy for my hormonal imbalance from natural and non-addictive sources. It can be noted that over the past fifteen years, the workplace (public and private) has taken notice of the reality and costs of stress in productivity. They actually began to provide stress management courses in team-building sessions or as part of practical HRD programs. But these may not be enough or timely for many people whose state of chemical imbalance already calls for sustained medical and nutritional approaches. At the same time a purely medical ministration may not suffice without factoring in the capacity of the attitudinal aspect or the frame of mind in facilitating the healing of those with endogenous depression. Overall, we still need a more positive and caring environment in the workplace and community so that sufferers need not be consigned to silent perdition. Just like the Club of Rome which recognized the Limits of Growth, so should sufferers and public managers recognize the limits of human endurance. Sympathetic understanding from colleagues and superiors plus a responsive personnel policy would go a long way in breaking the usual deterrence in ones seeking proper healing attention but also in putting afflicted persons at ease, strengthening self-esteem, keeping their morale high by enabling them to continue to give of their best to their work and society at large. All of these fortify their healing environment and in the process optimize utilization of gifted and efficient human resources. I close by going back to the public servant in distress. True, by sheer self-effort and talents, one may find peace with himself and neighbors. But this may not be complete or tenable for a long time if the ultimate source of that peace is not the Prince of Peace himself. After all, Shalom, our inner peace is something we make with and is given as a gift by the Person whose coming to earth we celebrate on December 25. May your Christmas be merry and blessed with the abiding Peace from above. Happy and prosperous New year, too.

Nbi: 12.23.02