Mind over matter
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Working in a call centre was never stress-free for Heidi Howarth, dealing with a seemingly endless stream of customers driven irate by hold music. But she felt well equipped to handle the pressure, thanks to the camaraderie she enjoyed with her colleagues and her active lifestyle outside work. That all changed in 1999 when Howarth suffered severe whiplash in a car crash, and became housebound after suffering a blackout and falling at home. Unable to walk without crutches for months, she sank into a deep depression. By the time she returned to work 18 months later, her confidence levels had slumped and those angry callers proved far more difficult to cope with. In addition, many of her workmates had new jobs, leaving her feeling isolated and unsupported. “You have to be pretty thick-skinned to work in a call centre,” says Howarth . “But I couldn’t deal with it. I was getting more and more migraines and was very tearful. Most people at work were nice, but clearly found it difficult to relate to [my depression]. It was like a bereavement. People avoided talking to me because they felt awkward.” More : guardian.co.uk |