Depression in the Recession

It’s easy to understand how living in today’s recession has become a basis for depression. Families and individuals are suffering from feelings of uncertainty about their current and future job stability, with many facing redundancy or struggling to find work. The fear of redundancy or becoming unemployed can be one of the most stressful experiences one can face, with individuals beginning to worry about their finances and how they’re going to cope not only in the here and now, but anxious that they may lose their home in the near future. In today’s society, searching for a new job can be very difficult as the majority of people are in the same situation; this can be very disheartening for individuals receiving constant rejection, which sooner or later may destroy a person’s self-confidence, self-worth and ultimately might cause the individual to experience feelings of insecurity, weakness, and low self-esteem.

Losing a job for some people can be devastating and can bring upon many life changes; not only has the person lost their job, but they have also lost what may well have been a part of themselves. The person could feel a sense of loss and go through a grieving process like they would have if they had lost a relative or loved one. Job-loss depression can also impact on a person's physical and mental health, where often the sufferer will experience disturbed sleep patterns, poor appetite, become lethargic, experience low mood and become tearful. The individual might not want to socialise anymore as they possibly feel a sense of shame about losing their job and that they have nothing of value to say. They could become anxious as to how others will perceive them, and often end up feeling that they are not good enough. Suicidal feelings can develop, as the person may feel they have no sense of purpose. All these feelings indicate that depression has developed. Many sufferers of depression feel that they can’t talk to family or friends, and unfortunately this will only contribute to the depression further.

It’s important to recognise that most people who lose their job will experience sadness; however, there’s a difference between feeling sad because of a job loss and suffering from depression. Depression will interfere with the sufferer's general physical and emotional well-being. When a period of sadness lasts a long time, which is accompanied with an inability to engage with family or friends, then it’s advisable to see your GP for a referral to a counsellor.