Posts Tagged 'job loss'
Lay off the newly laid-off!
Published March 25, 2010 World of Work Leave a CommentTags: friend unemployed, intentional living, job loss, laid off, lay off, unemployed, unemployment stress, work
People who have lost their job can be devastated by thoughtless remarks such as, “You must be so scared because the job market is so terrible.” Humor and flippancy are also easy ways to offend or alienate the recently unemployed. Co-author of Authentic Conversations Maren Showkeir (www.henning-showkeir.com) has been surprised by the
Showkeir suggests not minimizing the event. Someone who is already feeling tossed aside and unsure of the future is unlikely to appreciate caustic language that invalidates the gravity of the situation. Honesty and simplicity are much more helpful.
Job Stress: Survivor’s Guilt
Published March 9, 2009 Mental Health Issues Leave a CommentTags: downsizing, job loss, layoff, survivor guilt, therapy
Job loss is an obvious source of intense stress, and we increasingly can see the impact all around us. What may be less obvious is the stress on employees who are fortunate enough to keep their jobs while co-workers and friends are layed off.
Sitting and listening to friends who are distraught and scared over the loss of their income and the many other losses associated with job loss can be stressful for the “survivor.” Feeling of guilt over being better-off may make it difficult to be comfortable around former co-workers. You may have fears of losing your own job in the next round of lay-offs, but may not feel comfortable expressing those fears since they are not yet real, as they are for someone already facing unemployment.
It may be that you are one of the managers responsible for giving layoff notices to employees. In this situation, feelings of sadness, guilt and responsibility can sometimes be overwhelming, and yet once again there may not seem to be a good time or place to express them.
In both of these situations, the relief of still having a job, that inner voice that says “I’m glad that’s not me.”, can increase the person’s feelings of survivor’s guild, and create alienation from friends and former co-workers.
If you still have your job but are talking with, or relating to friends who have lost theirs, it could be very helpful to seek therapy so talk about your survivor feelings, and your inner fears that perhaps you too will soon face the devastating challenge of job loss. Don’t wait for problems to develop in your relationships. Pick up the phone today and make an appointment to discuss your feelings and fears with a qualified psychotherapist.
“… made it race against time.”
Published February 28, 2009 Mental Health Issues Leave a CommentTags: "once I built a railroad", job loss, stress, unemployment stress
For many people much of their self esteem and self concept comes from the work that they do. When the work is lost, so are the things that help define the person. Job loss continues to dominate our news and our landscape. On January 9th The US Department of Labor announced that 524 thousand jobs were lost in December, bring the total number of jobs lost for 2008 to 2.6 million! And fully 1.9 million of the 2008 losses happened since September. That makes the last four months of 2008 the worst period in my, and probably your lifetime. President-Elect Obama rightly calls the situation “dire.” Moreover, he and others have warned that it is likely to get worse before it gets better. There will much personal pain during the coming year.
Many people are worried about what might happen over the next year, and many people have already experienced abrupt job loss. They are struggling to cope with the financial, social and psychological losses that make unemployment so scary. While the financial losses are obvious, and the social losses make sense to everyone, little attention is being paid to the psychological aspect of job loss. Each of these kinds of lossed are connected in the overall impact they have on the person. The stresses and strains that come with both excessive worry about the future and real struggles with current unemployment can be devastating to the individual, and to their family. Many of the recent calls I’ve received are from people seeking help for problems related to the loss of their job including sleeplessness, problem drinking, marital discord, low self-esteem, and, in a couple of cases, self-destructive thoughts.
We cannot underestimate the many levels of grief and loss experienced when we lose our jobs, or the impact our struggles may have on our capacity to “start over”, on relationships with our family and friends, on our general physical health and more invisibly but just as dramatically, on our psychological health.
Seek professional therapeutic help or urge your spouse, partner or friend to seek help as soon as symptoms of stress and grief appear. Like all health problems, therapeutic intervention is most effective when it happens early.
Once I built a railroad…
Published November 19, 2008 Mental Health Issues Leave a CommentTags: job loss, job search, unemployment
The US Labor Dept says that approximately 1.3 million jobs have been lost so far this year, with 50% of that loss coming in the last three months! Increasingly the stresses and multiple challenges of job loss will be the presenting problem for clients seeking therapy. California is now 3rd in the nation for unemployment rates. The East Bay Corridor counties of Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara have been particularly hard hit, out-pacing nearby Napa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
Everyday there are reports of more companies announcing lay-offs and closings. The fear and axiety about real and potential job loss is mounting.
I provide low-cost therapy and counseling to people who have lost their employment and therefore their health insurance. It’s important for anyone facing unemployment to become mindful of the impact on them and the ways in which they might deepen their losses through inaction or inappropriate actions that negatively affect their family and friends, and their potential to find new employment. In addition, maintaining or re-building self-confidence is critical to successfully finding another job, and therapy can help to re-establish a health sense of self-confidence. There will be increasing competition for available positions, and your personal presentation is the first and last thing that prospective employers see!
For success, prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to confront the challenges of job loss effectively and positively, and to present yourself favorably to employers by using therapy to help clarify your goals and re-kindle your imagination. You want to show the best of who you are, and therapy can help.
