Being unemployed is one thing that damages your economic capacity, but that’s not all it does to you, it also affects your mental health. The unemployment rate in many countries around the world is quite worrisome, especially in third world countries.
The primary problem people think they should be worried about when it comes to unemployment is the material consequences that it has on their purchasing power. However, that shouldn’t be their main worry.
Unemployment comes with a higher risk of a person suffering depressive symptoms, and this should be their primary concern.
Unemployment and psychology
When we are out of work, the first thing that comes to mind is the loss of money that we suffer during this time and how economic problems will significantly affect our lives.
Yes, there is no arguing that being unemployed would have a major effect on your pocket, but it can also have some effects on your psychological level.
This is so much of a real thing, especially because experts are now discussing the subject of something they’d titled unemployment depression.
What is unemployment depression?
The unemployment depression is a condition that arises when an individual has been unemployed for several months or even a year and begins to feel entirely hopeless.
The initial shock of losing one’s job or running out of work can be coupled by repeated failed attempts to get a new job, and that would take a toll on the victim’s mental health.
The person suffers a low self-esteem during this period because not being called for several jobs you have applied for could give you the impression that you are not good enough and that’s why your CV has not been considered regardless of how much is restructuring.
A situation like this discourages the unemployed person because they feel like a failure and also bear around the girls that they are responsible for the path they are life is taking.
What are the symptoms of unemployment depression?
Unemployment depression comes with a series of symptoms that you would find out as you read further.
1. Learned helplessness
Being without a job for a long time can burn a person so much that their spare resources run out. Everyday they spend searching for a job and not finding one regardless of how much effort they put into job-hunting makes the individual feel that whatever they do nothing would change their situation.
When this frustration continues to accumulate the individual may begin to feel like they are entirely helpless. this is a situation known as learnt helplessness because originally they never used to feel this way.
2. Low self esteem
Being unemployed is a delicate situation and it leads people to assess themselves negatively the reason for this is because they would usually feel guilty regardless of the fact that the unemployment situation has a structural cause.
When a person begins to have low self esteem it affects their self confidence and every single time they try to get a job and feel they feel more like an unsuccessful person.
3. Somatic symptoms
Psychological effects of unemployment can lead to physical symptoms. A person might begin to experience consequences of unemployment depression such as stomach upset, headaches, and even insomnia.
4. Bad habits
The more time a person spends on employed and feeling depressed the more they find it difficult to maintain healthy habits.
A person who was easily self-motivated to engage in physical exercises or even eat healthy will find these things difficult to do because at that point all they have in mind is how to get a job.
Not making progress in that aspect leaves them feeling weak. In fact people in this situation may begin to take addictive substances in an attempt to avoid the reality of their situations.
Other symptoms of unemployment depression
Some other symptoms that a person dealing with unemployment situation may suffer include apathy, demotivation, anxiety, and even aggressive behaviour.
What a person can do to prevent these delicate situation?
Being without a job is a very stressful life event especially because it has consequences on not only a person’s personal life but also their social life.
However, there is a good news. There is so much that can be done to avoid getting depressed while jobless below are a few tips.
1. Keep a positive attitude and do your best not to lose hope
Do your best not to let the panic of getting out of work take over you see what you can do to maintain a positive attitude. The options may not appear at the first exchange but if you keep putting in effort to find work something good might come out eventually.
On a personal level you should also try to stay active and engage in some good hobbies and practice as often as you can. Engaging in healthy activities like practicing a hobby such as painting will help you disconnect from the situation you are dealing with and keep your mind occupied.
2. Know yourself
It is possible that in reality you have not been able to connect with yourself and know yourself as much as you should. Find out what it is that you are good at and that just might increase your chances of getting a new job and being successful at it.
Once you get better knowledge about who you are it will help you to sell yourself better and you just might find someone who is interested in hiring you.
3. Control your expenses
A lot of times people suffer unemployment depression because of the pace of life they live. It is very normal that economic worries cause people to suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression.
There are cases where it might not be possible to remedy one’s financial difficulties but in other cases it is only a matter of mentality.
One major step you can take is to eliminate everything that is not a priority in your life at the moment from your expenses and just adopt a different way of thinking.
4. Get help
Although the wealthiest states has recently suffered a major crisis you can still find quite a number of mental or local grants that would allow you to reduce the financial problem you’re dealing with.
This is one route that a lot of people do not want to take especially because of the lifestyle they’re used to. But, as far as you can, make sure that you also try these alternative. You never can tell how much help you can get from them.
5. Form yourself
If you have time to train, then make sure that you do so. Do not waste any time waiting ensure that you are as attractive as you can not only in your search for a new job but also in your personal development.
In the world we live in it is not necessary that you go to an educational centre as there are so many courses you can study online and some of them are even for free.
So if you’re economically buoyant enough to offer a paid online course go-ahead, if not, try out the options of free courses. the internet has given you no excuse at all to feel so take the chance and train yourself.
6. Surround yourself with your loved ones
For a lot of reasons, people do not like to be around family especially because they don’t want them interfering with their lives. but when you find yourself in such a delicate situation, it is the perfect time for you to have your loved ones around you.
Sometimes you might just need to talk to someone or just have a pleasant moment and those who love you in the best position to provide you with this emotional support. No matter how annoying they might be you need to count on them to help you where is smile regardless of how hard it is.
Quite a number of people have suffered from unemployment depression and we hope that these tips provided would help them get back on their feet. if you find this article helpful or interesting, Please do not hesitate to share it on social media so your friends can learn from it.
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