How does the loss of status from losing an important job affect mental health?

Answer 1

Ric, I can only speak from experience as it also happened to me once and I was horrified. No matter what they told me, that it was not due to my performance, reliability etc..I still felt like some kick me right in the gut. I was a VP at this large Mortgage Co. and they were having to cut from the top and guess what, I was one of 5..I can actually say that I went through a grieving process, it felt like a death of sorts..That might sound over dramatic but work is such a huge part of our lives when you figure on the average we spend more time there with 10 to 12 hours day or even 8 hours, than we do anywhere else. We develop friendships, we have projects that are left half done and suddenly it is snapped right out from under us. I can say this, after that happened and I took the severance package which kept me going for six months and a nest egg and I thought about what is it I really want out of a job? Was I really happy with all that pressure of one sale after another and I realized that there is no profession any longer that a person can really count on retiring from unlike our parents etc. I ended up totally changing careers, making less money, doing something that I had always wanted to do and that was working with Families in Crisis due to Abuse,Drugs,Alcohol etc...I met knew people, real people who were not trying to kick and bite up the latter and I found the less I made, the less I spent..I did not need all that "stuff"...I found a sense of peace which had been lacking from my world for years.I am not young and after all that I became disabled in 2001 but I feel proud of both careers but my heart is with the latter. I still do what I can which is minimal working with the homeless dual addiction/mental illness in a very small town in ND..I would never have moved back from the East Coast had things gone differently. I enjoy my grandchildren and daughter as they moved back here also, my mother was still here, so allot of good came from a very painful experience. I guess as they say "Today I am where i am supposed to be, and tomorrow , who knows, but today I am at peace..So, I hope this makes sense, but don't forget to grieve, learn everything you can about the next company you apply with and try not to let it keep you down to long, easier said than done but everything truly does happen for a reason.
Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for.
Kathy

Answer 2

Adults attach their personal identity to their jobs in some ways (some more than others); therefore, losing a job can have many negative effects. Job loss can be quite traumatic for many. For this reason, job loss can spmetimes spark depressive episodes. For others, an ill timed job loss can even lead to PTSD, low self-esteem, hopelessness, and more. While others view the loss more positively as a sign new ideas and experiences on the horizon. It all depends on the person, the timing, and the job.

Answer 3

many men define their happiness by their success on the job. i think it would affect ones mental health because with the loss of a job, brings uncertainty, and fears and anxiety. one day your on top of the world, have a job, and the next your wondering if u can continue to live the lifestyle your accustomed to. when anything threatens our well being we experience anxiety, its the same as any other loss in life.

Answer 4

Well, when I quit my job (which was a job I loved very much) I became extremely depressed. I didn't get out of bed in the morning for a few weeks. I stopped taking care of myself. I totally lost my whole identity. That is when I decided to go to school. That helped me a lot because it allowed me to develop my own identity, one that is not contingent on the job that I have.

Answer 5

The most important aspect is how does the individual cope. Some do not cope well at all; some are like a wave, just knocked back and forth, yet keep coming.

Answer 6

It makes ones self-esteem be in the dumps for a while. Kinda like going from RICH TO POOR! I think it is kinda the same feeling for many people.

Answer 7

It shouldn't, you shouldn't let anything define who you are that you have no control over. You can control what's between your ears, everything else is subject to outside enfluences. Get a better job, you'll be much happier.

Answer 8

Depends if you are YOU first, or if you define yourself by what you do for a living I guess.

Answer 9

You should go back to McDonalds and beg them for your job back . Stop being such a Nimrod . Quit focusing on your petty self and get back to flippin burgers .

HUNK