The Psychological Impact of the Current Economic Recession: Recession Stress Disorder
Sep 2nd, 2009 by admin
We are all familiar by now with the most evident repercussions of this economic recession: loss of jobs, foreclosures, loss of savings, increased debt, and panic on Wall Street and Main Street.
Aside from these evident effects, there are others, more hidden but more insidious, which affect people caught in this economic downturn. These make up the cluster of symptoms I refer to as “recession stress disorder.”
Symptoms of recession stress disorder are:
- A chronic feeling of helplessness. This is due to the realization that our beliefs about working hard and moving ahead are no longer applicable. All of us have seen examples of people – maybe us! – who worked very hard, saved and did everything right by the books, and yet they are now in very vulnerable positions.
- A sense of shame. We may believe we should have known what was coming and better prepare ourselves for it. For those of us who lost jobs and savings, the sense of shame stems from not being able to support ourselves and our families; having to rely on family and friends for help; having to sell our homes, downsize and change our life styles.
- A feeling of betrayal. This is similar to what children feel when their parents, rather than taking care of them as they should, making them feel safe and protected, betray and hurt them. As those children, we feel unprotected, no longer trusting our “leaders” to have our best interests at heart. We are scared and alone.
- A declining self-confidence. Even though we may know it was not our fault, that we did not cause this recession, a part of us may still feel responsible for how it affects us.
- A loss of self-identity. For most adults, our jobs and professions are the main sources of self-identity. We are what we do – electricians, plumbers, farmers, teachers – and when we can no longer do that, we feel like fish out of water.
This cluster of symptoms may lead to somatic problems such as insomnia, digestive problems, chronic headaches, lack of energy and to an inability to concentrate and make decisions.
How do we cope with this? Some may seek out drugs and alcohol to medicate themselves into a state of numbness. Others may withdraw and isolate. Others may become aggressive and litigious, further increasing the strain that already exists in their primary relationships. Others still may develop apathy, cynicism, or become despondent. None of these reactions, however, helps.
In our next post we will discuss what is helpful when we suffer from Recession Stress Disorder.
