Loss of Identity Can Lead to Depression
When you lose your job, you lose more than an income stream. You lose a part of your identity.
It’s not just your job title that carries identity. You might identify as a hard worker, a good teammate, or an intelligent person. Financial stability and having a plan might be valuable to you.
As much as companies talk about good work-life balance, the truth is feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, and uselessness can creep up fast when you’re unemployed. All of this can tank your self-esteem, which can lead to depression.
What Are the Mental Health Effects of Unemployment?
Unemployment weighs heavily on the brain. If you’re unemployed, you might experience these mental health effects. When left untreated, they can develop into depression, sometimes called “Unemployment Depression”.
- Low self-esteem
- Feeling inadequate or worthless
- No hope for the future
- Feeling trapped
- Little or no interest in hobbies or interests
- Feeling empty
- Exhausted and fatigued
- Brain fogged
Gina Ruisi
Resident in Counseling
Gina is a Resident in Counseling and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) who earned her Master of Education in Counseling from William & Mary. With more than a decade of experience as a middle school...
Ashley Patrican
LPC
My name is Ashley Patrican. I am an LPC working out of Alexandria, VA. My ambition is reflected in my career as a Licensed Professional Counselor. My background shows my eagerness to seek experience a...
Bozena Harper
PMHNP-BC
Bozena Harper is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) who provides psychiatric evaluations and medication management for teens and adults in Virginia. She works with clients experien...
Catalina Kraft
Resident in Counseling
Hi, I'm Catalina (she/her). I am a Resident in Counseling and a National Certified Counselor based in Virginia. I have my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and my Doctorate in Counselor ...
Kayla Jackson
LCSW
Hi! I'm Kayla, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia with a passion for helping people help themselves. I want to support you as you pave a new path for yourself, providing honest feedback...
Ashley Ryan
LCSW
Hi I’m Ashley! After serving in the Army as a medic, I decided to get my Masters of Social Work to help couples and individuals navigate the stressors in their lives and empower them to meet their ...
We spend around 40 hours a week at our jobs, sometimes more! A third of our lives is spent working, and an identity is going to begin to form around the hours we spend at work. When we lose that, we lose access to who we were at work, and that loss of identity can trigger depression. The best treatment for depression is therapy.
Find a Depression Therapist in Alexandria
Routines are healthy for our brains. They rely on routines to make decisions and feel safe. With a job, you more or less have the same routine every week. When you become unemployed, all those routines go out the window. You suddenly have endless, unstructured time. This can cause panic at first and eventually depression. Talk to an Alexandria depression therapist about how to implement routines in your life that support good mental health.
Find a Depression Therapist in Alexandria
Whether you loved or hated them, you had a community with your coworkers. You saw the same people every day, talked to them, worked with them, and had bonded over similar circumstances. While you might try to stay in touch with some of them, that loss of immediate, automatic community will be hard. A strong support system is a protective factor against depression, and the loss of that support system can trigger depression. Make an effort to talk with friends and family while you’re unemployed. If you need a little extra help, talk with an Alexandria depression therapist.
Find a Depression Therapist in Alexandria
A job brings financial stability, but it also brings the stability of a routine, structured time, and knowing what’s coming day after day. Becoming unemployed can feel like being knocked off balance. Your whole world is turned upside down, and you’re left trying to hold together the pieces. Therapy can help you stay in control and keep on top of your mental health.
Find a Depression Therapist in Alexandria
Coping with Long-Term Unemployment
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