Maybe this should say “madness” instead. I am just not sure. Like many in this country I was recently laid off. It was unexpected, and overwhelming. I now get up every morning and take my kids to school, and then wander around the house wondering what to do with myself. After reading the job postings for the day and applying to any I actually qualify for (not a lot of jobs in mental health out there) I feel lost. Sure, I made a list of all of the things I would accomplish during this time: organize my bathroom, go through the kids’ toys, organize the kitchen, deep clean the floor, etc.; but finding the focus and energy to do these things is a whole other story.
I decided to write about this because I wonder how other people get by in times like these. I know I am lucky, as I have a part time job and a husband who works. But 3 of my co-workers who were laid off with me live alone and don’t have family to turn to. All are women with master’s degrees and over 20 years of experience. All face going from jobs that paid well to $250 a week in unemployment for 20 weeks max. And seriously, there are not a lot of jobs out there for people with our kind of education and experience. When times get tough the funding for mental health, corrections, and state employees goes down the drain – that is 3 strikes against us.
So, when an unexpected major event like unemployment occurs, and the prospects of finding new employment are low, sadness takes over. Yes, it could even become depression, but right now I feel sad. I am sad that a job I felt was making a huge difference in the lives of people no one seemed to care about is no longer in existence. Sad that the future I had planned for my employment went down the drain. Sad that no matter what I do I will take a huge pay cut, so my plans to get out of debt soon are out the window. Sad my co-workers are in a bad place. Sadness takes its toll.
As I ponder my situation I feel the need to reach out to others. I feel I am a blessed person on solid ground. Many who are unemployed are not, and if sadness takes its toll on me what is it doing to the rest? I don’t want to dwell on myself, but I think of myself and my situation as the lowest denominator; anyone in a similar situation or better will likely get through times like this OK. But for those with less support, less options, less hope…well I worry about what will happen to them. Sadness takes its toll, so what can we do?
I thought maybe pulling some resources together would be a good starting point. Below are some links to places I found helpful.
Info about extended benefits and an “ask the export link” can be found here.
Career One Stop is here (explore careers, build resumes, etc)
211 – links you to your local 211 service – great for housing info, support groups, food pantries, etc.
Official website for government benefits can be found here.
From the State of Washington, help with money management (good for all) here.
And finally, Indeed.com – pulls together job classifieds from multiple sources so you can look in one place.