This guide provides practical advice on how to deal with the effects financial difficulties can have on your physical and mental health -- it covers:
•Possible health risks
•Warning signs
•Managing stress
•Getting help
•Suicide warning signs
•Other steps you can take
Possible Health Risks
Economic turmoil (e.g., increased unemployment, foreclosures, loss of investments and other financial distress) can result in a whole host of negative health effects - both physical and mental. It can be particularly devastating to your emotional and mental well-being. Although each of us is affected differently by economic troubles, these problems can add tremendous stress, which in turn can substantially increase the risk for developing such problems as:
•Depression
•Anxiety
•Compulsive Behaviors (over-eating, excessive gambling, spending, etc.)
•Substance Abuse
Warning Signs
It is important to be aware of signs that financial problems may be adversely affecting your emotional or mental well being --or that of someone you care about. These signs include:
•Persistent Sadness/Crying
•Excessive Anxiety
•Lack of Sleep/Constant Fatigue
•Excessive Irritability/Anger
•Increased drinking
•Illicit drug use, including misuse of medications
•Difficulty paying attention or staying focused
•Apathy - not caring about things that are usually important to you
•Not being able to function as well at work, school or home
Managing Stress
If you or someone you care about is experiencing these symptoms, you are not alone. These are common reactions to stress, and there are coping techniques that you can use to help manage it. They include:
•Trying to keep things in perspective - recognize the good aspects of life and retain hope for the future.
•Strengthening connections with family and friends who can provide important emotional support.
•Engaging in activities such as physical exercise, sports or hobbies that can relieve stress and anxiety.
•Developing new employment skills that can provide a practical and highly effective means of coping and directly address financial difficulties.
Getting Help
Even with these coping techniques, however, sometimes these problems can seem overwhelming and you may need additional help to get through "rough patches." Fortunately, there are many people and services that can provide help. These include your:
•Healthcare provider
•Spiritual leader
•School counselor
•Community health clinic
If you need help finding treatment services you can access our Mental Health Services Locator for information and mental health resources near you. Similarly, if you need help with a substance abuse problem you can use our Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator.
Specific help for financial hardship is also available, on issues such as:
•Making Home Affordable
•Foreclosure
•Reemployment
•Financial assistance
There are many other places where you can turn for guidance and support in dealing with the financial problems affecting you or someone you care about. These resources exist at the federal, state and community level and can be found through many sources such as:
•Federal and state government
•Civic associations
•Spiritual groups
•Other sources such as the government services section of a phone book
Suicide Warning Signs
Unemployment and other kinds of financial distress do not "cause" suicide directly, but they can be factors that interact dynamically within individuals and affect their risk for suicide. These financial factors can cause strong feelings such as humiliation and despair, which can precipitate suicidal thoughts or actions among those who may already be vulnerable to having these feelings because of life-experiences or underlying mental or emotional conditions (e.g., depression, bi-polar disorder) that place them at greater risk of suicide.
LCSW, MFT, LPC ceus suicide prevention
These are some of the signs you may want to be aware of in trying to determine whether you or someone you care about could be at risk for suicide:
•Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
•Looking for ways to kill oneself
•Thinking or fantasying about suicide
•Acting recklessly
•Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life
If you or someone you care about are having suicidal thoughts or showing these symptoms SEEK IMMEDIATE HELP. Contact your healthcare provider, mental health crisis center, hospital emergency room or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for help.
Other Steps You Can Take
•Acknowledge that economic downturns can be frightening to everyone, but that there are ways of getting through them - from engaging in healthy activities, positive thinking, supportive relationships, to seeking help when needed from health professionals.
•Encourage community-based organizations and groups to provide increased levels of mental health treatment and support to those who are severely affected by the economy.
•Work together to help all members of the community build their resiliency and successfully return to healthy and productive lives.
For further information on mental health or substance abuse issues please visit The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
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Special Note to Journalists
For ideas on how to best cover sensitive issues like suicide prevention in a thoughtful and constructive manner you can check out suggestions developed by the Annenberg Public Policy Center in conjunction with leading suicide prevention experts and journalists.
