...and other harsh realities

Today I found an article on onlinecolleges.net that pretty much hits the nail on the head and I would like to discuss some of the sobering health, career, and social implications of being a member of the long-term unemployed. Many of these unfortunate side effects could last a decade or more.

1. Many people focus on lost wages during periods of unemployment but fail to recognize the major career setback that may take years to overcome. This may be due to being forced to accept lower salaries when rejoining the workforce or taking jobs for which you are overqualified. For those who graduate college and find themselves victims of a bad job market, the stage will likely be set for a lifetime of lost earnings to the tune of $100,000 or more which doesn't even include the months of unemployment and/or underemployment they will face.
2. Study after study has proven that, while everyone deals with crises differently, lack of health insurance and preventive care, stress, and depression associated with unemployment take a huge toll on the overall health of just about everyone, decreasing life expectancy, especially in those who face unemployment at a younger age. Other issues include developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even gastrointestinal issues.
3. Those who face long-term unemployment in their younger years, especially in their 20s, are at a much higher risk of developing substance abuse problems and depression by middle age. While some of these effects may be alleviated by finding a new job, their risk factors for developing mental health issues remains much higher than that of their peers who didn't face unemployment.
4. Because unemployment will likely lead to greater risk adversity when it comes to money, it is likely that this group, according to financial experts, will suffer serious long-term consequences which may make it difficult to retire. Let's forget for a moment the broken Social Security system and the fact that being unemployed makes it nearly impossible to save anything (unfortunately, a dollar now is worth a lot more than a dollar ten years from now), but a likely side effect of long-term unemployment is becoming so conservative with your money that you are not willing to take investment risks.
5. Long-term unemployment seems to create a stigma that follows an individual through decades of their career. Not only will they likely accept less pay when they do find work, but they're also more likely than their co-workers to face future unemployment and for longer periods than those who haven't previously lost work.
6. An interesting side effect of long-term unemployment is a failing confidence in democracy, changing how you feel about civic society and basic democratic institutions.
7. A staggering number of unemployed people report that they've lost friendships and that family relations have become stressed.
8. This one is obvious. Long-term unemployment is linked to a loss of self-respect, self-esteem, and self-worth, depression, and a general negative mood.
9. Feelings of helplessness and loss of control can last long after new employment is found. Young people who live through downturns are much more likely to doubt that they have control over their careers, viewing career success as luck rather than a result of personal action. Many believe that this will have a considerable impact on their ability to achieve long-term career goals.
   To recap:  I can expect to earn much less throughout my career because of this major setback. I'm going to slip into a diabetic coma and die at least 1.5 years sooner than my unaffected peers. I'm going to develop substance abuse problems and lose my shit.  I'm going to stuff my money under my mattress.  I'm going to face unemployment again in the future.  My already fragile confidence in democracy is going to crumble altogether.  I'm going to lose the few friends I have (things on the home front have definitely been strained from time to time).  While I once thought I was the bomb diggity, I can tell you that is no longer the case.  Most of the time I hate other people, but sometimes I hate myself.  Finally, I feel helpless.  I feel I have no control and I feel that achieving career success is a matter of luck because it has been proven to me over and over again that personal action accomplishes nothing.  So there you have it.