A Beneficial Slump?

I believe anyone who's even mildly connected to the media – I'll naturally excuse those living under a rock on Mars with their fingers in their ears – is well aware of the dismal economic conditions that have been the talk of the country for several months now. Many fear of another "Great Depression," although I think this belief is motivated predominantly by a demographic whose Y2K bomb shelters and survivalist communes are not currently making profits.

I probably shouldn't mock, considering I've seen firsthand the economic sludge that many of those seeking work are wading through, even in a populous city like Philadelphia. The job market is a muddled mess, and I'm seeing skilled workers and Ivy League college graduates turning to manual labor and receptionist jobs to make ends meet, which in turn forces former candidates for these jobs into even lower rungs of the job circuit.

We've reached economic gridlock: people are trapped in houses they can't sell because no one is moving and the housing market itself is just barely limping along, while senior citizens are staying at jobs they can't retire from due to escalating healthcare expenses and dwindling social security coverage. Travel agencies are consolidating and those that aren't are flat out drying up, because people don't have money to travel. National conferences over the summer and into the fall have reached record all-time lows. It seems the popular idea is to bundle up, settle in, and wait out this economic winter.

While a gridlocked economy may limit what people choose to spend their money on, it probably won't keep them from seeking medical attention. Healthcare is one of the largest and still fastest-growing job sectors in the United States. In particular demand are physicians, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists and health aides. And while less money is being thrown at frivolous expenses and fringe benefits, people are still going through the rigors of surviving the day to day stresses – and with the weight of the limping economy on everyone's mind, stress has become one of the most popular companions.

As one would expect, the beleaguered economy is also straining many Americans' mental health: anxiety, depression, sleep problems and money-rooted marital conflicts are on the rise. Requests for mental health therapists increased 15 percent to 20 percent between June and August of 2008, no doubt driven by individual concerns about the family's financial situation. A poll conducted this past spring by the American Psychological Association found that 75 percent of Americans report stress due to financial problems. A similar poll one year ago put the number at half of the respondents, who said financial stress is hurting their professional and personal lives.

As one who is currently also struggling with the strain of a besieged economy, I make cuts and savings where and when I can. Its autumn now in the Keystone State now and I'm still biking to work in the morning, despite the damp chill that often comes with it. Since June, I think the bicycle has more than paid for itself – a paltry $250 that would have been long gone in a gasoline investment. Grocery shopping is kept to the basics and the essentials, and I try to keep an observant eye on the electrical appliances so as to keep that monthly electric bill to a minimum. However, it's just like putting duct tape over the holes in a dam: I'm slowing it down but that's about all.