Since 2007, recession has been striking the industries in many states of the USA. The result is worrisome: a total of 4million factory related jobs vanished. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, more than 50% of the layoff workers are older than 50. Besides the unemployment, lack of money and all the financial hardships, those people need to face another issue: health related problems, depression, higher probability of heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers conducted by the Yale University School of Medicine indicate that workers between 51 and 61 years are more likely to have higher rates of depressive symptoms and twice as likely to have heart attacks. Another research from members of Columbia University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says that laid-off workers have a raise of 15% to 20% in the death rate on the two decades after the dismissal.

Nonetheless, unemployed people also don?t take they own health seriously, since they are so concerned in finding a new job or another way to make a living. They neglect important factors such as eating properly, sleeping well, exercising and specially maintain their relationships and spending time with the loved ones.

Those people fell so ashamed, demoralized and guilty for losing their jobs that they tend to withdraw socially, forgetting that happiness, pleasure and self-esteem come from many different places. Taking all these factors in consideration, even if you lost your job recently, it is not worth to degrade yourself to the point of having a nervous breakdown, a heart attack or a depression. Don?t forget that you still have your friends, brothers and sisters, your children and your community to support you and help you to go through this dark stage of your life.

I have no idea what is losing my job when I?m close to retire. I have a gist that it is hard exhaustive and just saying to be brave, face the problems and don?t give up sounds very lame, but I?m sure there are many people, whenever they are close or far away from you that want you to keep going.