Mental Health and Family Counselors Deal with "Miserable Monday"

by Alex A. Kecskes

Miserable Monday, as anyone who has ever been laid off knows, is the Monday after the Friday pink slip. Instead of getting ready for work, you wander around in your pajamas, sit at your kitchen table, and stare at the stack of bills you realize you won't be able to pay. You watch you spouse rush off to work and the kids leave for school. And you're alone in an empty house getting more depressed by the hour.

Sadly, job layoffs and the worsening economy are making Miserable Mondays far too common for families throughout the country. Once proud breadwinners are suffering depression and self doubt as their families look to them for support and their homes are threatened or in foreclosure. As layoffs continue to rise and unemployment assistance dries up, marriage & family, and mental health counselors have seen a dramatic rise in caseloads.

Marriage & family counselors will try to resolve the many conflicts that arise when finances are strained due to prolonged periods of unemployment. These counselors offer both group and individual counseling and teach couples techniques in effective communication, understanding and respect.

Dovetailing with these counselors are Mental Health Counselors who are called upon in increasing numbers to help breadwinners and their families cope with depression, anxiety and stress. As Miserable Mondays go on week after week, month after month, some people get desperate and slip into deep depression. Mental health counselors will encourage theses devastated individuals to express their feelings, avoid the "blame game" and move ahead instead of looking back.

For an added perspective, check out the video Coping With Job Loss

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