Money, Mentals, and Mayhem

I came across an interesting article today in USA Today. The struggling economy is now not only affecting people's salaries, but now it is affecting peoples mental health. Requests for therapists have soared, Americans say they're stressed out, and domestic-violence and suicide hot lines are reporting increased calls. All this negativity is due to money. It truly shows that for alot of American people, money is everything. They can't live without it.

Nancy Molitor, a psychologists in Wilmette, Illinois said, "I've never seen this level of anxiety and depression in 22 years of practice. The mental health fallout has been far worse than after 9/11." The demand for therapists have jumped 40% from June-December of 2008. Another interesting fact I came across had to do with ComPsych, which runs the nation's largest employee-assistance mental-health program. They said that nearly half of Americans said they were more stressed than a year ago, and about one-third rated their stress level as "extreme" in surveys out in September from the American Psychological Association.

This is the writing on the wall in my opinion. I believe things are going to get worse before they get better. However, I also believe that American people should prepare themselves properly. If they cut back spending and cut corners here and there, then they will be able to find some relief. People have to realize that they can't live the life they use to live. Now, they have to live within their budget. They have to know when to buy something they need versus buying something they want. I feel that if people start to do this, they things may start to turn around in a positive way.