Tesar-Reynes

I was interviewing a very successful lady who had an outstanding resume but was out of work for five months. Her husband was just laid off three weeks ago. As we talked about the lack of potential jobs out there for either of them, she became increasingly agitated. At one point there was a tear in the corner of her eye.

I tried to lighten the conversation and get her on a more positive note. I flashed back and remembered the feeling when I was out of work and the checking account was getting dangerously close to zero. I remember the desperation, fear and isolation that set in.

From my point of view, the worst thing to deal with is the sense of helplessness and of being alone. When I started thinking about the sense of isolation, a light came to mind that really helped me: the 12-Step Programs. Let’s leave God out of it for a minute and talk about help from my fellow man. For me, isolation, was always on the down ramp to feeling sorry for myself. When I went to meetings, I listened to other people’s problems and how they sought help to fix them.

It was easy to find someone that had it worse than I did. When I found myself reaching out to help another person, I was also helping myself. The clear message is that when we go through tough times like this, we have to reach out to others. They may not have the answers, but it is impossible for one to be alone and to feel they are the only one at the bottom of the well.

For those of you coping with a job loss, you can find some good resources at the Riley Guide. They’ll give you info on job search support groups in your area, and guide you through filing for unemployment benefits.