April 14, 2004 -- It currently takes an average of twenty weeks to find employment after losing or quitting a job. The job market has not been this difficult since the 1980s, according to the Economic Report of the President released in February. Millions of job seekers are facing financial and emotional burdens as long-term unemployment begins to take its toll.
   
“Organizations not only announce layoffs when things are economically tough, they also use layoffs to manage their budgets when things are going well,” said Diane G. Wilson, a licensed clinical professional counselor with a M.A. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron.
    
Long-term unemployment can lead to depression and a sense of isolation, which affects not only the unemployed person but also family and friends. “Most people feel lost and alone at some point,” Wilson said. “Over time, transition can powerfully challenge your sense of identity and well-being. Everyone needs to build their sense of resilience in the face of change.”
    
Building on eighteen years of experience as an executive development coach, Wilson has written Back in Control: How to Be Sane, Productive, and Inspired in Your Career Transition (Sentient Publications 2004). “This book not only provides you with a coach to educate and inspire you, it also offers a bit of community,” Wilson said.
    
A recent study published in the American Journal for Public Health reported that although there is higher unemployment among women than men, it had a greater impact on the mental health of men.
   
“Effectively managing the mental and emotional underpinnings of life and career transition can have great benefits,” Wilson said. “Wisdom, wholeness, and strength can come from well-handled transitions.”
   
Back in Control: How to Be Sane, Productive, and Inspired in Your Career Transition by Diane G. Wilson is distributed by National Book Network and is available at bookstores everywhere. Published by Sentient Publications, 1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302, $16.95 paperback, 224 Pages, ISBN 1-59181-016-7 Pub date: June 2004.




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