They Don't Call It A Depression For Nothin'

Things are looking pretty grim out there in U.S. economy. Energy prices way up, employment down, property values way down (but property taxes the same), and the stock market slumping.

The percentage of my clients mentioning that financial worry is contributing to their mental health issues has about doubled over the past month. Yet, whether by coincidence or not, the rate of new referrals coming in has slowed way down. If I had to guess, I'd say people are getting increasingly more stressed and depressed, but feel decreasingly able to afford a shrink.

And I can't say it isn't affecting me, too. Watching your life savings erode by a double-digit percentage in under a month is not a fun feeling. Combine that with the sharp drop-off in new clients coming in, and yes, I'm thinking maybe I better cut out some of the non-essentials from my life. Such as my shrink.

The suicide rate went up 20% during the Great Depression. Let's hope our fearless leaders figure out a way to improve this situation before we head down that road again.

P.S. Speaking of roads, I've also been hearing a lot about road rage from my clients lately. I wonder if there's a connection.