Credit Crunch Stress

It’s normal to feel worried, anxious or down when times are hard. Job insecurity, redundancy, debt and financial problems can all cause emotional distress.

There are, however, many things you can do to help yourself if you're in a difficult situation.

David Richards, professor of mental health services research at the University of Exeter, explains how the current financial climate can affect your mental wellbeing. He also offers lifestyle tips to help you out of a slump and advice on when to seek medical help.

What are the potential effects of the credit crunch on mental wellbeing?

The credit crunch can bring about very significant life changes, such as losing a job or losing a home. Losing your job can affect your self-esteem and financial circumstances, which in turn can trigger emotional distress.

When you've been made redundant or you're struggling with debt, feeling low or anxious is a normal response. Fear of redundancy can also lead to worry, which is a very common human emotion.

You may be feeling, behaving or thinking in ways that are unfamiliar. This doesn't necessarily mean you're suffering from depression or an anxiety disorder.

What are the symptoms of being emotionally distressed?

General symptoms of emotional distress include:

• Changes in the way you feel physically, such as not being able to sleep well, having trouble concentrating, loss of appetite or feeling tearful.
• Changes in what you do, such as staying in bed all day and no longer meeting your friends.
• Changes in the way you think, for example having negative thoughts such as "I'm not worth it" or "I'll never get another job".

How can you help yourself?

Professor Richards’ top tips for coping with feeling low and anxious are: “Be more active, face your fears and don’t drink too much.”

• Being more active means not withdrawing from life. Keep seeing your friends; keep your CV up-to-date; don't ignore the bills and try to keep paying them. If you have more time because you’re not at work, take up some type of exercise. It can improve your mood if you’re feeling low. Go to Find services: sport and fitness in your area (in Useful links) to find exercise classes and sports clubs close to where you live.

• Facing your fears means don’t avoid dealing with things you find difficult. For example, if it looks like you're going into debt, get advice on how to prioritise your debts. When people feel anxious, they sometimes avoid talking to others. Some people can lose their confidence about driving or travelling. If this starts to happen, facing up to these situations will generally help them become easier.

• For some people, alcohol can become a problem. You may drink more than usual as a way of dealing with or hiding your emotions, or just to fill time. But alcohol won’t help you deal with your problems and it could add to your stress.

A routine is important

When people feel down, they sometimes forget about the things they like doing. If you don’t have to go to work in the morning, you can get into a poor sleep routine, lying in bed until late or watching TV all day. If you used to go to the shops on Thursday nights, keep going to the shops on Thursday nights. If you did sport before, continue doing sport. Get up at your normal time and stick to your routine.

If you lose your routine, it can also affect your eating. You may stop cooking, you may eat snacks instead of having proper meals, or you may miss breakfast because you’re still in bed. For tips on healthy eating, go to the Good food section of this website (see Useful links).

When should you seek medical help?

Most people who experience emotional distress will pick themselves up after a few days or a few weeks and then feel able to tackle challenges such as finding a new job. But for a small number of people, the feelings of anxiety and low mood don't go away and these feelings interfere with the way they live their life.

If you're still feeling worried, anxious or low after a few weeks, get help by calling NHS Direct (0845 4647) or talking to your GP. You may find that talking to a professional therapist could help and your GP can advise you on talking therapy services in your area.

To see what's available where you live, go to Find services (at the top of this page).

Seek help immediately

If you start feeling like you really can't cope, life is becoming very difficult or your life isn't worth living, get help straight away. These are dangerous signals that mean you need to talk to someone. As above, either see your GP or call NHS Direct (0845 4647). You can also contact helplines such as Samaritans (08457 90 90 90) for confidential, non-judgemental emotional support.

If you've had depression and/or anxiety in the past, even if they weren't formally diagnosed, seek help immediately. You're more likely to have an episode of depression if you've had one in the past

Further information and help

NHS Stressline

Call 0300 123 2000 for advice and support (Monday-Sunday, 8am-10pm). You can discuss the issues that are affecting you and your family and get expert advice on how to help yourself if you're in a difficult situation. Health advisers will listen, offer practical advice, guide you to useful online resources and put you in touch with other people who can help such as debt, housing, employment, counselling and talking therapy services.

Citizens Advice Bureau

The Citizens Advice Bureau website is an excellent place for finding out about benefits, how to deal with debt, what you’re entitled to if you’re made redundant, and who to turn to if you lose your home. A good starting point is the section on surviving the recession (see Useful links).

Directgov

This government information website has sections on redundancy, benefits, and managing debt including mortgage arrears. See Useful links.

Finding a new job

Jobcentre Plus, the government agency that supports people looking for work, has factsheets on writing a CV, planning your job hunt, preparing for interviews, and applying for jobs online. They're all available on its website (see Jobcentre Plus in Useful links).

Staying healthy on a budget

Read Eat well on the cheap and Get fit without the gym, in Useful links

Coping with debt

Citizens Advice Bureau has a step-by-step guide to sorting out your debts. The charity Mind has a section on its website called All about debt, which includes advice on how to prioritise your debts. Other useful organisations are: National Debtline (0808 808 4000) and Consumer Credit Counselling Service (0800 138 1111). See Useful links for their websites.