You're listening to LifeKit from NPR.
Hey, it's Marielle.
You know how the Germans have a word for everything?
I've been wondering
if there's one for that particular ache you get when you want something to happen.
I mean, really want it, maybe even need it.
And you've spent countless hours working toward it,
getting pregnant, finding love, landing a new job.
But it is just not.
happening.
It's painful.
It's maddening.
It makes you doubt yourself.
It makes you want to shake your fist at the sky.
One acute version of this is unemployment, especially if it stretches out over a long period.
Dez Valdez is a licensed clinical social worker and a financial therapist.
She says unemployment becomes not just a financial crisis.
It affects our mental health, our identity, our nervous system, and our relationships.
And so many people can experience a mix of grief, fear, self-blame, shame, and a lot of uncertainty.
And our culture really ties so much of our worth to productivity and employment.