The economy for the last couple of years has been really bad. Millions of people are losing their their jobs and homes. In many cases people thought that they had done everything right by getting that perfect 9-5 job and home to raise their families. But these same people are quickly finding out that it doesn’t matter that they were good American citizens. They are still being penalized in an economy that has went sour and there seems to be no end to their financial pain in sight.
When you lose your home, you lose your security and shelter. When you lose your job, you of course lose your income. These are some of the top stresses that any one person can experience in their lifetime. Right now, millions of Americans are suffering through this exact situation monthly.
This is an epidemic and why I have called this the Great Depression II.
A loss of a home or income can be a huge problem for most anyone.
Most everyone needs a roof over their heads or has bills that they must pay. Simply getting up and walking away from their problems seems to be impossible. Another problem is that not a whole lot of people have any serious savings or back up plans in some cases. We’re talking about even no savings at all and no alternative plans in case they lose their homes. A lot of people in America are living paycheck to paycheck. One bad move can leave them destitute and on the streets.
The thought of this makes many people depressed and unable to cope properly with their situations. They cannot think clearly because they are too worried and terrified of a future that looks dismal in their eyes. Many people cannot eat or sleep as their depression spirals out of their control. This is when they need help most.
When the money stops coming in, the mortgage and other bills do not. These bills keep coming in and the collection calls start to harass people who are already depressed about their situations. Debt collectors do not care if you have no money or are jobless. They just want their money. This added stress takes an extreme toll on people who have always tried to do the right thing when it comes to their obligations.
Record numbers of foreclosures have been happening lately. This puts a lot of stress on Americans who are about to lose their house because many have also lost their job. For a lot of people, this stress is more than they can emotionally take.
In some cases, they get so depressed by the loss of their homes that they pay the ultimate price and commit suicide.
This is a much larger problem than some people realize. Foreclosures are literally killing some people as they feel there is no other way out.
This past summer, a Southern California man went to the extreme when he killed his 5 children and wife before killing himself. This man and father lost it over the loss of a home and job. Committing a horrendous act because he “thought” there was no way out.
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa at the time said, “No words can describe this tragedy.”
“There’s no way to comprehend this unspeakable act,” the mayor said at the crime scene.
This past month in Pennsylvania there were two reported suicides by homeowners who took their own lives because they thought there was no way out from their foreclosure predicaments. On March 5th, Philadelphia deputies were going to post an eviction on Linda Clark’s home when they had found that she hanged herself. In another case, homeowner Gregory Bellows shot and killed himself just before deputies arrives to evict him from his home.
The number of people committing suicide because of foreclosed homes has risen for sure over the last few years. Of course, this all ties into the fact that millions of people have lost their houses to foreclosures because of the economy or just bad finances.
When a home is foreclosed on, the owners of the home will also lose their credit. Everyone knows that having bad credit is not a good thing. Having bad credit can mean that you won’t be able to get any loans other than say a small loan. Even if you can get a loan, big or small, you can expect a high interest fee on that loan. All of this just adds to the stress of the person whose home was foreclosed on. We strongly discourage suicide attempts, giving up is never an option and even if things seem grim, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
People need to realize that there is help out there. Millions of American are facing the threat of foreclosure and or job loss. So, people losing their homes are not alone. There are resources and online forums to get help when you need it most.
Here are some free help hotlines and websited to assist those who may be struggling mentally to keep it all together:
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-2433
Website: http://suicidehotlines.com/
Community Crisis Hotline:
Website: http://www.communitycrisis.org/
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has founded a national suicide prevention hotline
1-800-273-TALK (8255), and press “1″ to be routed to the Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline
Website: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/
Free Foreclosure Help Counselors:
Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA)
www.NACA.com
Neighborhood Works Hope Hotline: 888-995-HOPE
www.995Hope.org
FREE Online Support Forum:
www.LoanSafe.org/Forum - Join over 28,000 members and journal you story. Get that stress out of your system with people who care!
