FIRE as a mental health issue!

[slepyhed]

Lost amongst the news about rate cuts and mortgage forclosures was this little tidbit:
Depression Pushes Middle-Aged Workers to Retire - Yahoo! News

Apparently, depressed people are more likely to retire early.

Food for thought.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Ironically, early retirement will lift their depression. Work is the #1 cause of depression.

 

[W2R]

Ironically, early retirement will lift their depression. Work is the #1 cause of depression.

I'll vouch for that. The day I retire is likely to be a very happy day.

 

[Sandy]

Not much information here to work with and raises more questions than it answers. It makes intuitive sense that in general people who are depressed don't want to work, but: Is the depression/RE more likely associated with individuals who do not have sound FI plans? Do these individual's moods improve after retiring?

FWIW, I don't see much evidence of even mild depression by the FIRE'd folks here.

 

[REWahoo]

One thing I think you will experience once FIREd - you'll slowly but surely stop having thoughts about work. Too depressing.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Depressed people also often don't want to eat much, talk to others, have sex, or get involved in social activities.

I think depression just causes disengagement from life. Work is no exception.

I bet a poll would show that people who still work when they don't need to, and have sex (not necessarily at the same time) tend to be less depressed.

 

[REWahoo]

I bet a poll would show that people who still work when they don't need to, and have sex (not necessarily at the same time) tend to be less depressed.

I'd be more interested in seeing poll results on people who still have sex when they don't need to...or are still working at it.

 

[unclemick]

Crap - my ancestors are Finn's - we know all about that earlier stuff they site.

Drink coffee!, Have sex - avoid work or pinochle like the plague!

And always drive with your lights on in winter - that's an important part of safe sex(getting there).

Depression means you are drinking the wrong coffee.

heh heh heh

 

[FIREd]

I can see the commercial: Do you feel stressed or anxious, do you have trouble sleeping, do you experience loss of appetite, do you often think about early retirement? those could all be serious symptoms of depression. Talk to your doctor about Proxil... Side effects could include diarrhea, headache and a complete lack of interest for retirement planning and wealth building...

 

[CuppaJoe]

I can see the commercial: Do you feel stressed or anxious, do you have trouble sleeping, do you experience loss of appetite, do you often think about early retirement? those could all be serious symptoms of depression. Talk to your doctor about Proxil... Side effects could include diarrhea, headache and a complete lack of interest for retirement planning and wealth building...

Sounds like the definition of sanity.

 

[maddythebeagle]

I think there has been some threads on "jobs from hell" with people taking a toll from bad jobs...

 

[unclemick]

I think there has been some threads on "jobs from hell" with people taking a toll from bad jobs...

Yep - good drugs won't help bad jobs.

Sanity is overrated. If it starts to sneak up on you - like establishing a good exercise program for your health - working up a plan to be non PC and a little hinky can increase your resistance to sane stuff.

heh heh heh - remember Bear Bryant's linebackers - agile, mobile and hostile. If you are feeling punked out - rock up and search some old threads with 33% in them.

 

[Khan]

I don't know if I was officially depressed, but I was miserable and felt like crap most of the time.

I didn't realize how crappy I felt until, after retirement, I noticed I didn't feel quite so crappy.

Then I started looking for improvements and noticed symptoms/syndromes/conditions going away.

I am healthier physically/mentally than at any time over the last 20+ years.

It's difficult now to be nasty/snide/snarky...