 Self-help story about depression and successfully working your way out of it.
Plumber Frank "Pancho" Urquidi felt a sharp twinge in his left shoulder one day as he was fitting overhead pipes.
| | | | | Symptoms of depression from the National Mental Health Association | | A persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood | | Sleeping too little or sleeping too much | | Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain | | Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed | | Restlessness or irritability | | Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions | | Fatigue or loss of energy | | Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless | | Thoughts of death or suicide | | | |
A visit to the doctor revealed irreparable damage. Pancho, then 57, was told that if he continued to work using his bad wing, he could seriously injure himself or others. "It hit me like a bomb. I wasn't expecting to retire that soon." Like millions of retirees, Pancho was jolted by the switch from a rigid work schedule to an unstructured retirement, a transition that leaves almost 1 in 5 with symptoms of depression. His attempts to re-enter the workforce only showed how poorly his job loyalty had prepared him for the brave new world of hypertext and mainframes. "I didn't know how to work on computers. Me, I can't even play Pac-Man. That's all they had to offer, so I said forget it." Within months, Pancho's inactivity drew him into a deepening spiral of depression. The pain that began with a simple twinge spread into a consuming, debilitative condition. "Before, when people were depressed, I used to say 'Come on, just take a walk.' That's bull. If you have that sickness, you can't shake it. You're afraid to be by yourself, you keep waking up all night. It's a mess." Visits to the psychiatrist revealed a motivational drive that, through 30 years spent in construction ditches, was welded to his profession like a watertight slipjoint. Pancho was so steeped in work routines that he wasn't able to cope without them. Marilyn J. Sorensen, clinical psychologist and author of Breaking the Chain of Low Self-Esteem, has seen enough of this psychological portrait to fill a gallery. She regularly works with patients who willingly retired, only to find themselves in the same depths of despair caused by Pancho's forced retirement. "They go from leading a life that is structured, purposeful and fulfilling in many ways to one of little or no structure, and in which leisure time doesn't bring the satisfaction they received from their work," she says. She finds early retirees are more susceptible to this trend because they still have a high energy level, whereas older retirees benefit from a more gradual release from serfdom. Self-esteem issues are often at the root of post-retirement depression, Sorenson says. "Many people with low self-esteem become overachievers. Driven to prove their adequacy, they throw themselves into their work." With retirement, they realize their relationships aren't satisfactory because they've been so devoted to their work. Self-esteem issues aren't easily resolved, but Sorenson says a key to successful treatment is for retirees to put some structure back in their lives. For Pancho, finding part-time work enabled him to get his groove back. Now he helps the pipefitting-challenged in the plumbing department of the Monrovia, Calif. Home Depot. "It's great because I'm not using my body but I'm using my brain and the knowledge I have learned. They hung my picture in the department with a sign that says 'Pancho, Plumbing Guru." For those considering early retirement, heed the old adage about an ounce of prevention. Sorenson recommends three steps for those who may feel lost when the curtains fall on their career.
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