NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim stress affecting my mental health - anyone else struggling?
I've been on unemployment for 8 weeks now and honestly the whole process is destroying my mental health. Between the weekly certifications, constant job search requirements, and never knowing if my next payment will come through, I'm having panic attacks. My claim went into adjudication last month and I haven't heard anything since. I can't sleep, can't focus on job applications, and feel like a complete failure. The stress of potentially losing benefits while bills pile up is overwhelming. Has anyone else experienced this? How do you cope with the anxiety of depending on NYS Department of Labor while trying to find work?
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Miguel Diaz
You're definitely not alone in feeling this way. Unemployment creates a perfect storm of financial stress, uncertainty, and loss of routine that can really impact mental health. The adjudication process especially can be nerve-wracking since you have no control over the timeline. Try to remember that your worth isn't tied to your employment status - you're dealing with a system that's overwhelmed and slow, not a reflection of your value. Have you considered reaching out to any mental health resources? Many are available on sliding fee scales.
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Ava Johnson
•Thank you for saying that. I keep telling myself it's just temporary but when you're in it, it feels endless. I should probably look into counseling options.
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Zainab Ahmed
the waiting is THE WORST part. my claim was stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks last year and i literally thought i was going crazy. couldn't concentrate on anything. what helped me was setting specific times for job searching and checking my claim status instead of obsessing all day
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Connor Byrne
I went through something similar when I was laid off in 2023. The uncertainty is brutal, especially when you're already dealing with job rejection stress. One thing that helped was creating structure - treating job searching like a part-time job with set hours, then forcing myself to step away. Also, if you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor about your adjudication, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Sometimes just getting information about what's happening with your claim can reduce the anxiety.
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Ava Johnson
•That sounds helpful - did they actually get you through to someone? I've been calling for weeks with no luck.
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Connor Byrne
•Yeah, they got me connected the same day I tried it. Turned out my adjudication was just waiting for some verification that never got flagged in my online account.
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Yara Abboud
Unemployment is designed to make you feel like garbage honestly. They want you desperate so you'll take any job. The mental health impact is real but also kind of intentional if you ask me.
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Miguel Diaz
•While the system definitely has issues, focusing on what you can control helps more than getting angry at the system itself.
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PixelPioneer
omg yes! I'm on week 12 and some days I can barely get out of bed. The job search requirement feels impossible when you're already depressed about being unemployed. Its like they expect you to be this motivated go-getter when you're broke and stressed
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Keisha Williams
•Same here - the pressure to seem enthusiastic in interviews when you're financially panicking is so hard
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Paolo Rizzo
Been there. What really helped me was connecting with other people going through the same thing. There are some local job seeker support groups that meet weekly - it's nice to talk to people who actually understand what you're dealing with instead of well-meaning friends who've never been unemployed.
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