LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Depression, anxiety, and fear are some of the feelings that thousands of people who are struggling with the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) are currently experiencing.
Not knowing what you’ll eat or how you will pay your bills could be already a lot to handle when money is not coming in.
For nearly four months, some have not received their unemployment, even after spending hours submitting their claims online or hoping that someone will answer the phone and help them with their unemployment cases.
Mendi Baron is the founder and CEO of elemental treatment. Several of his clients are or were unemployed due to the pandemic.
While a therapeutic intervention may not solve a financial situation, it can make a big difference in your mental well-being.
“It's like watching a fight in a ring and you don’t know if they’re going to win or not, but I can’t let them throw in the towel because that’s game over," Baron said.
Having hope is important but it’s also good to be proactive.
“Part of creating hope for yourself is creating a plan of action. Don’t stay up the whole night worrying because you won’t be able to function better the next day, and don’t stop eating even if you’re facing pretty severe anxiety because you need food to keep going," Baron said.
Also, you need to speak up and be OK with asking for help, either from your family, your neighbors, your friends, or even strangers.
Baron, who is also a licensed social worker, says some services are offered online to members of groups like the union.
There are services out there. One is dialing 211 in Nevada or visiting online to get in touch with a mental health specialist from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
