Occupational Depression

Greetings to those of the online community. My thoughts pertain to Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman." I neither understood nor appreciated the text while I was in high school; however, I have discovered similarities between Willy Lowman and myself. Today, I am writing to bring up an important detail that I find is often overlooked. Occupational depression is a common case in a variety of workers; in those who are mistreated by management; in those who are under paid for extra work demanded by superiors; and in those who have been striving for a career choice that is left unfulfilled. Regardless of the reason, there should be more awareness to occupational depression. I'm writing this because I tend to fall into this category- I have a Bachelor's degree in English and Sociology but still work in a retail environment that does not pay adequately. Please do not think this post is over emotional and written for self help needs. I am addressing an issue that some people may experience but do not know how to mend their pain. After all, working with superiors who lack compassion and awareness can add to the frustration of going to your job. We live in a society dictated by a mechanical system of working day after day. However, one's workplace should be a happy place- an environment we look forward to clocking in and interacting with those around us. Though, the perfect job seems to not exist- we must continue to remain positive. Despite the feelings of self inadequacy and despair- those who suffer from occupational depression need to look into further options. No matter how many times you are rejected from a new position, you must continue to look elsewhere. No one deserves to suffer and begin hating themselves for feeling trapped in a workplace where supervisors only think of their employees as resources. We are all humans who need to see each other more as sisters and brothers- who need to reach out to those who appear to have an internal struggle. By even a simple act of kindness and gesture of support, we can show these individuals that they are not alone. When the going gets tough, we have to push ourselves even greater. We cannot allow ourselves to be placed in a situation or environment that makes us desire an end. Last year, I wanted to die- however, this year I want to fly. I want to become a writer- an artist- but no matter the difficulty in achieving that goal: I won't stop. I encourage you to think about those who you work with- do they seem to behave differently than what you're used to seeing? Or maybe you find yourself thinking that it is better to give up? Whatever the situation is, we cannot allow occupational depression to continue to exist. We must spread awareness when we can and give a light to those in need of support. Overall, we must inspire the working communities to end their corporate cold mentality and rebuild themselves with a greater sense of compassion. I know this is difficult and may not be done with regards to the greed in the world. However, there is no reason to stop fighting against this sort of corruption. All I ask, is that we work together as sister and brother- defending each other against the harsh negativities that find their way in the workplace. With all of that said: Thank you for listening.