6th March 2011, 05:10 PM
Thanks for the helpful comments and advice everyone... particularly HJB:face-approve:
I'd also like to thank people for the private messages that have been sent to me... if anything, it shows that there are people out there who care and have had similar experiences (and also ways of dealing / ameliorating the problem). To be honest, for me I do wonder if it is just a phase or cyclical thing which is exacerbated by bad times... and that when things get better, I'll get better. I don't know.
Is it something that the IFA should be aware of and, maybe, be doing something about it? Instead of just asking "are you employed / unemployed?", maybe they should also be asking "how do you feel?" or even "what can we do to help?". Silly, I know.
Depression was brought up (well, skated over) at last years IFA conference, but as to what degree anything has been written or acted upon, I can't say. I'm not here to bash the IFA (why should I?) and certainly I don't think the IFA is the place to deal with the actual issue of depression. However, if it was brought up at the conference last year (albeit very lightly), surely they are therefore aware that it occurs amongst it's community (archaeologists per se). As to what degree it occurs within archaeology is open to debate... however, going by what I've experienced and heard over the past 30 odd years, there are a lot of very unhappy people out there (and not just with the archaeological work situation). I'd go as far to say that the archaeological profession (as touted by the IFA) has a very wide range of issues to deal with... depression yes, but also alcoholism, drug misuse/abuse, gambling and debt. To me, a lot of these problems appear to be overlooked or even swept under the carpet... they shouldn't be.
The IFA web-site has a page dedicated to 'The Recession' (providing lots of stats on just how bad the situtaion is), but nothing on what to do in case you are made redundant - the just how to cope with losing your job and/or not being able to get a job... and the stultifying nuclear winter vacuum you feel while being stuck in it. Furthermore, are there any stats for those who are in work, but feeling under threat, stressed and depressed (cuts, possible redundancy, "you must perform better")? Looking at the IFA recession page (particularly the recession seminar PDF), there are a number of ways of how a business can cope with the recession, of how the IFA will cope with the recession (i.e. reduced fees to those that have lost their jobs so that they can stay members)... but nothing on the actual human cost of the recession i.e. the way in which individuals or familes actually have to cope (or not cope) with the loss of theirs, or their partners, archaeological job. I know that this is not strictly within the IFA's remit - they are there to sort out the nuts and bolts of the actual profession (and, hey, they are also corporate, so maybe they just don't have to care). But is the BAJR Forum the only place available to actually bring this sort of thing up and, possibly, the only place where I can get specific advice from like-minded individuals? Furthernore, it is the only place where some action might be taken? Who else can help - IFA, ALGAO, EH?
I've been in archaeology for a long time (more than most I suppose) and this is the longest bout of unemployment I've had... it has got to the point where I feel I no longer want to work in archaeology or, rather (and more to the point), that archaeology no longer wants me. It's wrong I know... I shouldn't think like that, but I do.
I'd also like to thank people for the private messages that have been sent to me... if anything, it shows that there are people out there who care and have had similar experiences (and also ways of dealing / ameliorating the problem). To be honest, for me I do wonder if it is just a phase or cyclical thing which is exacerbated by bad times... and that when things get better, I'll get better. I don't know.
Is it something that the IFA should be aware of and, maybe, be doing something about it? Instead of just asking "are you employed / unemployed?", maybe they should also be asking "how do you feel?" or even "what can we do to help?". Silly, I know.
Depression was brought up (well, skated over) at last years IFA conference, but as to what degree anything has been written or acted upon, I can't say. I'm not here to bash the IFA (why should I?) and certainly I don't think the IFA is the place to deal with the actual issue of depression. However, if it was brought up at the conference last year (albeit very lightly), surely they are therefore aware that it occurs amongst it's community (archaeologists per se). As to what degree it occurs within archaeology is open to debate... however, going by what I've experienced and heard over the past 30 odd years, there are a lot of very unhappy people out there (and not just with the archaeological work situation). I'd go as far to say that the archaeological profession (as touted by the IFA) has a very wide range of issues to deal with... depression yes, but also alcoholism, drug misuse/abuse, gambling and debt. To me, a lot of these problems appear to be overlooked or even swept under the carpet... they shouldn't be.
The IFA web-site has a page dedicated to 'The Recession' (providing lots of stats on just how bad the situtaion is), but nothing on what to do in case you are made redundant - the just how to cope with losing your job and/or not being able to get a job... and the stultifying nuclear winter vacuum you feel while being stuck in it. Furthermore, are there any stats for those who are in work, but feeling under threat, stressed and depressed (cuts, possible redundancy, "you must perform better")? Looking at the IFA recession page (particularly the recession seminar PDF), there are a number of ways of how a business can cope with the recession, of how the IFA will cope with the recession (i.e. reduced fees to those that have lost their jobs so that they can stay members)... but nothing on the actual human cost of the recession i.e. the way in which individuals or familes actually have to cope (or not cope) with the loss of theirs, or their partners, archaeological job. I know that this is not strictly within the IFA's remit - they are there to sort out the nuts and bolts of the actual profession (and, hey, they are also corporate, so maybe they just don't have to care). But is the BAJR Forum the only place available to actually bring this sort of thing up and, possibly, the only place where I can get specific advice from like-minded individuals? Furthernore, it is the only place where some action might be taken? Who else can help - IFA, ALGAO, EH?
I've been in archaeology for a long time (more than most I suppose) and this is the longest bout of unemployment I've had... it has got to the point where I feel I no longer want to work in archaeology or, rather (and more to the point), that archaeology no longer wants me. It's wrong I know... I shouldn't think like that, but I do.