How to Avoid Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder

A new disorder is emerging as people wait out the recession.

According to most indicators, the economy is on its way back up. That may well be true, but the fact is, many ordinary citizens aren’t yet feeling the recovery, especially those who are still looking for a job.

Back when the recent recession was first taking hold, various news organizations reported an uptick in mental-health issues across America, and much of the increase was attributed to the slumping economy.

Examples:

• USA Today reported: “Signs abound that the battered economy is causing serious damage to the mental health and family lives of a growing number of Americans. … Nearly half of Americans said they were more stressed than a year ago, and about one-third rated their stress level as extreme in surveys [conducted by] the American Psychological Association.”

• In the same period, a front-page New York Times headline proclaimed, “Recession Anxiety Seeps into Everyday Lives.” Quoting experts and individuals, the article listed a variety of mental health symptoms sparked by...