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Laid-off employee opens up about anxiety and self-doubt: 'It's getting depressing'
A job seeker faces anxiety and panic attacks after months of intense DSA study following a layoff.
Ongoing layoffs in the tech sector are continuing to take a toll on the mental health of people. One job seeker shared how months of intense job preparation after losing employment led to anxiety, panic attacks, and loss of confidence.
In a Reddit post, the job seeker said the layoff happened in November, after which a full-scale job search began “left, right and centre”.
“Layoff from a company could make you this depressed,” the caption of the post reads.
Also Read: Laid-off employee shares red flags in Delhi startup hiring process: 'People are working 24 hours'
Burnout hits job seeker:
According to the post, the job seeker's days follow a strict routine focused only on preparation.
Every morning starts with studying, followed by long hours spent practising data structures and algorithms.
For nearly a month, the job seeker studied for five to seven hours daily and worked towards completing a DSA sheet.
Over time, the pressure became overwhelming. “I don't feel like studying many days now, and it's getting depressing… I feel I'm a nothing and have lost all confidence,” the post adds.
The job seeker wrote about losing confidence and struggling with negative thoughts.
During this period, the company that carried out the layoff contacted the job seeker again with a contract offer.
“The company I got laid off from also reached out to me regarding a contract, but I didn't take it because I didn't like the terms and conditions.”
Despite studying DSA consistently for a month, the job seeker says panic attacks begin even when looking at questions already completed.
The job seeker says waking up and thinking about the large amount of studying still left to do often triggers panic attacks.
Also Read: Laid-off 30-year-old techie with ₹2.3 lakh salary says he doesn't want to code anymore
Check out the post here:
Reddit reacts:
The post drew a strong response from Reddit users, with many expressing support and understanding.
Some shared their own experiences of burnout and anxiety during job searches, while others offered practical advice on coping with stress and maintaining mental health.
One of the users commented, “Been there, man, burnout is real, take a break, smaller goals, still insane hard finding any job now.”
A second user commented, “If I were you, I'd have tried building multiple small, but useful projects, and deployed them for others, and would see if it can generate some income.”
“I am exactly in the same situation only difference is I resigned due to illness,” another user commented.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
