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This article is Part II of Career Crisis. In the first part, I talked about how devastating career crises can be both financially and personally.

This devastation also affects family members and close friends. A major loss like this can sometimes cause one to reach back into the past and reactivate unfinished business from a major loss, or a crisis from an earlier time.

For example, when Nancy was terminated after seven months at her dream job, she became very depressed. While depression is a normal reaction to such a loss, Nancy was reacting to losing her job and the similar feelings she had when she flunked out of a top university 12 years earlier.

When she finally saw a therapist after a few weeks of depression following her job loss, she realized that she had never fully resolved her feelings about failing in college.

The process of recovering from a career crisis will happen on its own schedule. It can't be rushed. Every person responds to a career crisis differently. There is no right or wrong way to respond.

You will remember in last month's article, Anne took a two month hiatus before looking for another position.

She needed to work through her devastation of being terminated after thirteen years of being a valued employee. Depending on the circumstances, processing a career crisis can take years. After years of training for the position, Robert was appointed manager of a well-known supermarket within walking distance of his home.

Two weeks after the grand opening, Robert watched as fire destroyed the entire structure. He experienced a career crisis and trauma in one event.

The process of recovering from a career crisis will happen on its own schedule. It can't be rushed.

Every person responds to a career crisis differently. There is no right or wrong way to respond or to deal with it. It is a good idea to find support outside of your family and friends.

Even the most supportive may grow tired of hearing about your situation, or you may find yourself censoring your behavior to avoid alienating them.

People need support when they are having a career crisis, even though they may seem to push you away. It is important to let the person know you are there for them.

Ask how you can help, but, don't give advice unless asked to. It is important to remind the person experiencing a career crisis that he or she is a good person even without the status and identity that the job provided. Sometimes a career crisis sends a person into a deep depression for which help is needed.

If you sense that the person may be at risk urge the person to seek professional help.

A career crisis can be viewed as both a door-closer and a door-opener. Start thinking about what you have learned from this experience. Explore what meanings your feelings have for you.

If you pay attention to them, they can lead you to places you would otherwise never visit. Use this opportunity to stop and consider other options. Remember, you were in the workforce and you have skills that can be applied in other areas.

Take the case of George. He worked for a manufacturing company for years at the administrative level. Due to competition from other areas of the world, the company was forced to restructure and George's position was done away with.

After the shock wore off, George began to consider his options. He decided he never again wanted to be an employee. He decided if he was going to work hard and put in the hours it was going to be in his own business.

Four months later, George bought a lucrative business from the owner who was retiring and moving to another state.

George applied all the skills he had acquired over the years to his new business and did very well. George turned lemons into lemonade and enjoyed every drop of it! A career crisis can turn into a victory and you can come out of it much happier.

Marsha Goldstein, L.C.S.W., BCD is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified Diplomate, in private practice in Pahrump. She can be reached at (775) 751- 9579.