WARNING: Foreclosure can be hazardous to your health.
Possible side effects include, but are not limited to:
- Heart palpitations
- Anxiety attacks
- High blood pressure
- Stress
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Canker sores
- Skin problems
- Acid reflux
- Insomnia
The Alameda County Public Health Department and Causa Justa/Just Cause — a housing rights group — recently conducted a study of nearly 400 residents in the Oakland, Calif., area who had to endure the foreclosure experience.
Here’s the bottom line finding:
Foreclosures exacerbate the health problems [of distressed homeowners]. In addition, the deleterious health effects can often spread to tenants and others associated with foreclosed home.
The San Francisco Chronicle provides powerful context:
The survey found that residents who are going through foreclosure or recently lost their homes were more than twice as likely to say that their mental and physical health had worsened over the past two years than those not going through foreclosure. Those residents were also twice as likely to report stress, depression or anxiety over the past month.
To read the full report, which is entitled “Rebuilding Neighborhoods, Restoring Health” click here.
No surprise there. I think losing your home is about a stressful a proposition as there is. We live in an anxious age.
I didn’t know the meaning of stress until i lost my job and my house was in preforeclosure. helpahome.org saved my butt.
I think I have all the symptoms listed above. Yes, I lost my job too, am unsuccessfully in appeal with unemployment & food stamps rec’d an erroneous message stating that I am getting unemployment when I’m not. Current money/resources coming into my home right now? ZERO!!! I’ve slowed down the foreclosure because “their” lawyer didn’t file a document once & another time didn’t meet the judges deadline for sending me another document. Court is Wednesday & THIS time the lawyer filed in court on 8/25 but DIDN’T mail me a copy until the end of September, stating that it was proceeding since I didn’t reply to the last letter (which I never rec’d!) I hope their proven history of NOT mailing at all or NOT mailing within required timeline saves me. I’m praying for a job because with ZERO income… no food stamps, no unemployment & no house, it’ll be the first time in my entire life I will be homeless. I WILL SURVIVE THOUGH!!! I’m in my 50′s, have gained weight, acne like crazy, sick a lot, major depression, etc. etc. I CRINGE when I hear upper income people talk about how they can’t take that cruise again this year & complaining about “those people” who are mooching. Ya, I’d love for them to get into a situation like this & see how much “fun” it is. Sorry for the length, I HAD to vent.