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Jobs suck, but for most of us we must have one to pay the bills. Some jobs are much worse than others and some are so bad you want to kill yourself. Not working late hours and killing your life, but actually committing suicide. These are the jobs with the highest suicide rates.
There are both blue collar and white collar jobs on their list with several areas that factor into the misery some go through in these positions. Where the job is located and overall environment is very important as is stress and number of hours working. Some of these jobs require high skills that require intense concentration while others it’s the boredom that ends up killing you, literally. Other jobs make you question humanity and are plain difficult to deal with. Of course, jobs with access to drugs and medications also have a high suicide rate. There’s a reason the phrase is “out of sight, out of mind.” If you work in the healthcare industry, there is a good chance your profession’s suicide rate is higher than most.
Jobs that just missed the list include those with careers in wood workers and heat treating equipment. The work is hard, the money is low and there really is no such thing as advancement. Also, any type of sales job that is based on commission could be on this list. When you don’t know if there is enough money to put food on the table you resort to last resorts. Once I worked in a rock quarry, I quit after one day. Some jobs are not for everyone.
Hard labor jobs, well-respected jobs and people who save lives. They are all on this list and they all hold jobs with the highest rate of suicide.
15. Police Officers
Young kids often want to be police officers when they grow up. You get to wear a uniform, carry a gun and most importantly, have a car with a siren. Of course, being a cop can be dangerous and is very high-stress. The hours may be difficult (especially when first starting out) and let’s face it, you are an officer, and so you see the worst and are training to look for the worst. There is also an “always on the job” feel when you are a cop and de-stressing when off duty can be challenging for cops. Many suffer from dependencies and depression, two key ingredients for suicidal thoughts.
14. Farmers
Each time I go to the grocery store it’s a hassle, but you know what is harder? Growing the food that we take for granted each day. Farmers have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Up early, work hard all day and late nights. The job is unforgiving and there really is no “out” given most don’t have a college education to fall back on if farming doesn’t work out. Faming also gives you a lot of alone time, that’s a lot of thinking. Now consider how competitive the grocery market is and how traditional methods of producing food are often shunned today. That leaves farmers with no options other than to get up early and try to make a buck. That’s not easy!
13. Scientists
It’s not always good to be the smartest person in the room. That’s a lot of pressure. Scientists are all about discovery and if they don’t perform to their own goals it can be disappointing. Or worse, if a scientist uncovers something harmful, or is unable to reveal their results – that can lead to stress. Most Scientists are focused in one area that requires lots of schooling and testing and certifications. Imagine putting a long day at the office (or lab) and then having to spend your evenings study complicated scientific methods. It’s easy to see how this job can lead to depression and suicidal actions.
12. Lawyers
Lawyers come in all flavors and there are several different industries for attorneys to practice. Some require long hours (corporate lawyers) and others extreme stresses (trial lawyers) while for some the job are to defend your client regardless of what side of the law he is on (criminal lawyers). Legal counsels are relied on to provide the definitive answer and the stress is intense. Couple that with the competiriveness due to a saturation of lawyers and you have a recipe for self destruction. Out of all the types of lawyers, criminal law is the worst. The job is to defend your client and regardless of your commitment to the job, there is a good chance that at some point you represent a client you believe is guilty. This scenario can make sleeping well an impossibility and suicide an option.
11. Realtors
The world of selling houses and structures is fast paced and insanely competitive. Not to mention, you are dealing with buyers that may or may not be serious and may or may not be looking within their actual budget. Most realtors are paid on commission so they are at the mercy of the economy. When down that means no one is buying and that means you are not making money (i.e. no food on the table). Having constant battles with other realtors, wishy-washy potential buyers and the economy equals a lot of stress. Add in the fact that realtors are never off the clock and you can see why some end up taking alternate options and consider suicide as an option.
10. Urban Planners
Certain jobs require you to wear lots of hats and manage many areas. For Urban Planners this is true plus you are often working to make life better for a particular neighborhood or community. Managing the politics and having a positive outcome can be challenging to say the least. Individuals who go down the path of Urban Planner as a career are typically all in, it’s not just your job, and it’s your life. When plans don’t develop as envisioned or you see a way of life you didn’t expect, which can be difficult to deal with. All the long hours, the unions and endless competition for jobs takes a toll on this job. Sometimes you find a way out, other times Urban Planners turn to other options.
9. Chiropractors
The job of a Chiropractor is a juggling act in many ways. Often you are running a solo practice with limited staff and people who need a chiropractor don’t necessarily book in advance, when you need a back guy, you call the back guy. Since the practice of chiropractics isn’t always covered by insurance or it’s difficult to be licensed, the lawsuits and paperwork for a Chiropractor is endless. How would you like a high percentage of people you try and help turn around and sue you? Yeah, being a Chiropractor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and can lead to high stress with lots of bills and mountains of paperwork due to pending lawsuits.
8. Finance Planners / Stockbrokers
Well for starters, in the old days they jumped off the roofs of their buildings, not subtle. Working in finance is a series of ups and downs with a lot of risk. Your salary is dependent on how you manage other people’s money, which you often have a lot of power over. When the economy is down, or there is an unexpected turn, suicide rates in this industry sky rocket, especially for those with risky investments. When the economy is up there is still a large amount of pressure and stress. No one makes or loses money faster than a stockbroker and it takes a strong person to withstand the rollercoaster ride of the markets. Some persevere, others don’t, losing everything and finding suicide a way to end the chaos.
7. Marine Engineers
Engineers in general put a lot of pressure on themselves. Look at the suicide rate at MIT, it’s higher than most schools due to the stress these students put on themselves. It doesn’t get much easier after school and Marine Engineers. This job researches, designs, develops and constructs ships. There are a lot of variables involved and a million things that can go wrong from faulty products to bad resources to a poor design. The hours are extremely long and if it is your project chances are this is your life. Obviously building a ship doesn’t happen overnight so the stress continues to build. For some it becomes too much and the pressure impossible to deal with. Their mind sight isn’t to just walk away; instead an engineer sees it for what it is: a failure.
6. Pharmacists
What if drug dealing was legal? For a Pharmacist, it kind of is. They fill prescriptions for antibiotics, depression and stress all day long. It’s easy to see how this job could become depressing, factor in the easy access to whatever feel good medications you want and it can quickly become a recipe for disaster. Prescriptions are required because self-medicating rarely benefits the user. However, a Pharmacist may forego the required steps and help themselves to the inventory, leading to terrible addictions which may lead to suicidal thoughts.
5. Construction Site Managers
Anytime you have to wear a hard hat there is added stress to your job. After all, the reason for the hat is because you are working in a potentially dangerous environment. In addition to a hard hat, Construction Site Managers wear a lot of management hats. They work with white collar employees who draw up the plans and blue collar employees executing the vision. It’s their job to make sure everything goes as planned. Short timelines don’t help and when you combine budgets, safety and resources it’s easy to see why so many projects are delayed and why stress and pressure are so high. Who is the person responsible? That’s often the Project Manager, who is also the Construction Site Manager.
4. Veterinarians
Being a Veterinarian is a calling to help others, by helping their pets. Seeing someone lose a pet can be as crushing as seeing them lose a child. To become a Vet requires lots of schooling and continued education once you start your practice. Many sacrifice their personal lives in order to help others and over time this takes a toll. Without a proper life balance this job becomes more stressful than others and all it takes is a bad run before depression can set in with no outlets (due to lack of balance). Vets may not be saving human lives, but they see and are part of the circle of life with their patients and pets every day. Most days difficult and stressful decisions are made and it’s their job to help guide these difficult decisions.
3. Surgeons
First there is college, then Medical School which is brutal, then a residency where you are constantly tested and then maybe you become a Surgeon. The stress is high prior to the job, but intensifies; you are not responsible for the person you are operating on. You can’t save everyone, that is a fact, and over time can be a hard pill to swallow. Depression is high in the world of medicine and for Surgeons extra high due the precision of their job, always being on the clock and having peoples' lives in their hands. Surgeons are strong and proud and are often reluctant to seek help for depression or mental issues. Depression rarely goes away on its own and sometimes leads to suicide.
2. Dentists
Dentists, similar to Chiropractors previously mentioned, are often balancing their work with their practice, creating a high stress environment with little time for life outside of the practice. In addition, Dentists are increasingly relied upon to perform oral surgery, reconstruction and check for signs of cancer. Throw in insurance companies (it’s always the insurance companies), a couple of lawsuits and you may find yourself suffocating, leading to a feeling of no way out and depression. Dentists can write prescriptions and get whatever drugs they want, giving dentists one of the higher suicide rates, because it’s easier to succeed.
1. General Doctors
Doctors don’t go see other doctors when they don’t feel well. They already know what to do so they often self-diagnose and self-medicate. Sometimes this can result in accidental suicide, but for the most part doctors know the correct dosage so suicides are typically planned. It’s no secret the job of a doctor is stressful and the pressure in this day of insurance companies can make it challenging to make a difference. Toss in trying to pay the bills (if it's their own practice) and doctors can feel overwhelmed and depressed in no time. With easy access to drugs, the easy way out is unfortunately too easy for this profession.
Source: www.businessweek.com
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