Throughout one's professional life, the finishing line where the rewards are retirement spur one on. Yet, surprisingly it is a difficult transition for many. Depression after retirement is the one of the most common problem faced by our men, who after holding imposing posts and managing a multitude of people suddenly find themselves sitting home waiting for the inevitable with no one to boss around except their hapless wife or staff. Khalid Abdurrahman who served as a CEO of a large manufacturing company and worked a 60-hour week now spends his days at home or at gatherings of retired friends smoking and chatting. “He has a heart problem but he doesn't pay attention to my concerns. I believe he smokes now more than he ever did in the past,” said his wife Fatimah. According to statistics run by the Saudi National Health Organization, 40% of retirees' health conditions worsen in the first year of retirement due to psychological problems they go through, following their departure from the wheel of professional life into doing nothing. Health issues that had been nonexistent prior to retirement suddenly spring up out of nowhere due to self-loathing and depression that are commonly linked to retirement. Depression leads to dangerous factors such as a downscale in physical activity and excessive eating which are interconnected to heart disease, hypertension, stroke and diabetes which can progress rapidly in a retiree's age, said Dr. Mohamed Nowaiser, a general surgeon. Lack of social activities and involvement of retirees often leaves retirees feeling left out and worthless and it's not their fault, said Human Recourses Manager Eman Al Najfan. “Society is to blame for what retirees face; there are no productive outlets for them and no place in the working world even though they are still very active and can continue to work and contribute to society.” Acquiring a hobby such as fishing or gardening is a necessity for a retiree as it can boost their self-esteem, giving them less of a reason to be depressed and a stronger reason to go on with their lives instead of dwelling on their current state of emptiness, said Psychologist Dr. Wahabi Ezzayah. Most retirees in the Kingdom either do nothing or start a small business and that's not advisable in current times. “Starting a business in the Kingdom is a form of suicide and that's the last thing a retiree needs,” said Dr. Ezzayah who advises retirees to stay away from investing money because losing their savings would be devastating. The doctor added that exposing the retiree's world to technology and its resources is one way to save them from boredom here because of the lack of outlets and activity vents. “The social media and involving himself in its new found techniques is the best thing that can be done for a retiree it gives them a virtual world to confide and lose himself in without risking any type of financial loss.” The global financial crisis of 2008 affected millions of retirees around the world including many in this country. “Many patients had mild cases of heart disease and had to be operated on after 2008 market crash,” said Cardiologist Dr. Mohamed Anwar who advises retirees to not put their money in anything that could expose them to unnecessary risks. Tarik Abdulkareem had taken an early retirement and was enjoying traveling the world until he decided to invest his savings in the stock market and ended up losing everything. This has forced him to go looking for work less than a year after he had retired. He lamented that “finding a job at 50 is not like looking for one at 25. It is a cruel world out there with no place for anyone nearing retirement.” __
