Question

Ernest is 42 years old and has been out of work for two months. he lost his position as a program manager when his company merged with another larger company. he made a great deal of money during his time as manager and saved quite a bit, so finances are not an immediate concern. he has not been actively looking for work, and he feels sluggish, sleeps much more than he did in the past, and spends most of his time watching tv.

Answer 1

Ernest is experiencing the effects of loss of status following the termination.
Once he lost his job, where he was respected as a good worker, he lost that status as well. Now, he is unemployed, and even though he has enough money to sustain himself, he isn't considered part of the workforce anymore, which obviously depressed him a bit, even though he doesn't know it yet.