Editor's Note: This is a series of recent reports from Deadline looking at the impact of the challenges facing the media and entertainment industries on mental health.

One person calls LinkedIn a “pit of despair.” Another feels an overwhelming lack of purpose. Yet another grumbled that he simply felt stuck.

For countless Hollywood executives who lost their jobs in the past year, finding work wasn’t the only challenge they’ve had to overcome. It’s also the sense of hopelessness that comes with being out of the game with little to no hope of ever returning.

"It's almost panic because this industry is so challenging," lamented one unemployed TV executive. "I had chest pains and I thought for a moment, 'Is this my heart?' But it was panic. I went to my doctor, who did some tests and everything was fine. But he said, 'Do you want to talk to someone?' And I thought, 'Listen, I know what the problem is.' I didn't feel like I needed to talk to a therapist. I know what the problem is, and a therapist is not going to help me get a job."