Pandemic: A Catalyst to Mental Health Issues

The Affects and Effects.

The crisis right in front of us is very likely to put us humans to commonly experience fear and stress during an infectious disease outbreak. These emotions could include feelings of worry about one’s own health and of our loved ones, stress due to fluctuation in your work or job demands and financial crunches.

We all have different reactions to stressful situations. Our fight or flight response gets activated which leads us to sought different ways of coping. The body and mind has its own unique style of responding to change and to heal. When we are mentally disturbed, we tend to think, act and say things in a manner very different from what we would consider appropriate under normal circumstances.

The responses to stress can be influenced by the environment we are in and can depend on one’s background, social support system, socio-economic status, emotional health, well-being and many such factors.

The ‘New Normal’ trending in the present scenario, we humans might feel less certain and face different challenges in our everyday life with changes in sleep, appetite and energy. Lack of concentration, slow processing of information, forgetfulness, feelings of helplessness, frustration, worry and anxiousness can be evident.

Awareness is the most important part to well-being, especially during this time. Signs and symptoms of mental health issues must not be neglected.

The pandemic is already acting as a catalyst to mental health problems. The post pandemic would also be a time that would aggravate mental health problems that would require immediate attention to cater to.

Mental health needs with psychological interventions aims to simply deal better with problems without letting them go unnoticed. Just as measures are being taken to stabilize physical health, enough measures should be taken to support one’s mental health during and post the pandemic.

Making most out of digital platforms, aiding psychological interventions is possible and necessary. You could seek professional help from a mental health practitioner online. Of course virtual sessions come with their own pros and cons. But definitely would be a source of healing and support to effectively deal with mental health concerns.

Mental health problems as a result of burnout and strain among front-line workers are a major concern. Receiving patients and treating them has been the norm, however this time is different. The rapid rise in the numbers every day has increased the demand making it extremely stressful and overwhelming to front-line health care workers.

Experiencing burnout can pose a high risk to mental health. Poor physical health is associated with higher risks of mental health disorders as they are common comorbidities among individuals with physical illness.

Mental health has been adversely impacted due to worry over the virus.

People with pre-existing mental health conditions or substance use disorders would find it even more difficult and may particularly be vulnerable. There could be new barriers created hindering their therapeutic healing. This could escalate the already facing condition giving rise to other mental illnesses among people. Make sure to continue the treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms.

The pandemic effects are innumerable and incomparable. The Pandemic has posed threat to almost everything and not just physical health. The economic downturn has affected people’s mental health mainly because of job loss and income insecurity. Layoffs, pay cut and unemployment have negative effects on health and well-being with an increased risk of depression, causing distress and lowering one’s self-esteem leading to higher rates of substance use disorder and suicide. Existing mental illness among adolescents may be exacerbated by the pandemic. Suicidal ideation and tendencies of self-harm are one of the major mental health risks commonly seen among adolescents. Substance use among teens with other risky behaviors may result in addictions problems in adulthood.

Considering the steps being taken to meet the challenges posed by the Corona Virus, our fight against the pandemic has been a unique one. Anxiety, stress and fear are normal responses to real or perceived threats when faced with uncertainty. The feelings people are experiencing are quite normal in context of the crisis we are in. This health emergency has left human life and the minds at a vulnerable state. The trauma, so overburdened, the community needs immense support to get back to a state of security. People have to be each other’s hand to lift one another.

Like any other catastrophic event, this human tragedy has come along with uncertainty, fear, grief and bereavement needing our utmost attention to cater to psychological consequences.

A plethora of misinformation does rounds every minute on social media platforms and people resort to rumors without fact checking. This is not just inducing panic and fear but also turning out to be extremely dangerous and harmful creating more hate and judgement.

The question is have we just limited ourselves and stopped looking beyond the horizon? Have we forgotten our humane roots?

It’s important we all do a self-reflection! Happy reflecting :)

Minding our minds during the COVID-19

It is absolutely normal to respond to these vulnerable times with stress and fear. Of late there’s more panic than the threat. This could tunnel your vision. However when you are calm, you could assess the situation in a rational way.

Let us take good care of our mind and body. The way we support ourselves and others to manage these responses is extremely essential. Trying out different ways of coping in this stressful situation will give us better resilience and help us manage our mental health in a healthier way.

Have a long run and not take a break, just keep running… how would that make you feel? Tired? Our minds too feel that way when overburdened and stressed. They get tired too! Give it the rest it deserves.

Finding different ways of coping that comfort you and are healthy during this threatening situation will make you, the people you care and your community stronger.

The different emotions we are dealing with, isn’t an easy task. Emotional wellness is always that part of us we often pay no attention to. Tune in to your feelings and hear them out a little.

How to help yourself?

The ‘new normal’ is the new trend, but this may not be permanent. Nothing is permanent.. Neither this time nor our miseries.

Our ways of managing situations are unique as much as we are. Even our coping styles are surely different. It’s not necessary that if a strategy helps one person to feel better the same strategy would help another. It is always advisable to explore and try out different ways so you get an insight and would know what’s healthy for you and what would suit you best.

When it comes to regulating your body and mind, the best judge is always YOU!

“THE FEELINGS CHECK” activity, may help you too. The best way to work this out is in steps. Write it down if that helps. Begin with

Step 1: Ask yourself “What am I feeling?”

Step 2: Now label your feeling, give it a word.

Step 3: Move on to “Why am I feeling the way I do?” Let the feelings flow.

Step 4: And then focus on “What could help me manage these feelings?”

Step 5: Explore and try out different ways.

These times have been hard for us. Our problems seem to have multiplied and some of the feelings we are dealing with right now may feel difficult to manage. It’s not your fault nor does it mean you are weak. It has been emotionally exhausting and a spectrum of emotions all at one time are going through us.

Do not be hard on yourself. Allow yourself to be, try to navigate through these emotions and process them one at a time. For those of us with existing mental health problems, it might get a bit tough and overwhelming. If you think it is getting beyond control and lot more difficult than you thought, please feel free to seek professional help.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to learn how to unlearn. Don’t be scared to take help. In context to Indian scenario, mental health already a taboo is stigmatized and further neglected. There is so much judgement that follows. It is so strange that we do so much to keep our bodies healthy while nobody thinks of the mind. As this phase has put forth a strong message of taking care of one’s health and hygiene it is also trying to advocate and normalize mental health. Hopefully we consider it!

** seek professional help if it gets overwhelming.

Look after your mental health well :)

There’s a lot you can do to mind your mind.

Mental health is never a destination but a process. It’s not about where you are heading to but it’s about how you navigate through!

And the best part is that there’s no one ‘right way’ to deal with it, rather do what makes you feel comfortable.

A lot of things right now may not be in our control although some are…So take charge!

Every situation and its outcome may not be under our control but how we would deal with it is definitely in ours.

• Get professional support from organizations/people that can help.
  A lot of organizations and people out there are there to help with different aspects of the corona virus pandemic and psychological interventions to cope with bereavement or work stress.
• Talk to someone you trust.
  Sharing experiences and just having someone listen to you, makes you feel better. Express yourself and help others to do the same. Listen and be genuine. Create a non-judgmental safe space to talk and share. Normalize conversations about seeking professional help.
• Try online peer support.
  Talk to and hear from others.
• Express your feelings creatively.
  Express your feelings by journaling, painting, coloring, drawing or any other creative way that feels helpful. Write a letter to yourself. Sit and look through old pictures. Make a Scrapbook.
• Focus on the things that you can control.
• Take care of yourself and your community.
  Talk about how you are feeling and build a strong support system with people around.
• Take care of your emotional health.
  Taking care of your emotional health will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family.
• Stop watching the news and get off social media.
  Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
  Do mindful browsing!
• Unplug the gadgets to spend quality time with everyone at home. Do some activities that make you feel calm, Do a hobby or Play with kids.
• Take care of your body.
  Help yourself with some exercise and meditation, eat healthy and get plenty of sleep. Avoid use of any kind of substances and excessive consumption of alcohol.
• Make time to unwind.
• Connect with others.
  Physical distancing measures are in place, socializing virtually is not restricted. Help reduce the stigma.
• Protective of your lock down routine.
  Stay close to how your earlier ‘normal’ routine was. Make a to-do list. Plan your day. Have a clean and predictable atmosphere. Focus to have control over things you can. Take responsibilities. Keep the home environment organized. Eat healthy, sleep well and adapt a good exercise regime.
• Slow down!! This is very much necessary.
  Practice Self Care. Know when to pause and stop.

As it is important for the self to be mindful, it is extremely essential for us to invest some time to help our family achieve the same. While you look after your well-being, the well-being of your loved ones has a direct effect on your mental health.

Healthy the family, the healthier is you! So practice and preach. Encourage family to look after their mental health too.

The more awareness the healthier a community would get.

Start from home :)