I have been very open about my mental health struggles for years, hoping that in doing so, others who struggle would know that they are not alone and find the strength within to reach out for help. I started this blog to help end the stigma surrounding mental health issues. I talk to my classes about mental health. I teach them stress reduction strategies, we talk about suicide prevention, we learn about various mental illnesses, all in my attempt to make the world a friendlier place for those who struggle with a mental illness.
The worldwide COVID pandemic has finally caused people to talk about mental health. I hear all the time that schools need to open for kids’ mental health. Businesses need to open and get people back to work for their mental health. Depression and anxiety are on the rise because of the economic recession caused by the COVID shutdowns.
I don’t really think that COVID has caused the increase in depression and anxiety though.
Some of you might be getting upset with me right about now, but let me explain.
I’m not saying that more people aren’t reaching out to therapists for help because they are.
I’m not saying people aren’t self identifying that they are having difficulties dealing with the new normal that the pandemic has thrown at us with physical distancing, reduced workhours, being laid off or working from home, kids doing school from home and all the rest of the changes that have been forced upon us from this global health pandemic, because they are.
This is a terrible situation that we find ourselves in and many of us are not handling it well, especially those extroverts who want to be with other people and huggers who need to hug people. I feel for them, I really do.
But I don’t think that the COVID-19 pandemic caused the current rise in mental health issues that we are seeing.
What if the cause is the constant busy-ness we found ourselves in so that by the time we went to bed at night we were so exhausted we collapsed and immediately fell asleep and we never found ourselves with enough quiet time to contemplate the complexities of life?
What if the cause is that we never learned to deal with disappointment because somebody always swooped in to make sure that we got what we wanted when we wanted it?
What if the cause is that we don’t know how to communicate with our family members so this extended time together is a struggle; as we are daily around each other, always physically together but emotionally alone?
What if the cause is that our children are so used to others taking care of them, teaching them and making the boundaries for them and their parents only providing the fun that nobody in the situation (parents included) know how to change it up now?
What if the cause is that we are so ingrained to believe that our job or career is our identity and to lose our job means we have lost who who are?
What if we were never taught healthy, productive ways to handle stress when it comes our way (because this whole situation is definitely added stress)?
What if we were taught that the best way to deal with things is to “suck it up, Buttercup.” or “Stop being a sissy la-la.” or “I’ll give you something to cry about.”?
I think that the COVID pandemic that has hit the world is not the CAUSE of the mental health crisis we are now seeing, I believe its placing the spotlight on a mental health crisis that has been in the making for number of decades.
It’s made it so that it’s finally its okay to seek out help. It’s finally okay to talk about our mental health issues.
If you need help, as I have, during this stressful time in our lives here are some resources:
These two are from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and offer helpful tips for navigating stress in the time of COVID.
https://adaa.org/finding-help/coronavirus-anxiety-helpful-resources
Here’s a place if you’d like online therapy
Here’s a place for physical and mental health online:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
There are lots of ways to get help, you can also start by talking to your general care physician, looking up a therapist in your area on psychologytoday.com or just using Google.
If you need help, please get help. I’m not trying to downplay the fact that mental health issues are on the rise, I just don’t believe that COVID is the cause, I think it’s the spotlight on an issue that has been decades in the making.
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