Pandemic-Related Mental Health
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This pandemic has upended millions of people’s lives. It’s okay to not be okay! We think it’s important to be able to understand the most common ways you might be feeling so you can better name how you are feeling, communicate with those around you, or reach out to a mental health professional should you decide to seek professional help.
Anxiety can manifest itself into different forms and its causes can vary. You may be experiencing an increase in anxiety symptoms with the pandemic as a lot of things are constantly changing and this can bring feelings of uncertainty.
Symptoms can look like:
Physical: Panic attacks, hot and cold flashes, racing heart, tightening of chest, quick breathing, restlessness, feeling tense/on edge.
Psychological: Excessive fear or worry, catastrophizing, obsessive thinking.
Behavioral: Avoidance of certain situations that cause anxiety, can have an impact on work/study performance and social life.
If you’re unsure if you’re feeling stressed or anxious, you can use .
You can also read the, which suggests the following if you are having anxiety:
Manage how you consume information;
Follow healthy daily routines as much as possible;
Take care of yourself through exercise and movement;
Practice relaxing in the present moment;
Do meaningful things with your free time;
Stay connected with others and maintain your social networks.
Symptoms can look like:
Mood: increased anxiety, loss of interest/pleasure in activities, guilt, hopelessness.
Behavior: restlessness, excessive crying, social isolation.
Sleep changes: excessive sleepiness, insomnia, trouble falling/staying asleep.
Whole body: loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss/gain, excessive hunger.
Cognitive: lack of concentration, difficulty completing tasks, slowness in activity.
Unpredictability, sudden changes or transitions
Loss of control or feeling out of control
Sensory overload
Feeling vulnerable
Rejection, feeling abandoned
Loneliness or isolation
Confrontation
Feeling disrespected
Anxiety
Frustration
Memories
Muscle tension
Pain
Racing heartbeat
Sadness
Intrusive memories
Avoidance
Negative changes in thinking or mood
Changes in physical or emotional reactions
If you know someone who is sick or died from COVID-19, you may be experiencing loss and grief. Losing a loved one can be deeply painful, and you deserve support.
The types of gatherings and social experiences that many people would usually have after the death of a loved one are often not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to seek alternative types of support. Many funeral homes and faith communities are offering new virtual ways to connect, and many local organizations offer grief support services:
If you are experiencing the following emergency warning signs:
Having a plan to commit suicide.
Act now and:
Call 911;
Go to the nearest emergency room;
Call the sucidal hotline 1-800-273-8255;
While there is no quick fix when dealing with mental health issues, there are different ways to help you manage your symptoms. Everyone's healing looks differently, some options may work great, others may not. Here are a couple different options:
Self-soothing includes all the ways a person manages their emotional dysregulation in the moment. This includes breathing techniques, grounding techniques, etc. Whereas self-care consists of all the longer, regular ways to maintain lower stress through time.
On-the-moment self-soothing techniques include:
As for longer term self-care, different strategies work for different people. These may include:
Diet (eating regularly, limiting sugar and caffeine, etc.)
Rest and relaxation (sufficient sleep and stress-reducing activities)
Social contacts (keeping contact with family, friends, and acquaintances)
Support to others (offering support to others in addition to taking care of yourself)
Although going through a difficult time with your mental health can make it hard to ask for help, reaching out can be one of the most important steps towards feeling better. Start by identifying who in your support system (friend/family, mentor, therapist, social worker, etc.) you feel comfortable reaching out to.
Additionally:
You can call or text the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) hotline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264),
Lastly, you can check out the website, which is specifically catered towards the coronavirus situation. It includes lots of resources and daily mantras and meditations.
Depression can look differently on everyone and vary on its intensity. Unfortunately, . Having little to no physical contact with others and spending more time alone can amplify depressive symptoms. During these hard times it is important to recognize symptoms so you’ll be able to get support as soon as possible.
If you’re unsure if you’re feeling sad or depressed, you can use .
from PTSD or CPTSD. This makes sense because we are in care because of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. In fact, youth in care are with PTSD than U.S. veterans.
Trauma symptoms are often a reaction to an environment, behavior, thought, or memory. These triggers can be internal or external. Here are some of the things that can be (see if you can spot the ones that are especially relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic!):
The environment created by the pandemic has created a sense of unpredictability with a series of sudden changes and transitions, leaving some people feeling vulnerable, isolated, and out of control. It’s no wonder you might be experiencing such as:
Emotional dysregulation is also common in those who suffer from PTSD or CPTSD. It’s when you feel unable to manage the intensity and duration of negative emotions such as fear, sadness, or anger. You can recognize if you’re having emotional dysregulation by tracking . The same document also provides you with ten ways to untwist your thinking.
provides free one-on-one grief support for young people who are grieving the illness or death of someone close to COVID-19.
provides a wide range of free support services to help you navigate the sudden loss of a loved one.
hosts free, in-person grief recovery support groups across the country.
Having
Breathing exercises: These help regulate your breathing, causing your heart rate to slow down allowing your body and mind to become relaxed and de-stress. They can be done anywhere (room, car, outside). See Healthline’s .
Grounding exercises: Grounding can help center you in the present moment. This practice can help distract you and reshift your focus away from unwanted memories, negative emotions or difficult thoughts. Healthline has that are mental, physical, and soothing.
Relaxation exercises: These focus a bit more on your muscle and your physical body if your mental health issues manifest through aching or pain in your back, neck, or other parts of your body. Namely, is a form of therapy that involves tightening and relaxing your muscle groups, one at a time, in a specific pattern.
(exercise, walking, etc.)
Lastly, Point Source Youth published a toolkit on.
If you already have a mental health provider, share how you’ve been feeling and explore different treatment options. If you want to see a mental health professional, . Your agency might be able to connect you to a mental health professional and resources. You can also access mental health remotely using options like .
is here for you 24/7, whether you’re feeling anxious about a current situation or anything else. Text DS to 741741
is hosting a series of free online video chat support groups for coronavirus-related fears and anxiety.