How are you doing? Are you hanging in there?
The economic and health impacts of the coronavirus outbreak have been well-documented, dominating the news cycle and leading to frequent updates from elected officials and public health experts. Those impacts are tangible and can be measured on a daily basis through unemployment statistics and the numbers of COVID-19 patients.
But the unseen shock to the nation’s mental health is equally important and easy to overlook. At best, there is uneasiness about how long the outbreak will last and a restlessness about stay-at-home orders that have disrupted daily routines. At worst, there is the dread that comes with having a loved one who is afflicted with the virus.
In between, for many, there is the physical manifestation of symptoms such as disorientation or tightness in the chest — the result of what mental health professionals call adjustment disorders. As the Mayo Clinic explains: “Adjustment disorders are stress-related conditions. You experience more stress than would normally be expected in response to a stressful or unexpected event, and the stress causes significant problems in your relationships, at work or at school.”
As Mimi Winsberg, a psychiatrist and founder of Brightside, a mental health telemedicine service, told Bloomberg News: “We’re constantly drawing on past experiences to make predictions about the future. That feature of our brains is working in overdrive, if you will, because many of the things that we have learned to expect are suddenly different. We’re trying to adjust to a new set of a rules, a new set of circumstances.”
Much of the stress from the coronavirus outbreak is a result of its unprecedented nature. The disease is new, there is no cure or vaccine, and society has come to a screeching halt. The United States has never experienced anything like it, with distance from friends, neighbors and loved ones being recommended to help stem the spread of the virus.
Such isolation can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and a sense of loss. It also can place an unflattering spotlight on America’s mental health system. As Ken Duckworth of the National Alliance on Mental Illness told Bloomberg: “It’s not really a system. It’s a patchwork quilt of individuals and well-meaning policy people trying to provide large numbers of services to large numbers of people in a payment structure that is varied and complex. It’s quite a challenge.”
That can make it difficult for those who are suffering to receive help, especially with therapists unable to meet in person with patients.
Many media outlets and health providers have offered online recommendations for coping. A quick internet search can provide several lists of suggestions. The Centers for Disease Control recommends: Take breaks from watching or listening to news stories; take care of your body; make time to unwind; and connect with others and “talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.”
Those feelings vary from person to person. Many, undoubtedly, are adjusting well to our shared new reality; we don’t mean to imply that society is crumbling under the weight of the coronavirus. But we all must be attentive to the needs of our neighbors and work to understand their concerns. We also must be attentive to the state of mental health care in the United States and the desperate need to bolster that care.
For those desiring help, Clark County Public Health offers a list of providers in the area. Remember, we’re all in this together.
