Mental Health Awareness Month
Annika Miller Lampropoulos
We would be remiss to not talk about mental health in this month’s blog posts. May is mental health awareness month, and what more important time to discuss mental health is there, than after a year of living amidst a global pandemic.
For 2021’s mental health awareness month theme, the National Alliance on Mental Illness has chosen to ‘amplify’ the message of “You Are Not Alone”. This has been a lonely 14 months for many people across the world.
While the lockdown was a blessing for single-household families who had the chance to spend unparalleled time together, many more millions of people found themselves suddenly and completely alone. Everyday interactions became nonexistent, even essential grocery runs were limited to brief greetings through masks.
Mental illness is extremely isolating for many.
As someone who personally struggles with their mental health, I can testify to the importance of routine interaction. I can’t imagine how I would have felt in some of my darkest times, if I hadn’t been having consistent in-person meetings with my therapist and spending time with friends and family.
That has been the reality of the pandemic for many people suffering from mental illness. People who had been meeting with a therapist on the same day, at the same time for years, were suddenly left with a phone call as their only support.
Even before the added intensity of a global pandemic, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that 1 in 5 of U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness. That is about 52 million people in the United States alone. That is also excluding any person under the age of 18.
After a year of isolation and compromised public health, surely those numbers have only gone up since the initial poll was taken in 2019.
I know that for myself, the pandemic has definitely influenced my health habits. While I was initially proactive about using my “extra-time” effectively, I quickly fell into bad habits of overeating, not exercising, and consuming far too much media on a daily basis. None of these lifestyle choices are a benefit to mental health.
The CDC has shared an entire category on their website entitled “Coping with Stress”. I found it to be both helpful and thoughtfully organized. I found this comment to be particularly significant:
“It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
If you have also fallen into some unhealthy habits or felt your mental health worsen during the last year, do not worry. This has been the general worldwide experience. Experiencing fear and anxiety during a worldwide pandemic makes sense.
These are some examples of healthy ways to manage stress given by the CDC:
Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting from phone, tv, and computer screens for a while.
Take care of your body.
Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate
Continue with routine preventive measures (such as vaccinations, cancer screenings, etc.) as recommended by your healthcare provider.
Get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine when available.
Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
Connect with others.
Talk with people you trust, about your concerns and how you are feeling.
Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations. While social distancing measures are in place, try connecting online, through social media, or by phone or mail.
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With all of this being said, I feel it necessary to also mention that there is a line when it comes to mental health. If you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm or are no longer able to perform necessary daily functions, please seek out the advice of a mental health professional.
If you are local to the Rexburg, Idaho area, call us at the Rexburg Free Clinic at (208) 716-8723 to make an appointment. For more urgent situations, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.
Visit the CDC guidelines for more information about managing stress here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html