Last week, on Oct. 10th, was World Mental Health Day. While mental health can often seem less ‘visible’ than physical health, it affects our well-being on many levels, from our quality of sleep to our energy, cortisol levels due to stress (which causes inflammation in our body), our exercise and eating habits, and finally our happiness (which impacts immune function). You cannot address physical health without taking into consideration mental health. 
While we each individually go through hard times in our life, previous to the current pandemic, life had been generally predictable on the whole, and when a crisis or issue arose, it was more or less one at a time… and the world around us continued as status quo.
But we’re collectively dealing with a trifecta of issues all at once: The continued pandemic which has disrupted our entire way of life including school, work, travel, finances, and gathering with friends and family. This also includes the fear of getting sick or giving Covid to loved ones, the issue of forced intimacy and intensified relationships in regards to the people we’re living with, and for many of us the experience of complete isolation and disconnection. Many people have had a close friend or family member pass away during this time, and the inability to be with loved ones when they’re sick or to gather for grieving, has escalated the intensity of the isolation and grief already felt by so many.
We then have the political strife in our country which is unprecedented in our lifetime and constant, as we deal with an election during a pandemic. And finally we have the fight for racial justice and the continued violence and heartbreak that has been on full display as our country tries to have a reckoning.
This trifecta is on top of each person’s particular circumstances and history and ways of coping. The bottom line is that we cannot underestimate the emotional impact of this year on our psyche. It’s a lot, and it can threaten to overwhelm us and our body’s ability to handle stress. It strains our natural resources and overwhelms our coping mechanisms that we’ve relied on in the past. So if you’re feeling out of sorts lately, know that you are not alone.
The extra stressors on all of us can manifest in many ways, such as anxiety, depression, marital/relational strife, emotional fatigue, feeling disconnected, hopelessness, a sense of loss of control, obsessing, PTSD, substance abuse, addiction, and disordered eating. And since so many of our normal coping mechanisms have been taken away or reduced during the pandemic (getting a massage/facial/pedicure, in-person exercise/yoga classes, spending quality time with friends and family, watching live concerts/theater/movies/sports, eating at restaurants, etc.), there may be a tendency to use food and/or alcohol to cope, to fill in the gaps, to ease the anxiety, and to boost mood. But as many of you may be experiencing, the down-side of using food and alcohol in this way can be a hefty cost to your health. So I want to discuss some resources to support your mental health so we can also keep our bodies supported and healthy.
RESOURCES
I recommend prioritizing self-care right now to reduce stress however we can. A few things that have helped me: 3-4 Zoom yoga classes each week, coloring in adult coloring books (it’s a great creative outlet as well), and going to the beach or hiking at least 1x/week to stay connected to nature. Prioritizing some form of relaxation, joy, play, and creativity will greatly help reduce stress and increase feelings of happiness. You can refer to my previous blog post about self-care to help you find what’s right for you.
Do what you can to stay present and mindful so you don’t spin out of control (in your mind or in action). This should include decreasing social media and news, and increasing deep breathing and meditation/mindfulness techniques. You can refer to my resources to increase mindfulness.
While the above actions and techniques are helpful, if stress becomes chronic we might feel like just getting through the day is difficult (let alone getting ourselves to do yoga). If the duration and intensity of anxiety and depression (or other symptoms) increases, it might be time to get professional support, especially if what you would normally cope with is no longer working for you or available.
Talk therapy. There can be a stigma around mental health and getting help, but just know that this act of getting support and taking care of yourself is a sign of strength and self-care. There are therapists who specialize in anxiety, working with couples, working with trauma, LGBTQIA+ issues, and also racial trauma (discussed in more detail below). Most therapists are using Zoom or doing tele-therapy right now. A great resource to find a therapist in your area is: http://psychologytoday.com. And often times local Universities will have free or discounted therapy available, so check out your options.
EMDR Therapy. Many therapists are now using a technique called EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) to help heal trauma, which resides in your body as much as it does your mind. I have clients and friends who have had significant results working with EMDR therapy and I highly recommend it for trauma-related healing.
Somatic Therapy. This alternative therapy is a body-centered therapy that works with both psychotherapy and physical therapy, and can be helpful for PTSD.
Support Groups. In addition to finding the right counselor or therapist, there are also free support groups for everything from grief to trauma to addiction (like AA and Al Anon groups). Most of these groups are functioning online through Zoom right now and are easily accessible from your home during the pandemic.
Finally, I want to give two more resources for anyone dealing with more extreme circumstances:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
I encourage you to get the support you need in whatever form is right for you.
RACIAL TRAUMA
In addition to the collective trauma we feel as a country right now, people of color may be experiencing escalated racial trauma on top of everything else, having to bear witness to the brutality against black and brown citizens in our country on camera and in the news every day, and then experiencing the gaslighting that often follows about racial inequity not existing in this country. I spoke with a dear friend of mine, Saba Mwine, who works in equity at the Corporation for Supportive Housing in Los Angeles, and I’m sharing, with her permission, a recorded panel that she organized in July on racial trauma and healing. She and her panelists (including therapist Wendy Ashley Psy.D., LCSW) discuss in depth what racial trauma is, both acute and current, ongoing and foundational, as well as resources for healing. This amazing panel is available here. In seeking out professional help for racial trauma, it’s important to recognize the need for mental health professionals who are equipped to work with and understand racial trauma.
Here are a few additional resources specific to racial trauma and therapy:
These are difficult times, but we must stay present even when it feels hard, so we can continue to live our lives, raise our children, help our communities, take action and speak out, and experience joy and love. That requires us to take care of our mental health. We must be vigilant in our self-care, allowing space for joy and play and rest, getting help when we need it, and also having kindness and compassion towards ourselves as we recognize the increased stress that we’re experiencing. So take care of yourself my friends, and please pass it on.
Please share this blog with anyone who might find it useful.
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash
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