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Language: en
mental health is a epidemic
in itself and so we should treat that
with the same sense
of urgency as we do the pandemic
since the start of the covid19 pandemic
the number of adults coping with mental
health disorders
has increased significantly the nature
of covid which is
you know shelter in place social
distancing
and not being able to to really spend
time
with family support systems so that
has really exacerbated
what was already there just even lack of
sunlight
you know being confined at home where
there might be
stressors depression and mania can lead
to worsened
social isolation especially when
compounded by stress
let alone a global pandemic if you look
at atlas
you know the he's the god of course and
he used to hold
the whole world up and um you know
people with bipolar already have that
world on top of them
to add coven 19 is like adding a whole
other world on top
it's actually two worlds two earths
right
i would have meltdowns i would be
happy one minute crying the next
um and it came on very very suddenly
jennifer freeze has been coping with her
bipolar since she was six years old
she's now in her 40s she got coven 19
the day before it was declared a global
pandemic
i didn't tell anybody that i had
covenants very similar to like when you
tell someone you're bipolar and they're
like
oh my gosh you're bipolar at home you
know you know they get scared when
like what do you have to be afraid of
with me
suicidal ideation has worsened during
the pandemic
and those with chronic illnesses are
more vulnerable to higher levels of
stress
anxiety and depression you shouldn't
have to wait until
people are dying before we
are really highlighting and talking
about something
that's so important things like
university and office closures
and economic downturns have contributed
to people's anxiety depression
and worry feeling bad about yourself has
gone through the roof
just as an example um you know we have a
24x7 hotline right now
and since the pandemic those calls has
risen by 80 percent
and it's not just this hotline there's
been a rise in people seeking treatment
for mental health since the start of the
pandemic nationally
one study found that reports of anxiety
and depression
surged from 11 in 2019 to 41
in 2021 it may not just be from stress
there's also evidence that covet
infection itself is associated with
neurologic damage that might contribute
to mental health disorders
now some people who have been coping
with mental health conditions for many
years
may actually be able to bounce back more
easily than those who've never faced
such a challenge
the people with a mental health
condition
are probably the most resilient people
you'll ever want to meet
they've come through you know the most
troubling of times
after developing kovid jennifer freeze
self-quarantined for a month
coping techniques she learned over the
years to treat her bipolar disorder
helped her manage the isolation i made
it a point
to reach out to three people every
single day for those struggling with
bipolar
there are additional coping mechanisms
basic things like remaining on a
schedule
and not self-isolating can be helpful
especially during the pandemic
if you eat well see your doctor or stick
with your therapy
mindfulness meditation exercise
routine and the support system and that
all of those things together are are
integrated
and and it's important that we consider
all of those things and not
just not just even therapy and certainly
not just
medications i think that the
people who i know who are who are really
struggling most
are the people that this is new to or
the people that are that are new to
recognizing
that their routine needs to be different
or recognizing
that staying in sweatpants all day and
on and off napping all day
is going to affect your mood but those
seeking treatment may not have equal
access
the pandemic has shed light on
inequities people face when receiving
care
and support some of us have more
resources than others
of us and whether it's because we're
white
or because we have financial support
or emotional support all of these things
are making it really making it really
clear that there's
that there's a big difference in those
in those people who have resources
and those who don't and that's very very
true in mental health
always and it's especially true now
access to medication and even
affordability of medication has become
an issue
not being able to get out of the house
and then with loss of employment which
is very
common i'm seeing a lot with my clients
is that it's a loss of you know health
insurance
you know so that causes so many
different problems
the coven 19 pandemic has laid bare that
we are in the middle of a mental health
crisis
why would we not want to take care of
our mental health
that should be a priority you