Mental Health During COVID

The New Normal

As we move into the new year, buttressed by the promise of the vaccine and more effective COVID-19 treatments, we often wonder when our lives will return to “normal.” During 2020, we witnessed many broad sweeping changes to our lives and routines. We’ve been forced, for better or worse, to develop new coping strategies to deal with these drastic changes.

The days of meeting with friends and family for a prepared meal at a cherished restaurant, of watching a movie in theatres or going to a live concert, for most of us, have been absent and sorely missed. These activities which enriched our lives feel very foreign after almost a year of “staying put and staying safe.” However, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of maintaining our mental health and wellbeing.

Addressing Your Mental Health During COVID

For those of us who struggle with depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and other mental health challenges, it can feel like we are expending excessive effort just to keep our heads above water during this pandemic. In addition, many of us with no history of mental illness may find that we are struggling with these same conditions and symptoms and it’s certainly not difficult to understand why.

Isolation can lead to a sense of loneliness when we are physically deprived from connecting with friends and family. The ongoing uncertainty around the changing course of the pandemic compounds our anxiety. Further, it drives even the most well balanced amongst us into fearing for our health and for the safety of our loved ones.

Apart from the symptoms of clinical depression or anxiety that the pandemic may trigger, there are people who also experience a high degree of obsessions and compulsive behavior in the face of the same distress. The fear of germs and contamination along with the need to repeatedly keep ourselves and and environment sanitized can ignite excessive worry that may be difficult to control.

Finding Balance

Finding balance in this environment is often difficult to achieve. We want to stay informed, but also need to “unplug,” and take time to service our self-care. We want to check in with our loved ones, but not to let our worries for them detract from those special moments we share with them, even if only virtual.

In a time where the world feels very out of control, we can grab the reins on our emotional and physical health by focusing on the essentials of wellbeing. Seeming “little things,” like making sure we keep hydrated and rested, eat nourishing meals, connect with others and make time to unwind can go a very long way.

Contact Us

Bay Psychiatric remains open and available to help you deal with your anxiety, depression, OCD and other mental health issues via FDA approved treatment protocols utilizing advances in TMS and Ketamine therapy. We follow the most current sanitation and physical distancing guidelines to offer our treatments in a safe manner. We are absolutely committed to the safety of our patients and our staff across the wide spectrum of services we provide and welcome you into the clinic.