Coronavirus causes added stress on mental health
As the number of cases of coronavirus cases and deaths continue to climb in West Alabama, the anxiety over the threat of the virus, keeping oneself and loved ones safe and staying safer at home also continues to grow.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Patricia Moore, executive director of the West Alabama Mental Health Center, said the counselors with the center cannot meet in person in an effort to help curb the spread of the virus, but they stay in contact with their clients through telehealth and by telephone to make sure they are coping with the pandemic.
Depression and anxiety can be exacerbated under the conditions posed by COVID-19, she said. The best advice for clients and for the general public is to maintain contact.
Maintaining contact means staying in touch with friends, family, coworkers and whoever else might need a voice at the other end of the phone. Unfortunately, parts of West Alabama have little or no broadband access, which limits how much people can access one another through Skype, Zoom or other video chat programs.
Moore encouraged anyone who feels greater stress than usual to reach out by contacting the WAMHC at 1-800-239-2901. She also urged friends and family members who notice changes in someone to call the center for advice on how to get help.
WAMHC now offers a Mental Health First Aid Class for members of the community to recognize signs of mental illness and get support.
Moore said stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include:
- Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Worsening of chronic health problems
- Worsening of mental health conditions
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How a person responds can depend on his background, the things that make him different from others and the community he lives in, she continued. People who may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis include:
- Older people and people with chronic diseases who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19
- Children and teens
- People who are helping with the response to COVID-19, like doctors, other health care providers and first responders
- People who have mental health conditions including problems with substance abuse.
She gave the following ways to cope with stress:
- Taking breaks from watching, reading or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
- Taking care of the body.
- Take deep breaths, stretch or meditate.
- Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other enjoyable activities.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
WAMHC, with its main office in Demopolis, serves Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo and Sumter counties. It is a comprehensive community mental health center providing services to people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, substance abuse and children with serious emotional disorders.