“7 Ways to Protect Your Mental Health During the Coronavirus Pandemic”

The coronavirus pandemic has led to increased feelings of anxiety and sadness in everyone, especially in those who have underlying mental illness.

We are worried that we ourselves or a family member will contract the disease. Our social media timelines are flooded with stories of people dying in hospitals alone and it is heartbreaking. Not to mention the isolation and feelings of loneliness as a result of social distancing. Many of us will certainly have post-traumatic stress after this is all over.

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) did a poll in March which found that women and minorities were more likely to say that their lives have been disrupted a lot or some by the coronavirus outbreak.  Overall, 32 percent of individuals felt that worry or stress related to coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health.

So, what can we all do to protect our mental health during the coming weeks and perhaps months?

TAKE A SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that you minimize watching, reading or listening to news about COVID-19 that causes you to feel anxious or stressed. Only listen to information from trusted sources and choose one or two specific times during the day to get news updates. The obsessive scrolling on social media is detrimental to your mental health.

STAY CONNECTED: Social distancing does not mean that you need to be cut off from the world. Feelings of isolation and loneliness can trigger a depressive episode especially in people who have underlying depression. Stay connected with your family and friends via Facetime, Skype, Zoom and other messaging platforms. Share openly about your feelings and be willing to listen to their concerns as well.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY: Now is the time for you to make your health a priority. You should be getting adequate amounts of sleep. For an adult, this is at least 7-8 hours each night. Still maintain a healthy diet; try not to binge eat on your sofa.  Stay as active as you can; either indoors or if you choose to exercise outdoors, remember to maintain the six feet social distancing.

MAKE TIME FOR SELF-CARE: Set aside time for yourself every day to do something that makes you feel good. Journal, take a long bath, listen to your favorite music or read a book. Take care of your mind as well. If you are struggling with anxious thoughts, try activities like meditation or yoga. Meditation and deep breathing will decrease your fight and flight response (sympathetic nervous system) to reduce your blood pressure, slow your heart rate and calm you down. You can check out the many meditation apps which are available for free.  Prayer is also a good way to bring peace to your mind and spirit.

HELP OTHERS: Check in on your elderly neighbors; volunteer to get their medications or deliver their groceries so they do not have to leave their home. Be a source of inspiration and encouragement to others. Helping others can help reduce your stress, increases your happiness and gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

DEVELOP BETTER COPING SKILLS: It’s tempting to try to manage our emotional and mental pain with habits such as binge eating or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol but try the healthier coping skills mentioned above.

ASK FOR HELP: If your symptoms of depression and anxiety are causing significant distress and preventing you from doing your daily activities or if you just feel overwhelmed and nothing you’ve done seems to have helped it might be time for you to see a therapist. Many therapists are offering virtual visits so you can speak with them from the safety of your home. This pandemic will not last forever and we will get through this together. Maybe we can come out of this crisis as more resilient individuals.

Dr. Kelly N. Wood, MD is an internal medicine physician, board-certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. Dr. Kelly is currently in clinical practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Through a multi-dimensional platform that addresses the mind, body, and spirit, Dr. Kelly lives out her passion to help others achieve total wellness and lead a balanced life. She makes expert health and wellness advice accessible to all through speaking engagements, media appearances, her Facebook show, and personal blog (drkellywoodmd.com). Beyond the stethoscope, Dr. Kelly is recognized as “The Bounce Back Coach,” helping high-performing women to overcome past hurt to have a healthy and happy relationship. Her debut book, “Bounce Back to Better: Recovering from the Disappointment of a Failed Relationship,” walks readers through her personal journey of reconstructing her life after her engagement ended. Please connect with Dr. Kelly at drkelly@drkellywoodmd.com

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

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“African Americans Face Unique Mental Health Risks”

When Demetrius Minor left the Army after 12 years in 2013, he went through a standard medical review. Physically fit and seemingly healthy, he breezed through. Nobody caught that he was depressed.

Minor says he “passed through [the mental health system] because I looked healthy. They are looking for broken bones and ask you the easy questions, like, ‘Do you feel like hurting yourself or others?’ No. So the help was technically there, but there was no real deep dive.”

Minor, now 41, who is African American, is just one example of a much larger problem. According to the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are less likely to have their mental health problems addressed.

“I’d come home, go outside, do my thing, sit on my couch for days and weeks on end. And then you just disappear. People would say, ‘Hey I haven’t heard from you, what’s going on?’ and the response would be, ‘I’m good, I’m out here grinding,’ ‘I’m hustling.’ We say those words that people in our community use to make it sound like we’re doing something. You say all the clichés, but inside, you’re hurting and you don’t know why or how.”

Minor isn’t sure African American communities and society at large are ready to deal with the challenges of mental health.

“I don’t think we are ‘woke’ enough yet to understand that mental health doesn’t mean we’re crazy. You can have a functioning life outside that door of your house. Just how there are functioning alcoholics, I was a functioning depressant.”

The issues and challenges are ingrained in families, neighborhoods, and society, he says.

“Growing up, we never used the words ‘mental health.’ If we had a problem, we just had to accept it and roll on. Looking back at my childhood, I see a lot of issues where people were suffering from [poor] mental health, but there’s no diagnosis, there’s no help and no treatment, so families were broken up.”

Sobering Statistics:

While African Americans are just as likely to report serious psychological distress, they are less likely to get behavioral treatment. But adult African Americans are more likely to report feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than are adult whites. Still, in 2018, 18.6% of white Americans received mental health services, compared to less than 9% of African Americans.

When it comes to a specific diagnosis and treatment for depression, the gap narrows but still exists. More than 68% of white Americans received treatment after a major depressive episode in 2018, compared to 61% of black Americans.

Having a mental illness significantly increases suicide risk among black teens and adults. One of the most common mental health issues that leads to suicide is anxiety. African Americans who have a connection to organizations, like church, have a lower suicide risk, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

African Americans, who are more likely to be impoverished, incarcerated, homeless, and fighting substance abuse, are all at higher risk for poor mental health. While poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, etc., are often signs of mental illness across all ethnicities, racism is an added part of poor mental health in African Americans. While negative stereotypes and attitudes of rejection might be less openly displayed today, examples of racism are many, and it has consequences, although research on the connection between racism and mental health is limited.

The recent tension between police and some African Americans has not helped how the community is perceived in society. African Americans are more likely to be victims of serious violent crimes, making them more likely to qualify as having posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

The Stigma:

 

A 2008 study showed a stigma within the African American community against receiving treatment for mental illness. Some people felt that sitting down and talking to a “stranger,” a therapist, was the same as airing their “dirty laundry.” Talking about your mental health problems was just not done. African Americans skirt away from conversations dealing with therapy as a solution to struggles with depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, parenting issues, and marriage problems.

Another reason African Americans may resist seeking treatment is a fear that it might reflect poorly on their families and could be an admission that something within the family or home is broken.

In 2018, music mogul Jay-Z sat down with CNN’s Van Jones to discuss mental health representation in African American communities. Jones, at the beginning, said, “As scared as black folks are of cops, we’re even more scared of therapy.” Jay-Z responded, “It should be in our schools. Children have the most going on, their minds are not fully developed, and teenagers and drinking and these things are happening to you, and you don’t know how social anxiety […] and you don’t how to navigate it.”

There is a need for trained counselors in schools for children of color, he said. Introducing them to the idea and benefits of therapy from a young age might combat the stigma in the African American community.

Sitting Down With the Experts:

Gail Mattox, MD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, has been working for more than 30 years as a psychiatrist.

She has gotten grant funding to take a deeper look into behavioral health in a university setting, particularly at historical black universities like Morehouse.

Kisha Holden, PhD, is a psychologist who worked with Mattox to address health disparities and health issues that may be problems in various communities.

“We both believe that the mental health of the African American community is important,” Holden says. “We try to look at our students from a holistic and comprehensive perspective.”

Because primary care doctors may not recognize or know how to diagnose mental health issues, Holden says it’s important to get beyond the initial clinical setting.

They look to find out what is happening to the whole self, “and not exclusively at what their presenting problem may be at a medical facility.”

“We want to look deeper into the issues that contribute to or prompt some of the health problems they see. We’re pulling the Band-Aid back and looking at what may be some of the underlying problems,” she says.

Getting out of the clinical setting is key, Holden says. It’s difficult enough to get people to voluntarily come in for an appointment.

“Try and meet the patient or potential patient where they are,” she says. “Go into the community and have trust. Have stakeholders important in that community, and respecting them is certainly a part of how we build the trust and subsequently connect them to care.”

“We would go out to the community church and school and be part of the community to be aware of the signs and symptoms of psychological illness and the importance of overall health.”

Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta is one of the Southeast’s largest behavioral health centers. Morehouse works with Grady to embed psychiatrists in the neighborhoods that Grady serves. Morehouse is also working with local school systems and colleges to beef up counseling and access to mental health care.

“We’re approaching it both from community education and cultural competency,” Mattox says.

Part of what Morehouse is trying to teach communities and health care providers is to consider a patient’s mental health as part of their overall health.

“There is a relationship with chronic diseases, like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders and depression,” Holden says. “Disentangling those risk factors allows us to treat the overall patient.

“There’s really no health without mental health.”

Article by: Shari Celestine

WebMD Health News Reviewed by: Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH

Sources:

Article: African Americans Face Unique Mental Health Risks

census.gov: “U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States.”

mentalhealthamerica.net: “Black & African-American Communities and Mental Health.”

familiesusa.org: “Barriers Faced by African-Americans in Receiving Mental Health Care.”

minorityhealth.hhs.gov: “Mental Health and African-Americans.”

sprc.org: “Addressing Suicide among Black Americans.”

mentalhealthamerica.net: “Depression And African-Americans.”

news.rutgers.edu: “African-Americans More Likely to Be Misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia, Rutgers Study Finds.”

inquirer.com: “African-Americans more likely to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, Rutgers study finds.”

cnn.com: “Jay-Z: Therapists should be in schools.”

nami.org: “Schizophrenia.”

nimh.nih.gov: “Depression.”

therapyforblackgirls.com: “Therapy for Black Girls.”

psychologytoday.com: “Access Counseling and Coaching.”

Gail Mattox, MD, professor and chairperson, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Morehouse School of Medicine.

Kisha Holden, PhD, interim director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute, and professor in the departments of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and community health and preventive medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine.

REFERENCES:

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies: "What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)?"
Parinda Khatri, PhD, psychologist; director of integrated care, Cherokee Health Systems.
National Institute of Mental Health: "Psychotherapies."
NAMI: "Treatment and Services."
Substance Abouse and Mental Health Services Administration: "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy."
National Institute of Mental Health: "How is Depression Diagnosed and Treated?"

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.