How Is COVID-19 Affecting Your Mental Health?
How are you? Like, how are you really?
Because I’ve been struggling. 3 weeks in self isolation… WOW. Who knew that despite my love for our home, our comforts and our cats, it wouldn’t be enough to make me enjoy staying home for this long!
At first, like most I’m sure, it seemed like a great idea. Choosing to be a hermit (which to be honest I do most weekends anyway) for the better of humankind and to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 virus.
NOPE.
First, the loss of income hit me. Then, the loss of routine. Then, the slip of my mental health.
I had a couple of depression naps. A few random cry-sessions (some provoked by dropping a glass in the sink or something like that). I played a lot of video games and got stuck in the monotony of no routine and very little to do. Let me tell you - and I’m sure you know by now - that video games get real old real soon when you play them for 10+ hours a day.
Going from your night-time pyjamas to your day-time pyjamas is also great, for a few days. Then it just becomes the trigger of doing a whole lot of nothing again.
It started to get real bad, friends.
And honestly the only thing that is pulling me through this is the amazing support of my colleagues, still having a job that I love, and most of all an incredible partner and family behind me.
I know I’m not alone in this. I know everyone is feeling things. And that’s OKAY. It is okay to feel, and you should allow yourself to feel things. But then deal with it in productive ways, and ask for help if you need it. You may feel differently, you may feel the same, but no one can deny this is a shitty and hard situation to be in and we all have to look after each other.
First and foremost by staying home, and secondly by supporting each other because we are staying home.
We are social creatures of habit and that’s not available to us right now.
So what do we do now? How do we look after ourselves and each other? This is what I’ve got so far, and I know that by banding together and supporting each other we’ll be okay.
If you believe you or another individual is suffering a mental health crisis or other medical emergency, contact your doctor immediately, seek medical attention immediately in an emergency room or call 000.
If you have psychologist, note that telehealth consults are fully subsidised if you are on a Medicare mental healthcare plan.
If you need someone to talk to or extra help please reach out to the resources below:
Lifeline
13 11 14
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support
Kid’s Helpline
1800 551 800
Headspace
https://headspace.org.au/
If you find yourself in an unsafe environment during this lockdown please reach out these additional resources:
1800 RESPECT
(1800 737 732)
24 hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
White Ribbon Australia Support Services
https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/find-help/domestic-violence-hotlines/