Let's Talk About Mental Health in The Age of COVID…
And the stigma surrounding it.
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2020 has been hard. Mentally draining, emotionally exhausting, I know I'm not the only one feeling the full ramifications of the fresh hell that the start of this new decade unleashed upon us. The Coronavirus pandemic is the biggest global health crisis I’ve witnessed in my lifetime, and I’m sure it’ll be the same for many of you. But what can’t be ignored (or sidelined) is the detrimental effect the pandemic is having on our mental health. Many of us will have spent the last few months only venturing outdoors when absolutely necessary. Some of us will have lost our jobs, our income, our livelihoods. Some of us will have lost family members and friends. Life has become chaotic. Bleak. We don't need to have been directly affected by Coronavirus for it to have impacted our mental health, unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any way of escaping it.
The words ‘pandemic’ and ‘unprecedented’ send uneasy feelings rushing through me. You’ve only got to watch the news and see the latest death rate statistics, glimpse heart-wrenching photos of families not able to properly mourn loved ones, and hear tales of the immense pressure our NHS is under to switch the TV off and never want to switch it back on again. Right now we’re not only fearful for our own health, but for the health of our loved ones who may be more vulnerable. We’re worried about our elders who live alone, and how months on end of self-isolating has affected them. We’re worried we’ll never be able to get another job, and we’re worried how on earth we’ll make ends meet now that the UK is in a recession. Whilst some may walk out of this better off then when they started, pandemics aren’t known for having a ton of positives. What is all of this doing to our mental health? And how do we cope in such an unsettling time?
Whilst physical illnesses can be treated with medicine and vaccines (if lucky), treating our mental health isn’t so easy. People who’ve never experienced issues with their mental health pre-pandemic are now saying that, for the first time in their lives, they think something might be wrong. Anxiety, depression, loneliness - these are only a few of the issues that are now on the rise thanks to COVID-19. Anxiety comes easily in situations where threats aren’t obvious and the future remains uncertain, depression can be triggered when the world around us is gravely negative, and we’re bound to experience loneliness in the current isolating scenarios we have no choice but to live through. The lack of information on mental health statistics and experiences during COVID-19 is shocking. I don't think we talk about mental health enough, a lot of people probably still see it as taboo and something best dealt with privately. But right now, this is a discussion we really need to be having.
Image via @internetstacy.
Anyone else feel all over the place? Tired? Unable to focus? You and me both. Right now, our brains don’t know how to cope with what's going to happen next - because no-one knows what's going to happen next. We’re stressed out 100x more than usual. We’re in fight-or-flight mode with little time to focus on anything else. These feelings aren’t failures, and we as human beings haven’t failed, we’re just attempting to cope any way we can. Personally, I've felt creatively blocked since this began. Everything I wanted to achieve at the start of this year seems like a bad joke. All of my goals, projects I’d wanted to start, all the dreams I had of how this new decade would begin… disappeared into thin air. I know I'm not the only one going through it, and I know that I haven’t had it nearly as bad as some. However you’re choosing to cope right now, however you’re adapting, do whatever works for you. We won’t be on this rollercoaster forever.
The mental and emotional repercussions of COVID-19 will long outlive the virus itself. We need to dismantle the stigma associated with talking about mental health and when we’re not coping, so that we can get through it. There are thousands of reasons our mental health has worsened over this period, and these reasons won't disappear overnight. The existing mental health services in the UK and support offered to those who needed it pre-pandemic couldn’t accommodate everyone then, so there's no way they’ll be able to do so now. We need to invest more in mental health education in our schools, in protecting those who are most at risk, and in offering affordable care to those who need it - because you never know when that person may be you. I don’t have the answers on how you should be looking after your mental health right now, I'm not sure anyone does. I'm just letting you know that you’re not alone, and fingers crossed things will get better.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see more of what I’m up to, and I’ll see you same time same place next week!
Catch you soon,
J’Nae
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
- ‘Orangeboy’ by Patrice Lawrence took me a day and a half to complete. It's nice to read a gripping and gritty storyline set somewhere you know, this one being in London. This coming-of-age urban teen drama had me hooked from the get-go. Delving into gang culture, the drug scene, and teenage angst/relationships, this book feels honest and realistic.
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING:
- Name a food show on Netflix, and I bet you I’ve watched it. I loved the first series of Street Food which was set across Asia, so I was super excited when they released a new series ‘Street Food: Latin America’. This series highlights extraordinary characters who have overcome great personal obstacles, and the vibrant backdrop where each episode is set is always breathtaking. Not to mention the food - don't watch this show if you're hungry!
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:
- Since I subscribed to The New Yorker, I’ve listened to some really great and informative podcasts on all sorts of topics. Educational, interesting, definitely worth checking out if you have time.
WHAT’S CAUGHT MY EYE:
- If I ever make it back to NYC, one place I’ll definitely be hitting up is @blkmktvintage in Brooklyn. Blk Mkt Vintage is a Black-owned antique business founded by Jannah Handy and her girlfriend Kiyanna Stewart in 2014. You can buy Black curiosities, Black heirlooms, and Black collectibles. They celebrate and source items from Black history that have long been forgotten.
ON MY BLOG:
- A good post to check out if you have cabin fever, ‘A List of Things To Do In Self-Isolation’ is handy to refer to whenever boredom may strike.