{"id":89922,"date":"2020-03-20T15:58:21","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T21:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/durango-mental-health-professionals-share-insight-into-coping-with-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2020-03-20T15:58:21","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T21:58:21","slug":"durango-mental-health-professionals-share-insight-into-coping-with-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/durango-mental-health-professionals-share-insight-into-coping-with-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Durango mental health professionals share insight into coping with COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Three
Three Durango mental health professionals offer guidance on dealing with anxiety, isolation, loss and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus.<\/span>Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

It has been more than two weeks since Gov. Jared Polis announced the first COVID-19 case in Colorado, and nearly two months since Washington state reported its first case.<\/p>\n

If time since then has felt like an anxious blur \u2013 stop, take a breath.<\/p>\n

Then take a moment to hear from three Durango mental health professionals about what we\u2019re experiencing and how to cope.<\/p>\n

La Plata County has reported no positive cases of COVID-19, but health officials advise residents act as though it is present in the county. Since Colorado\u2019s first case, governments, schools and entire industries have shut down. People are practicing social distancing and self-quarantining. COVID-19 is inescapable in media and conversation.<\/p>\n

While people focus on their physical wellness, it\u2019s also important they take note of their mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re all a little bit in a state of shock right now. We\u2019re just grasping the reality,\u201d said Sandra Eisemann, a therapist at Mountain Mental Health Clinic in Durango.<\/p>\n

What we\u2019re feeling<\/div>\n

Many people could be experiencing anxiety, social isolation, depression and grief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen our lives are turned upside down, we feel disjointed and disconnected,\u201d Eisemann said. \u201cIt\u2019s a normal reaction to feel quite upset or anxious, particularly when we\u2019re socially isolated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among adults, Eisemann said she heard concerns about finances, isolation or being in the same environment continuously with spouses and children.<\/p>\n

Increased uncertainty and loss of control can increase feelings of anxiety. Anxiety can appear as lethargy or insomnia, lack of appetite or overeating, a low mood or an inability to think clearly, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically, the entire country right now has increased anxiety levels, and kids are being impacted by that,\u201d said Hillary Wolfe, owner and therapist at La Plata Family Counseling.<\/p>\n

People can feel what others are feeling, even when nothing is said, because we have a mirror-neuron system. The system helps sense body language and feel one another\u2019s energy, she said.<\/p>\n

Children might feel adults\u2019 anxiety or have a harder time adjusting to disrupted routines. Those feelings might appear as more tantrums or emotional extremes, Wolfe said.<\/p>\n

Adults should give children age-appropriate information about COVID-19 to decrease their unease about the unknown while not creating more anxiety or fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so easy, in this time, to get into the worst-case scenario,\u201d Wolfe said.<\/p>\n

In the mental health community, this is called \u201ccatastrophizing.\u201d If that starts to happen, she suggested finding positive activities to break away from worst-case scenarios.<\/p>\n

Loss and grief<\/div>\n

\u201cIf we look at how we usually live our lives, we\u2019ve lost quite a bit right now,\u201d Eisemann said.<\/p>\n

People might feel the loss of social connectedness, the ability to take part in hobbies or the freedom to have control over activities. Children might feel the loss of not being able to spend time with friends.<\/p>\n

As a grandparent, Eisemann thought of other seniors, who more often experience severe cases of COVID-19, who might feel loss because they can\u2019t connect with their grandchildren.<\/p>\n

Brian Burke, a psychology professor at Fort Lewis College, said he has even experienced some of the five stages of grief described by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s OK not to be OK,\u201d Burke said.<\/p>\n

The therapists said rates of depression could rise as the response to COVID-19 continues. Social isolation, fear and anxiety also could exacerbate existing conditions, such as depression, suicidal thoughts, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.<\/p>\n

Eisemann urged people to stay in touch with doctors and maintain regular medication routines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key message is this: Social distancing doesn\u2019t mean social isolation,\u201d Burke said.<\/p>\n

Social stigma<\/div>\n

Burke studies terror management theory, or the reaction to death and mortality. After Sept. 11, Americans reacted with increased acts of kindness and increased racism toward Islamic communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven just going to the grocery store and seeing people with masks, there\u2019s definitely more tension,\u201d Burke said.<\/p>\n

Fear and anxiety can lead to social stigma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/a><\/p>\n

Because the virus began in Wuhan, China, people of Asian descent may be experiencing stigma, the CDC said. Others, like recent travelers, emergency responders or health care professionals, could be subjected to social avoidance, violence or other signs of stigma.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis virus could have happened anywhere,\u201d Burke said. \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coping with COVID-19<\/div>\n

The three mental health professionals offered guidance about how to reduce some of the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Eat healthy foods.<\/em>Exercise and spend time outdoors.<\/em>Stay present and do things you enjoy. \u201cMaybe now\u2019s the time to use that scented candle,\u201d Burke said.<\/em>Focus on what you can control.<\/em>Spend quality time with friends and family. Burke recommended painting to an old Bob Ross video or playing games.<\/em>Limit news media or social media consumption. Choose one or two information sources to stay informed.<\/em>Use technology, like video chat platforms, to stay in touch with others remotely.<\/em>When feeling anxious, take calming breaths. Placing a stuffed animal on a child\u2019s stomach can help him or her focus breathing while watching it rise and fall, Wolfe said.<\/em>If you feel paralyzed by anxiety, identify a small, easy next step.<\/em>Make an effort to find humor and positivity.<\/em><\/p>\n

smullane@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Eat healthy foods.<\/em>Exercise and spend time outdoors.<\/em>Stay present and do things you enjoy. \u201cMaybe now\u2019s the time to use that scented candle,\u201d Burke said.<\/em>Focus on what you can control.<\/em>Spend quality time with friends and family. Burke recommended painting to an old Bob Ross video or playing games.<\/em>Limit news media or social media consumption. Choose one or two information sources to stay informed.<\/em>Use technology, like video chat platforms, to stay in touch with others remotely.<\/em>When feeling anxious, take calming breaths. Placing a stuffed animal on a child\u2019s stomach can help him or her focus breathing while watching it rise and fall, Wolfe said.<\/em>If you feel paralyzed by anxiety, identify a small, easy next step.<\/em>Make an effort to find humor and positivity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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