The outbreak of COVID-19 is challenging all of us to cope in new ways. For people with depression and anxiety, life can seem overwhelming in normal times. Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai describes ways to deal with the feelings of anxiety and depression during this crisis.
Stress levels are high for everybody these days. For people who are already dealing with anxiety and depression, what advice would you give?
Many mental health providers are seeing their patients through telehealth. Should you not be able get to an appointment in person, your provider will likely be available to talk to you by phone or by online chat services like Zoom or Skype. It’s very important that while we isolate ourselves physically, we don’t isolate ourselves from the world or from people. If you can’t talk to your provider, make sure you are talking regularly to somebody, whether it’s a family member or a friend. I encourage people to talk by phone, video call, Skype—or to reach out through social media.
The more we’re in touch with the idea that we’re all in the same boat, the less anxious we may become. Many people with depression and anxiety feel that no one understands them, and this increases the isolation. Right now, a lot more of us are feeling isolated, so we are experiencing feelings that some people struggle with all the time.
Anxiety and depression are heightened by the feeling that no one can understand. But right now, we’re all going through the same thing and this provides an opportunity to really connect with each other as we realize that we’re part of a greater culture and humanity. I see an opportunity for healing, because more people will be able to empathize. Staying connected on social media and seeing what everyone else is going through may help people not feel so isolated.
I imagine being on social media can be a double-edged sword. How do you gauge when you’re exposing yourself to too much social media?
You certainly have to strike a balance. But I think the problem isn’t so much too much social media, but negative social media. It’s a matter of choosing your friends wisely, and choosing what you engage in. Sometimes we engage with people who trigger us with their negativity or politics that we don’t agree with.
But if you have friends who are posting important news information, humorous things, or positive items, this can be a great way to stay connected. It’s a good distraction from all the uncertainty and can be a pleasant way to spend some time. The positives of social media should be used to their fullest. Some people are sharing life-affirming stories about how people are helping each other. My rabbi posted a short, 20-second prayer that you could recite while washing your hands, while being mindful that your actions are helping to protect other people. It can be a time to be inspired and connected to all the positives of humanity when we pull together.
Of course if you have friends who are posting things that you find upsetting, blocking or unfriending those people may help you feel in control at a time when you are controlling much less than normal. And that can be healthy. We have the power to mute negative messages.
What warning signs should you look for regarding anxiety and depression?
If you’ve gone a while without bathing, if you’re not eating, or not caring about getting dressed in the morning, letting the house get messy and out of control, then you should be getting outside help or trying to talk to someone. If you have thoughts that keep coming into your head that you can’t get rid of about becoming infected, or feeling everything around you is unsafe, that is also a sign that you might be getting very anxious. Even though there is truth to the idea that things on the outside might not be currently safe, social isolation, self-quarantine, and taking precautions should make you feel in control. If you can’t feel in control or feel your actions aren’t effective in increasing your safety, that is a warning sign.
We are in a real emergency. So it’s appropriate to have rational plans about worst case scenarios. What will I do if I get a fever or a cough? Do I have enough cough syrup in the house? Do I have a thermometer? These are reasonable thoughts to have, and formulating a plan for those things should provide reassurance. But if they do not, it’s time to reach out to someone.
Mental health is being conducted on hotlines and many medical institutions have been preparing to deliver care like this for quite a while now. This is the day we’ve been preparing for—where people in need can have a reassuring voice on the end of the line that can walk them through their fears and anxieties.