The Multiple Threats of Covid-19
Having to navigate life in a world where covid-19 is still a reality has presented people with many threats; threat of illness, threat of death, loss or potential loss of income, potential loss of life as it was known, among other things. Coronavirus has presented the world with a collective trauma where every human being on the planet is vulnerable to any one of these threats. Perhaps it seems odd to phrase this pandemic as a trauma and yet Covid-19, much like war, rape, car accidents, and racist assaults, can cause symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD can occur when a person either experiences, witnesses, or learns about a direct threat to one's life or to the life of a loved one. Since the pandemic began threats to one's life or to the life of loved ones has been happening daily, and it is very difficult to get away from the threat as we are constantly reminded of it by the very things we need to do to protect ourselves from it--masks, hand sanitizers, social distancing. Many people may be experiencing great difficulty feeling a sense of safety.
Signs of PTSD & How to Cope.
There are certain things you can look for if you are wondering if you or someone in your life may be struggling with PTSD. For example, people suffering with PTSD are likely to have nightmares or flashbacks of the event that led to the experience of trauma. People who have PTSD may also startle very easily, be hypervigilant of the world around them, and be unable to focus. They will likely avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma, including places associated with the trauma. You may notice a shift in mood, such as increased irritability or a feeling of apathy. Having one or even more than one of these experiences does not necessarily mean that you have PTSD. However, if you note any of these signs, make sure you talk to a mental health professional. Whether or not you have diagnosable PTSD or not, the fact that you are experiencing any one of these symptoms indicates that you would benefit from some help.
One of the most important things to do when dealing with trauma is to establish a sense of safety and to engage in very good self care. Creating a sense of safety is crucial and there is no one size fits all to this. Physically removing yourself from a place or near a person who makes you feel unsafe is a great place to start. When thinking about Covid-19, you may first want to distance yourself from anyone who is not wearing a mask or avoid going into stores where standard safety guidelines are not being practiced. It can also include turning off the TV when certain types of news are being discussed. However, creating a feeling of safety can also include spending time with particular people, going to a certain place, having a therapeutic support animal, something related to your physical body (e.g specific yoga pose), or anything else that works for you. Additionally, these can all be accessed visually as well as in-vivo. Sometimes you may not be able to physically leave an unsafe situation or physically go to your safe place but you can close your eyes and see it in your mind.
Engaging in good self-care consistently during a period of heightened threat is also very important. People's nervous systems go into fight, flight, or freeze mode when they experience situations in which their own lives or the lives of others feel threatened. This means that the sympathetic nervous system is activated and our bodies go into high alert. This is a very useful thing evolutionarily. For example, this is the system that lets our bodies know to run when a hungry wild animal with large teeth is heading towards us. However, prolonged activation of this system can result in anxiety and other mental health problems, as well as physical health problems. Therefore it is very important to engage in consistent self care in order to help our body calm down. We want to help activate our parasympathetic system which plays a role in bringing our body back to a neutral state.
So what can one do? What does engaging in good self-care mean? Here are some things that a person can do.
Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Although exercise is meant to get your heart rate pumping it actually is one of the biggest de-stressors there is. Exercising regularly can greatly improve your mood and decrease feelings of anxiety. It can improve sleep and help with concentration. You can also combine exercise with concentration improving exercises by doing some physical activity that combines both. For example, yoga can be physical but also focuses on expanding concentration by including components such as attention to breath and meditation.
Enjoyment & Leisure. When in a state of trauma or potential PTSD, it is easy to find your time being zapped up and being left with a feeling of exhaustion. This occurs because so much time is spent on preparing how to prevent the thing you feel threatened by. In this case, Covid-19. Your perception may become that this preparation takes up so much time that there is no time for anything else. It is important to counter that perception and build in a bit of time for things that you enjoy multiple times a week. This can be anything, from a half hour of reading a book for fun, cooking a fancy meal on weekends, a weekly walk or coffee date with a friend, regular sex, nightly bubble baths, or anything that you find super enjoyable but feel that there is no time for. This must be a priority.
Control What You Can. When there is so much that cannot be controlled, it can easily feel like there is no hope for controlling anything. Of course this is not true when you really think about. There is always something that can be controlled within the confines of what cannot be. Find something that would make you feel better and celebrate whatever this is as a win. For example, maybe you can't control whether or not a Covid-19 vaccine will be ready before the holidays, but you can control making a plan for how to celebrate the holidays in a way that can still feel enjoyable to you. No it wont be the way you wished for it to be, but that does not also mean that it has to be terrible. See what you can do. Never stop trying to be creative.
Get Help! As simple or as commonsensical as some of these self-care actions may sound, they may not always be as easy to implement consistently and correctly. They also may not feel like enough even if they are being implemented correctly and with consistency. Speaking to a mental health professional is self-care. Oftentimes therapy or medication may be required to manage symptoms of trauma and PTSD. There is always help and you do not have to be alone!
**Nothing in this blog is meant to be taken as personal advice. Always check with your medical and/or mental health professional first if you have any signs of PTSD.