Restraining Anxiety and the Importance of Mental Health during isolation

                                                                       Illustration by Ishtha Kapoor

Do you remember your first experience as a child when you were in your room and suddenly lights went off? Each second passing by seemed like a year and the fear started germinating inside your brain. Your numb body couldn’t move for that brief time and eventually you rendered to that harrowing experience. Well some of us have been in that dark room for a long time.

50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin developing by the age of 14. The trauma a person undergoes every day, especially at night, from such a tender age is gut-wrenching. They worry that their loved ones will "label" them, and treat them as if they are sick. Avoid them. So, they choose to succumb rather than talk. Government estimates 31.9% of adolescents are in vicious claws of anxiety. 8.3% of those have severe impairment.

By the time they become adults, they may even stop attempting due to ever increasing peer pressure, academic pressure, extracurricular activities and holding part-time or full-time jobs. Even if they gather courage to consult a counsellor on their own, they have to wait weeks before the person is available. And once treatment starts, it may get limited to a set number of sessions with the counsellor. It is no wonder the 2nd leading cause of death in youth is suicide. It doesn’t stop here, it can worsen a pre-existing health condition and their social relationship. Not only does the person suffers, but his family too. They are stigmatized and isolated from the community partially by its members and partially because they get too exhausted to face stigmas every day.

In times of fear and uncertainty of COVID19, when threats to one’s own survival and that of others become one of the main issues of daily life, many believe that mental health care can wait and that efforts should focus on preserving life. However, mental health is precisely one of the keys to surviving this latest pandemic and all that it entails in the short, medium, and long term, from the potential crisis in the provision of health services to helping preserve and reconstruct a post-pandemic society.

 

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it- George Santayana

 

Around the 14th century, The Black Death plagued Europe by killing 30 to 50% of the general population. The similarity between the two lies not in the diseases themselves but attention they brought to the psychological effects of deprivation of liberty among those quarantined. This restriction of mobility and social contact, growing concern with dwindling financial resources, the need for constant attention and care so as not to infect others, and the terrible prospect of not knowing how long these measures will remain in place all cause anguish. Further sources of frustration include the postponement of personal projects such as travel and moving house, as well as the suspension of occupational activities, among others.

On Individualistic level, we mustn’t lose sight of our routine. Minimising “corona time” and utilising our time to refine our skill set should be the idea. Doing one productive thing per day can lead to a more positive attitude. Also, we need to support individuals to talk openly and without inhibitions about their mental health issues. At times, if we see red-flags of mental health issues in someone close to us, we must think of it as our responsibility to affect an intervention with the help of others. Social groups of people who can help or are facing similar concerns can be created on social media to help foster a movement for mental health. A partnership between psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, anthropologists, NGOs, and local volunteers could play an important role here.

Also, Clear strategy by medical authorities needs to be devised to provide accessibility and combat stigma, at this time of potential overload and collapse of health systems, and severe stress can contribute to both precipitating and worsening psychiatric conditions.

Lastly, mental health care of all professionals working meticulously must be addressed as an absolute priority. However, measures to safeguard their physical health of these professionals are equally important.

In this dark room all we need to do is lighten a torch until turn the lights turn on