SHAKING OFF THE
POST-SHUTDOWN BLUES Re-Balancing Emotional Health After COVID
M
by Pattie Cinelli
oving to a new state in an unfamilMoving Forward iar town where I knew no one just After a few false hopes, it seems that now the world two months before the COVID is opening up to allow a more usual way of moving shutdown tossed me a curve ball among others. Now is the time to examine what we I wasn’t prepared to catch. I was have learned from two years of fearing death, fearing complacent (I never thought it would last so long), I touch and fearing the breath of others. We need to was frightened (no one, not even keep what is beneficial and let go the “experts” seemed to know what no longer works. what was happening or what to “We learned the importance do, and I became depressed. I of self-care. Washing your hands, was so far away from anyone or not hugging every single person anything familiar. we meet and respecting your perWhile I didn’t have the sonal space and the space of othphysical effects from catching ers are things we can carry with the virus, as time progressed I us,” explained Sharon L. Bernibecame more and more isolater, RN, Phd, a psychotherapist. ed. My soul companion Marcel“Hopefully, we also have learned lo died in my arms without my to pay attention to what’s going being able to consult a vet, and on with ourselves emotionally, the plans I had for starting my physically and spiritually.” Berbusiness in my new town evapnier said that there is not a “back Dr Kimberly Martin, Psy.D LLC orated with the prolongation of to normal.” “You can never go the shutdown. While many were back. It’s a new normal. How dealing with the physical consequences of the panwe define that new normal is how we demic, there was a hidden impact—their deterioratwill feel in our society.” Bernier ing emotional health. said it’s our choice to focus on One study about the impact of COVID on the positive and reject mismental health published in the Lancet Medical Jourinformation which can nal last year looked at the global prevalence of delead to fear and anxpression and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and iety. We’ve learned territories in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. how each of us Mental health dramatically declined in that is responyear, with an estimated 53 million additional cases sible for of major depressive disorders and 76 million addiour own tional cases of anxiety disorders seen globally. Womhealth and en and younger people were found to be affected well-being. more than men and older adults. “Fear, anxiety
and judgment is not helpful in promoting the kind of attitude and community we need now.” Dr. Kimber Martin, clinical psychologist, said she looks at normal as what feels right or correct for you personally. “The world is always changing. Ask yourself what’s comfortable with what you are doing now?” During the shutdown I got to know myself. I took a trip inward and I realized there were many things I was holding onto that I needed to let go of. For example, Marcello’s death revealed how I never got to mourn the deaths of my family members. It also made me so appreciative that I had such a deep, loving, unconditional relationship with him for 15 years. It also gave me a new appreciation of my long-time DC friends who are truly my family. Despite a raging pandemic,
April 2022 ★ 105
