Mental Health After the Pandemic

Mental Health A F T E R T H E Pandemic

Humans are not built to deal with a pandemic. Especially those who already suffer from higher levels of depression & anxiety. Hopefully, we are getting closer to returning to a new normal, but two things remain: the damage that took place during the isolation phases & the challenges that are resulting in having to step back out into the world.

Many mental health issues thrive in isolation and being disconnected from others. For example, people with eating disorders often use secrecy as an unhealthy coping skill. Isolation may have given some people who are suffering “permission” to not go grocery shopping, only buying what’s available which could be a binge food, or not eating in front of other people for months. People who are suffering from anxiety or depression are encouraged to have structure in their daily life or test out triggering environments — both of which have not been possible during this quarantine. While secrecy might be easy to come by, private may not. Even if a person can access their mental health provider, they may have family, a roommate, partner, or kids around making it challenging to focus and fully express themselves. Now that many people are back to work, school, etc., it’s important to reestablish a new routine for yourself. It likely won’t look like what it did before the quarantine began, but we need to take time to find our new normal with our mental health needs at the forefront. Brush off your list of coping skills that worked before – are they still attainable? What changes need to be made to keep them accessible to you? Are you talking yourself out of what might be best for you because of something that felt comfortable during the quarantine but now needs to be revisited? Many of us are still in survival mode, and rightly so. It’s ok to still feel overwhelmed and stressed. There are still many unknowns and changes coming our way. And, it’s important not to get too stuck in one phase. We can do this by continuing to evaluate our needs and stay educated. The CDC suggests keeping an eye out for these common signs of distress:

• Feelings of feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration

• Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels • Difficulty concentrating and making decisions • Difficulty sleeping or nightmares • Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes

• Worsening of chronic health problems • Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs In addition to these physical signs, try to identify what your anxiety is related to. Are you feeling lonely and missing people? Are you bored because you cannot engage in normal activities? Are you overwhelmed with returning to work or school? Being able to drill down to the specifics will help you better address how you’re feeling. You’ll be less likely to say everything is stressful right now, and more likely to say this one area of my life is the most stressful and I can do something about that. Stay educated on the most up-to-date facts about the pandemic from reputable sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Limit your exposure to other media sources that may be creating more fear, worry, and anxiety. Reassure yourself that you are doing whatever you can to keep yourself and others safe according to these sites. Re-emerge slowly and intentionally where and when you can, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Finally, so much feels out of our control at the moment. Try making a list of things that you have some control over. Sleep, quality time with immediate family, fresh air and sunshine, cooking a favorite meal, journaling, taking your multivitamin every day. These don’t need to be new things that you’re adding in. Now is not the time to count on perfecting a brand new routine! Simply see if you can stick with the things you naturally do that bring you joy. That may be all it takes to keep a little extra fuel in your tank.

Emily Betros is a licensed clinical social worker, certified health coach, and owner of Reclaiming Health, LLC. She specializes in body image support, eating disorders, anxiety, life transitions, mindfulness, and women’s issues. More info: www.reclaiminghealth.net.

C A N C E R A N D T H E #MORSEFORCE Candidate Christine Morse’s Life-Changing Fight

Christine Morse didn’t give much thought to a small ache in her left armpit she had discovered in March of 2011. At the time, she had a oneyear-old she had just stopped breastfeeding, and with the aches and odd pains felt with that process of motherhood, this new ache felt like it was just one of those.

At the time, Christine was quite new to the Kalamazoo area, she didn’t have a primary care physician, so when she finally decided to seek out an opinion a few weeks after, things suddenly became more complicated. The ache remained, but she wouldn’t be able to see anyone until after June and as far out as December. She honestly just gave up. A few more weeks passed, but the ache refused to subside, and instead turned into a pain setting in from her arm down to her elbow. Still without a primary care physician, she headed via suggestion of a friend to the ER. “I was embarrassed, probably scared and in near tears, because I should have had a primary care doctor, but we are here.” An ultrasound in the ER determined her lymph nodes didn’t look right. Now, the general surgeon was involved. Further examination of Christine’s breast resulted in a pea-sized lump. It was determined at the age of 38, she needed a mammogram. She would also get an ultrasound and biopsy, all in that same day. Now more concerned, she asked her radiologist if she thought it was cancer. “And she actually looked at me and said, ‘Yes. If this comes back negative, we’re going to be doing more testing because I’m fairly sure that’s what it is.’”

The following day, Christine was positive for HER2-positive breast cancer. Luckily, it was treatable, but a long road lie ahead. The tumor was inoperable until she had enough chemotherapy to shrink it to an operable size. The Herceptin treatment, used in these particular cases of breast cancer, would be six months of chemo. The first three months were bearable, or as she describes, more like a delayed bad hangover. But the following three months were more toxic & she very much felt the difference. Entirely unprepared, some days all she could do was lie down. “When you get cancer as a young person, it’s really shocking. And people really want to help. Cancer is one of those things that make people feel powerless about what they can do. But they want to do whatever they can.”

Christine is still close with five of the girls she met while a part of the Sigma Kappa sorority at Michigan State University. In the midst of her battle, the women got together and thought about how they could help her through her incredibly tough time. The result: a gettogether debuting pink Livestrong-like bracelet bands that said “#MorseForce.” It was a way to let Christine and her family know they’d be there in any way they could be. The outpouring of support was overwhelming for her. Moving around the country for her husband’s work with the Navy, she was (and is) an incredibly independent person. She was naturally resistant to having people offer their help, but she truly needed it. Especially on the worst of her treatment days. The #MorseForce stood strong in walking with her at the Breast Cancer walk, walking 30 people deep. People would offer to babysit (she had three children under the age of 11 at the time), make meals, and even give her massages. Anything to help her feel better.

“That’s why you want to give back. Because people have given you so much. So paying it forward was important for me.” Show of support from the #MorseForce at the Breast Cancer walk

Christine and her family at the MSU Breast Cancer walk

Christine began paying it forward when she was asked by a fellow cancer survivors group friend (actually the leader of it), Jennifer Reivett, to be a part of a project coined, The Pink Owl Project . It consisted of 10-12 local Kalamazoo young women sharing their incredibly painful and moving breast cancer stories via essay and photographs, The Pink Owl Project debuted at the Park Trades Center in Kalamazoo during Art Hop 2012, and has made several appearances since.

To learn more, check out eightWest’s feature on The Pink Owl Project on YouTube.

The same effort bled into her candidacy of running in 2018 for County Commissioner, for which she is leaving to pursue a seat in the State House this election season. The idea and pursuit is wholly to make things better for the people in her local community, and also now as a state.

It all supports something that came across strong in her interview as really inspiring her actions in giving back after cancer, with the idea that you only get to do this once. And you should make it count.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Christine offers advice for women to keep themselves healthy & aware:

SELF EXAM. Know what feels normal, even with the changes our bodies go through monthly. BE YOUR OWN BEST ADVOCATE and trust yourself when you say something is going on, because some doctors have dismissed women’s concerns more often than not.