Mental Health in Quarantine

Have you ever felt little butterflies flying in your chest and stomach when you are about to win a match of chess? Have you ever felt the need to cry out loud when you are unable to fix your broken watch? Do you ever feel helpless and numb when you think about the world ending? Do you ever feel the need to just stop thinking for a few minutes?

Some of us feel this pain and this uncomfortable feeling almost the entire time, in the stupidest situations, in the most inappropriate ways, at the most helpless hour. Some of us feel this uncontrollable fear, apprehension and when somebody asks us the reason, we simply don’t have the answer. Often many of us are pushed into doing things out of our comfort zone, leaving us feeling tingly and numb. This feeling to many of us is present in the form of ANXIETY. This feeling of extreme sadness and sensitivity is often named DEPRESSION. Many of these ‘feelings’ are named something.

According to a WHO report, Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental disorder. Depression and OCD joining among the list of top 10 most common mental disorders. Suicide is a reason for deaths worldwide. And if things weren’t bad for our mental health already, there comes a world pandemic.

Covid-19 has taken a toll all over the world, claiming thousands and thousands of people worldwide. Forcing us to stay in our homes and completely changing our routine and lives. Those who are mentally healthy have started feeling the impacts of this pandemic and are equally in a bad place mentally.

HOW IS COVID-19 AFFECTING OUR MENTAL HEALTH?

Staying at our homes and a sudden change in routine can be frustrating for many. Those who had big social lives are now at home and compromising their social life on video calls. Many of us are just restless to go outside just like a fish when it is out of water. Some of us might find this unreasonable and exaggeration. But the truth is, to some their social life, their classes, their gyms, their night outs mean a lot and this sudden change can be stressful to anyone.

Those of us who are anxious or has any sort of anxiety-related disorder are now more anxious than ever. We are anxious if our friends and partners still love us when we are not able to meet for months. We are anxious thinking what if I got this virus or worse, my family got it? What if I put on more weight or got more skinny? What if I lose my friends?

Sitting alone binge watching Netflix can be fun for some time, till we are alone with our thoughts. Dealing with depression in these life-threatening circumstances can be difficult. Depressing thoughts and even the non-depressing elements now seem depressing.

People with Obsessive-Compulsive disorder are now dealing with the worse. Earlier their minds were occupied with washing their hands because of some germs and now they are more anxious and obsessed about washing their hands because of this virus. All-day at home, cleaning rooms again and again. All-day at home, obsessing over the same thing when there is now little distraction in the way. People with Illness anxiety disorder, are also more anxious when the world seems to break apart in front of this coronavirus. Fearing if they have developed these symptoms or not. Even mentally healthy people keep thinking if they are taking all the possible actions and wondering whether they have this virus when they sneeze just once. The doctors, nurses, and policemen are the worst sufferers.

On top of that, many of those taking therapies are unable to meet their therapist for sessions. Their recovery feels stumped now. Students are not motivated to study and even if they, are the circumstances and uncertainty doesn’t let them.

RAY OF HOPE

Even though this is a challenging time but still, some hope is always there. Online classes are helping, online therapies are available, on-call therapies are available. Many distractions are there in the home like workouts, movies, cooking and yes, our family. This is a golden period to spend with our loved ones. To do new things. Like all the dark times, this shall pass as well. If you have handled yourself till now, you have woken up from bed and taken that glass of water now, then it’s all going to pass. YOU ARE BRAVE.

HELPLINES:

I-call: 02225521111

Suicide Hotline: +91 88888 17666

Our department teachers are offering help as well.

Written by:

-Somya Sharma (I-YEAR)