Now I'm Afraid for the Quarantine to End

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

MAN!, The coronavirus pandemic has done a number on our mental health. 

So, governments around the world are rolling back some of the most severe aspects of quarantine. After a year of being cooped up and kept apart, friends and family will are beginning to socialize again. Some workers will return to the office, and public spaces — from restaurants to movie theaters are opening at decreased capacity. I’m not sure if I’m OK with it.

This year has changed all of us. People with preexisting mental health conditions have had to adapt to isolation, zoom and new restrictions. Many have experienced fresh hardship, like the loss of a job or the death of a loved one, which they likely weren’t able to grieve.

Emerging from such circumstances will create unique side effects. Though some states have begun to reopen, with the virus variants, for many people, FOMO may have been replaced by FOGO — a.k.a. the fear of going out. While some people are ready to rub shoulders with strangers, others  will be apprehensive about returning to the “normal”. Anxieties about resuming public life have also been magnified by our months indoors, with the lack of exposure to people, places and things.

Here are some ideas to help the transition

  1. Accept that anxiety is normal

  2. Learn to manage the emotional response to uncertainty

  3. Practice mindfulness

  4. Get involved to keep feelings of powerlessness away

  5. Nip self sabotage in the bud

These are people who want to help:

In the US:

Crisis text line:Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:1-800-273-8255

The Trevor project: 1-866-488-7386

If you want ideas how to do the above contact me

Tiffany McDermott