Dealing With Our Feelings

Greetings all!  Here we are about 8 weeks into self-isolation – how are you doing?  Are you keeping it together?  Obviously we have all been super-stressed and concerned about our physical well-being, but while we’re spending so much time focused on our bodily health, it’s important that our mental health remains a part of that process.  A crisis like this can cause feelings of uncertainty, frustration and anxiety, and most people can get stuck on thinking about how this will affect the future. Maybe you are struggling with strong feelings of disappointment and helplessness.

It is really important to show empathy to yourself as well as the people around you, it can take time to manage these feelings.

This can be a very stressful time, but if you are struggling with continued feelings of extreme hopelessness and cannot shake feelings of despair, anxiety, or depression, please ask for help through your healthcare provider or local community organization. Asking for help is a sign of strength. I do a lot of work with CAMH in Toronto, and they have launched a helpful resource page at https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19 .  Believe it or not, you are not alone even in isolation.  Whether you know someone who may be struggling, or you are struggling yourself, do not hesitate to reach out.  Take a breath.  Treat yourself and others with kindness.  It works. Here are other helpful/quick CAMH resources:

• Coping with Stress & Anxiety
• Quarantine & Isolation
• Stigma & prejudice
• Donate Goods & Services
• CAMH Newsletter
• CAMH X PACE Technical
• CAMH enhances Virtual Capacity to respond to demand for mental health services