Mental Health in Quarantine: “The excesses”

16 Jun Mental Health in Quarantine: “The excesses”

Hello, how are you?

Today, I wanted to talk to you about Mental Health during this time of quarantine.

Psychotherapists are observing that people, beyond being our patients or not are presenting mental health symptoms. People are more distressed, more anxious and more depressed in many cases. The situations that concern us the most are those in which people are trapped at home with an abuser or with their own addictions.

We know that there are women, children or even men trapped in a house without the possibility that a third party can intervene to help Let’s take school for example. School is not just the place where children go to learn, school is a third party that observes, it can intervene when is needed, especially in child abuse cases, whether it is emotional, physical or sexual abuse.

Therefore, for many children being at home locked up with a family member who abuses them is traumatic. The same for women or men who are going through situations of violence. Other concerning cases are those of people who are also trapped at home but with their issues to regulate their drives, their own excesses, with the impossibility of managing the drive and setting a limit.

I am talking about the cases in which people do drugs or abuse alcohol and cannot set boundaries. In these situations, there is a risk of death and we are really worried about the fact that they are totally isolated from others.

We also know that many people spend too much time on the phone or other devices. When something becomes a constant that cannot be stopped and does not let us do other things, it might become an addiction. Children and Adolescents are not going to school right now and They might be spending many hours on the phone or playing electronic games on the computer. So, parents or those in charge will have to set limits and be able to say no when is needed. It is essential to shorten the time spent on these devices to make possible a move, to allow that something else, a different interest appears.

When playing on the computer or being on the phone becomes a constant, even at night and children do not sleep properly, is very hard for a child to be interested in school or to do homework. Therefore, it is important to set up some boundaries. it is the responsibility of the parents to be able to organize, to structure children’s times and spaces, especially during this quarantine.

Also, we listen that many find very difficult to stop eating. There are many jokes in social media talking about how obese we will become by the end of the quarantine. The reality is that many, having no other things to do, find an enjoyment in food. This becomes a problem when it is not possible to stop eating.

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In this need to stop, we can be creative, there are people who try to have a routine, others are studying online, others look for communicating with friends or family members through virtual calls. All these activities are ways of dealing with the drives, and also ways of making some cuts, ways of creating different spaces, different moments. We no longer have the “back and forth.” We used to go to work, meet a friend for a coffee or go to the movies… all these possibilities helped us to regulate our drives by setting different scenarios, places and times… now we have to create these new cuts from home.

The task of stopping, limiting the drive will be impossible for some, difficult or easier for some others. it is essential to identify whether one can stop alone or not. Many people refuse to stop, refuse to confront their problems. However, it is a fact that being able to recognize that there is a problem and look for help are the first steps for a change, are the first steps to reach a better place in life. That’s why today I wanted to convey to you the importance of seeking help during this quarantine. There are therapists working online right now. Health insurances are even covering copayments. Some therapists are running groups. Many are offering sliding scale fees. There are also organizations providing services in the area of ​​Mental Health.

I hope that this episode has been useful to you. That has helped you to identify some excesses, if there is any and what can be done about it. And also how important is to ask for help if you realize that you cannot handle difficulties by yourself. Sometimes, we have doubts and we might not be sure whether we need help or not, whether we can handle a problem by ourselves, even whether there is a problem. Psychotherapists assist in these situations too. Well, I hope you have a good week and talk to you soon.

This may interest you: Mental health in quarantine, anxiety and depression