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April 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Long-term social distancing may be traumatic. Here is what to expect and what to do
How to take care of your mental health during a pandemic 02:56
(CNN)Passover is here, and Easter and Ramadan are approaching. Occasions that typically bring families together to pray, reflect and celebrate -- fellowship needed, perhaps, now more than ever -- will look different this year as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
The loss of those traditions is added to a growing list of losses that Americans are facing as they endure at least another month of social distancing and with it an extended departure from routines, habits, social circles, and normalcy.
The protracted disruption to life as it was, mental health experts say, could bring feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, and even grief.
"There is literal grief like losing loved ones," said Dr. Vaile Wright, the American Psychological Association's director of clinical research and quality. "But there is grief of experiences that we are losing right now. There can feel like there is a lot of loss right now, a loss of freedom, a lot of things we took for granted."
The next few months may take a toll on the nation's mental health, experts say, but it is possible to mitigate the stress.
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Americans' collective trauma
Extended isolation and stress from the pandemic can affect everyone differently, said Dr. Dana Garfin, a health psychologist.
It could put a strain on families, send children home to abusive situations, make those living alone feel isolated and threaten people's sense of purpose by keeping them from work, Garfin said.
And those experiencing financial insecurity in the midst of the pandemic have added stress that is difficult to resolve, said Dr. Baruch Fischhoff, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University.
Despite those differences, the experience of staying home together through a pandemic can be considered a collective trauma, said Garfin, who studies collective traumas such as hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and earthquakes.
Collective traumas start at some point of impact and then ripple out to loved ones of the afflicted, witnesses to the devastation and people whose lives are disrupted.
In this case, many Americans fall into one or more of those categories. People in quarantine show signs of confusion, depression and anger, Garfin said.
"We necessarily run much of our lives by habit," said Fischhoff. "We know what we have for breakfast, we know how to prepare the kids for school, and that enables us to get through the day reasonably well."
But now that many Americans aren't waking up and going to school and work, it can be difficult to know how to restructure even the most rote daily habits that won't be coming back for weeks yet.
What life might look like on the other side of coronavirus
How long the pandemic and the isolation continue will dictate how severe the effects are on people's mental health, Garfin said.
Prolonged exposure to the traumas of coronavirus can activate the fight or flight response, which over time can cause cardiovascular problems, anxiety, depression and PTSD, Garfin said. And the extended isolation can contribute to fear, anxiety, headaches, muscle tension and difficulty concentrating, said Wright.
For some groups, like health care workers, those in the media and people in newly deemed "essential jobs," the end result may be guilt, grief and PTSD, said Wright.
But, Wright and Garfin agreed, humans are resilient.
Some may forget everything they just went through and go back to their daily lives when it is all over, Wright said, but many can come out of this with stronger relationships and a better perspective on what is important.
How to get through it
The future is uncertain, but life will be different for at least the next month and that knowledge can be the first step to making this new, temporary reality as good as it can be.
Now that it is clear the change is for more than a couple of weeks, it is important to create a new routine -- one that includes showering, getting dressed and maintaining family meals -- not treating the time as an extended snow day or spring vacation, Wright said.
There is an opportunity for people to develop new habits around the disruption, which can relieve the stress of feeling like starting from scratch every day, Fischhoff said.
And all three say it is important to use social media to be social, not to feed the anxiety that conflicting coronavirus information on the platform stokes.
They also agree that this experience is difficult, and it is important to acknowledge that and not be too critical of what one could have done before or could be doing now.
"I think that we need to recognize that this is totally unprecedented, and we really are just doing the best we can -- and that's OK," Wright said. And for people doing the best they can but struggling to work, study or care for their families, virtual mental health resources may be a crucial next step.
And for those who are lonely and isolated, Garfin suggests reframing for a feeling of community within that experience.
"We aren't in our houses alone, we are doing something for each other for our community," Garfin said. "It's a shared effort, something that we are all a part of and something we are all contributing to."
"It's going to be difficult, but it's not permanent."
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the name of the American Psychological Association.
April 21, 2020 11:34 am
This is a hard time for mental health. Some of those strategies are already things I had to put in place. Setting a bedtime and wake up time, school time with the kids, outside time, and meal times. It sounds silly, easy, and obvious for most people but when your struggling with mental health, it can seem like climbing a mountain. But these small things are so helpful to keep from spiraling. Also, shorten your to do lists to just these necessities until you feel you are able to handle other tasks. Baby steps... the toilets can be scrubbed next week.
Topic starter
April 28, 2020 7:08 pm
A new routine can be quite an adjustment for all. The simple things that I never made time for like reading have now become a relaxing time. Staying in bed just a little while longer has been good. The dogs have been content to sleep the day away on my lap. They trade back and forth with my husband too. I don't have to rush to do laundry or the dishes.
April 29, 2020 1:19 am
My routine is pretty much the same minus going out. I still get the same amount of sleep, I eat the same plus more veggies for added vitamins, fiber, and protein due to lack of sun and being outside as much as normal. I do my school time the same, and meal times the same etc. Just gives some sort of structure to the day.
April 29, 2020 1:20 am
@lindseycoganiectskin-comI do the same because I know if I didn't have some sort of schedule planned out i'd stay in bed all day.
February 28, 2022 5:35 pm
During the heat of quarantine, my schedule was extremely lax, It became very boring very quickly. At the time, i was only working so without going to work everyday i was left with not much to do. The gym wasnt open, so me and my roommate would go to our local highschool's track and do some sort of workout. I am an extremely social person, i thrive on social interaction so that was only thing i wasnt ready to give up. My friends and i still made time to zoom with eachother, and even had scheduled dinners together via zoom. I for one was extremely excited to go back to work and have an in person interaction again.
March 6, 2022 10:04 pm
During the pandemic i did feel a tole on my mental health. Especially during holidays im use to spending time with family and doing some family traditions. Instead I felt lonely and isolated. With the extra time in the house i did do some puzzles, started doing yoga and started painting alot.
March 6, 2022 10:07 pm
@abigailcochraneiectskin-com Agree with you at one part of the lockdown I was definetly board to the point I was just eating and sleeping. At point I stared walking around parks to get some fresh air and outside time.
March 6, 2022 10:09 pm
@gabriellemrasiectskin-com I was totally sleeping way more than I usually did during the pandemic and cooking/baking more also.
March 22, 2022 4:58 pm
During the pandemic wasnt so hard on me the only time i hated it was when my boyfriend got covid and i had to stay home for 14 days when i didnt have it. It was boring not being able to go out for awhile. Im sure for alot of people it made them depressed and lonley.
March 23, 2022 8:28 pm
@lindseycoganiectskin-com I couldnt imagine having kids during the pandemic it would be hetic. Having to find someone to watch them or trying to work from home while your little ones are there would be hard.
March 23, 2022 8:31 pm
@abigailcochraneiectskin-com I love that you and your friends went the track and excerised thats so cool. Staying in touch with them on zoom is a great way to catch up since we werent able to go out.
March 29, 2022 4:35 pm
The yoga studio offered online classes so that was great to kind of be with other people. I did catch up with chores around the house that I had been meaning to do and put off
March 29, 2022 4:38 pm
I found myself napping a lot. I think some of it was being stressed about COVID and the deaths that were so high. I'm sure it was also do to the fact of staying home. It was such a weird feeling the first time I went to Target after months of staying in. It was different going to the store instead of shopping online
April 5, 2022 5:47 pm
During the pandemic my boyfriend and I invested in tons of different puzzles and board games and it was a really great way for us to spend time together without the cell phone or tv distractions. Even to this day we still play our card and board games! On the negative side of the pandemic I spent a-lot of time inside and since I was laid off I wasn't nearly as active so I ended up putting on a bunch of weight.
April 5, 2022 5:49 pm
@camiryndavisiectskin-com It was definitely hard to not spend time with loved ones but that's awesome that you were able to spend some time painting and such!
April 10, 2022 5:56 pm
Before the pandemic happened, I really didn't go out as much. I liked to stay in the comfort of my home and be with family, so when covid started it didn't really bother me to be stuck in the house. Being in the house so much made me learn new things and develop new hobbies like doing hair and reading.
April 10, 2022 5:58 pm
@abigailcochraneiectskin-com I like the idea of being on zoom with friends. I wish I had more friends to do that with.
April 10, 2022 6:01 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com shopping online became a bad habit when covid started. All I did was sit on the computer and buy things that I didnt even need.
