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WELLNESS & SAFETY Mental Health
You may have trouble concentrating on typical tasks, changes in appetite, body aches and pains, or difficulty sleeping, or you may struggle to face routine chores. When these signs and symptoms last for several days in
a row, make you miserable, and cause problems in your daily life so that you find it hard to carry out normal responsibilities, it is time to ask for help. Te Mayo Clinic reports that hoping mental health problems such as anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms. If you have concerns or if you experience worsening of mental health symptoms, ask for help when you need it, and be upfront about how you are doing. Te Mayo Clinic offers these suggestions for getting help:
• Call or use social media to contact a close friend or loved one — even though it may be hard to talk about your feelings.
tress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. Everyone reacts differently to difficult situa- tions, and it is normal to feel stress and worry during a crisis. But multiple challenges daily, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, can push you beyond your ability to cope.
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• Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
• Contact your employee assistance program, if your employer has one, and get counseling or ask for a referral to a mental health professional.
• Call your primary care provider or mental health professional to ask about appointment options to talk about your anxiety or depression and get advice and guidance. Some may provide the option of phone, video or online appointments.
• Contact organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for help and guidance.
If you are feeling suicidal or thinking of hurting
yourself, seek help. Contact your primary care provider or a mental health professional. Or call a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use its webchat at
suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.
36 Continued From Page 35 <<< In a conversation with Terri Murphree from
SouthwestEAP, I asked her about what happens to our mental health as we return to a somewhat normal life. She said that first, there is no precedence for this kind of situation. Tis is brand new territory. However, she believes that people will more than likely go through the stages of grief, grieving the loss of the lives that we had. Grieving not being able to shake hands or hug like we used to, among other things. I also asked Terri what to do if you notice that a
coworker seems to be struggling. Tis can be a very touchy situation. She said one possibility if you have no idea where to start would be to call SWEAP and ask for some suggestions on how to approach your coworker. Terri also said that you could talk to your supervisor. I know this feels like “tattling to the teacher” in
some ways. But you can simply make the supervisor aware of your concern and ask them to see if they notice anything. Ten the supervisor can handle things from there. Finally, Terri noted that in her experience the first phone call to ask for help is the hardest call to make. So, if you know someone that is struggling you can offer to make the initial call to SWEAP or other mental health provider. Let them know that you will give them the phone and step out of the room so they can open the conversation. Tis article covers a lot of territory — from what to do when you are staying at home to returning to work. As I said earlier, this is brand new ground. We are all trying to figure out the best way to get through the pandemic with our physical and mental health intact. Te bottom line is, if you are having difficulty handling whatever your “new normal” is, please ask for some help. Friends, clergy, coworkers, and professionals are all around you and ready to help in whatever way you need. If you need more information on anything that I have shared here, feel free to contact me at bcomet@
arcounties.org. Stay safe and healthy.
COUNTY LINES, SPRING 2020
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