You're living through a pandemic. Cut yourself some slack.

A few months ago, I was talking to my friend and we were discussing the push in society for everyone to get back on their feet. Obviously, this transition back to society is different for everyone because society itself is so different. Mentally, a lot of people are just not yet in the right headspace to take that step. I feel like almost everyone I know has expressed some mental health concerns of their own. I mean, it almost seems impossible not to given the degree of social isolation let alone a pandemic, both of which are threats to human survival.

Anyway, I was reading about all the ways and reasons that the pandemic is having such a big effect on mental wellbeing, aside from the more apparent reasons. Many articles suggest that the pandemic has resulted in many people experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, more commonly referred to as PTSD. Now, that's a lot to take in. Let's talk about it.

What is PTSD?

You might have heard of something called your fight-or-flight response. This is how your body responds to situations that pose a threat to survival. An infamous example would be encountering a bear. Would you fight or flee? The more automatic response would be to flee, or the flight response. A big factor of the fight-or-flight response is fear, which is accompanied by various symptoms. However, these symptoms are likely to persist for an individual with PTSD. PTSD is a psychiatric condition that is provoked by a traumatic event. Some examples of symptoms include flashbacks to the traumatic event and nightmares about the event. A common example of a PTSD trigger would be war or domestic violence.

In North America, PTSD can be diagnosed by psychiatrists or psychologists using the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM-5 includes information on the diagnostic criteria of the disorder, its onset, prognosis, risk factors, and comorbidities.

The Role of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The Coronavirus is now over a year old and in a short three months, Toronto will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of its first pandemic-induced lockdown. Undoubtedly, these unprecedented times have been scray for many people. I mean, how many times have you seen the word "unprecedented" in the last year? Many argue that it was only a matter of time until we experienced another global pandemic since the 2002 SARS outbreak. However, no one was prepared for these circumstances.

Many people have since been identified by clinicians as having PTSD using the DSM-5. Specific groups of individuals this seems to affect are those who have had the virus, those who have watched someone they know suffer or die from the virus, those who have heard about the virus-related suffering or death of someone they know, and those that are severely exposed to virus-related news (Tucker and Czapla, 2020).

There have also been many studies that looked at other stressors during this time that could add to the emotional weight that people are carrying such as social isolation and unemployment (Tucker and Czapla, 2020).

What You Should Do Now

Let's face it. Mental illness does not go away in a month or two. Especially not PTSD. In fact, PTSD can last for decades if it is left untreated.

I am not a clinician but I want to help. There are various warning signs that you may need to consult a professional about. At the least, if you or someone you know is going through a difficult time, reach out to someone or talk to them. I highly recommend seeking a counsellor and potentially a psychologist or psychiatrist so that you can be sure of what you are experiencing and work to get better.

Although I mainly looked at and thus shared information related to PTSD, there are more common mental illnesses that people may experience during this time and potentially, later on as well such as general anxiety disorder.

Mental health is so important, especially at a time where there are so many existing factors that can affect it. We must not take it for granted and look after ourselves.

Some Links to Get You Started

In case of crisis:

• Crisis Services Canada - 1-833-456-4566

• Hope for Wellness - 1-855-242-3310

• Kids Help Phone - 1-800-668-6868

• Ementalhealth.ca

Non-crisis related:

• ConnexOntario - 1-866-531-2600

• Ementalhealth.ca

• Canadian Mental Health Association

• Kids Help Phone - 1-800-668-6868

• Good2talk.ca - 1-866-925-5454

Note: Counselling services can be costly. However, some post-secondary schools include these services in their healthcare plan. Check out your school's website for more information

Citations

• What Is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? (n.d.). Retrieved  December 30, 2020, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (2018, July 06). Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967 

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

• Post-COVID Stress Disorder: Another Emerging Consequence of the Global Pandemic. (n.d.). Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/post-covid-stress-disorder-emerging-consequence-global-pandemic

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder during COVID-19: Psychiatry: Michigan Medicine. (2020, May 04). Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/michigan-psychiatry-resources-covid-19/specific-mental-health-conditions/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-during-covid-19

• Where to Call. (2020, December 18). Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://mindyourmind.ca/help/where-call

• Canada, P. (2020, August 13). Government of Canada. Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html