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Uncertainty, anguish, fear and concern are feelings that have affected each one of us these days, and that is that the Coronavirus pandemic has not only had effects on people’s physical health, but also on their mental health. This, considering that in our country 22% of the adult and child and youth population was already affected by psychiatric or psychological problems and of these, only 20% could access the treatment they needed.
The new reality that we have been forced to face during the health emergency has had strong consequences for adults, youth and children. Dr. Héctor Carrasco, Head of Psychiatry at the Hospital de La Serena, indicated that “there is a considerable increase in mental health problems, which were already quite large previously. Any pandemic affects people, confines them, generates uncertainty and causes physical and mental pain. ”
The specialist explained that it is crucial to become aware that “the possibilities of stress, depressive symptoms, suicide, substance use, obsessive compulsive behavior and violence increase. This is expected in people when normality is disturbed and does not necessarily mean that we get sick because humans have the ability to adapt. ” However, the psychiatrist pointed out that people who already suffered from a mental health pathology may be the most affected, seeing their symptoms accentuated.
But how can we take care of ourselves in the midst of this emergency? Fabiola Galleguillos, a psychologist at the Hospital de La Serena, maintained that staying so long inside the home can generate frustration, fear, irritability and anxiety.
“That is why it is very important to promote self-care, maintain a good diet keeping schedules, have a routine and make healthy breaks, set hours for telework and online classes, allocate a fixed space for it that is different from the bedroom, not leaving aside, hygiene routines, avoiding wearing pajamas throughout the day, grooming ourselves, avoiding the use of electronic devices before bed, not eating too late and exercising or staying active at home, “he recommended.
Meanwhile, Dr. Carrasco advised “to speak, talk about what is happening and express yourself. It is also relevant to avoid continuous exposure to screens, whether from the telephone, computer or television, and not to over-inform or communicate because this can generate more confusion and stress, always prioritizing official sources of information. ”
Maintaining contact with loved ones, such as family and friends, is also one of the recommendations made by the WHO, an organization that has suggested changing the concept of “social distancing” to “physical distancing”. In addition, he recommends not using tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs to deal with negative emotions.
Remember that if at any time you feel overcome by everything that is happening, you can contact health professionals by calling the Regional Fono COVID-19 (800-12-3960), Monday through Sunday, between 08: 00 and 23:00, and you can also contact Salud Responde (600-360-7777) throughout the day and night.
Hope for change
Without a doubt, this global health crisis has turned out to be a hard experience for everyone, where sadness, fear, confusion, anger and stress emerge every day. However, the pandemic could become a great opportunity to take care of our physical and mental health, if we resort to that incalculable internal strength that we all treasure and use it to overcome adversity.
“Today we are faced with a life scenario that we did not expect, where we cannot find guilty, but we can find those responsible and responsibility begins with ourselves, in that sense, taking care of ourselves is a basic concept. We hope that these times allow us to explore new solutions and a new ‘us’, that builds a different path in terms of mental and biological health and also the economic one. Understanding that humans have the ability to adapt and get ahead at critical moments, ”said Dr. Héctor Carrasco.
As recommended by the WHO, it is very important to protect yourself and also provide support to other people, so that this emergency can be overcome from the union. “There is a paradigm shift, the need to change our gaze and put it towards others becomes more evident every day. Only in this way are we “going to be cured” of a disease that we had before, which was being individualistic and competitive, COVID-19 showed us that we are all exposed, without distinction. Either we change, or this is just one more virus that we are going to have to face, ”concluded the doctor.
The healing power
Simple actions – like enjoying a rich infusion, taking its smell, temperature and taste – can be very useful to calm the mind and deal with everything that is happening around us these days.
The psychologist Fabiola Galleguillos also advises to become aware of the body, stretch, take a scented shower and even carry out homemade massage sessions with oneself. The mental health professional also indicates that it is very important to develop activities at home and better if they are with the family, such as movie evenings, learning to paint, arranging a space in the home, reading, among many others.
In addition, there is a very simple and effective conscious breathing technique to combat the feelings that invade us these days, baptized as “4, 7, 8”, which consists of inhaling through the nose and then exhaling through the mouth, mentally counting 4 seconds , afterwards, do the same but for 7 seconds and to finish, inhale and then blow the air out in 8 seconds. This can be repeated 3 to 5 times before going to sleep and will allow us to relax and connect with the present moment.
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