HOW ARE WE COPING WITH COVID-19? A PSYCHOTHERAPIST’S THOUGHTS
EVIDENCE IS EMERGING ABOUT THE IMPACT WHICH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS HAVING ON PEOPLE. CATHAL MULLANEY SPEAKS WITH PSYCHOTHERAPIST GERRY FARRELL ABOUT THE ISSUES WHICH ARE EMERGING
While much of the focus during the Covid-19 pandemic has been on the physical health of the nation, it is also important that we make sure to mind our mental health during a challenging and unprecedented time.
During a period of such upheaval, a local counsellor and psychotherapist has conducted a survey of his peers across the north west region in an attempt to identify what, if any, impact Covid-19 has had on the way they work and on their clients. Gerry Farrell, a Sligo-based professional for up to 40 years, has conducted research amongst members of the Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (IACP) across Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal.
Mr Farrell, who has lectured at IT Sligo as well as NUI Maynooth and UCD, has extensive experience in private practice as well as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.
Of course, the new way of going about daily life has changed the way those in the mental health sector meet with clients, but their work has continued through different methods such as use of technology like Zoom.
While there have been, understandably, some negative impacts, Mr Farrell told The Sligo Champion that there are also some positives coming through in the feedback he has gathered.
“The message that came back was not all negative but there were four main areas where it is having a big impact,” Mr Farrell, who has 43 years experience in the mental health sector, said.
One of the key areas that has experienced huge chance as a result of Covid-19 is the whole area of bereavement, and how we as a society deal with death. Funerals are now much different to what they looked like six months ago and the whole process of grieving after the loss of a loved one has changed.
“Ritual is a very important part of the grieving process,” Mr Farrell explained.
“It has impacted and it is hard to predict what will happen at this stage but what we have seen and heard back is that even normal grief is becoming more complicated and intenseintense.” ” Other types of grief being experienced by other sectors of society, such as amongst younger people, is also a cause for concern.
“We’ve seen grief too with younger people, such as the Leaving Cert group for example. The Leaving Cert is more than an exam, it’s a rite of passage, but this year they don’t get to experience it. They have prepared in a certain way for the exams, and maybe now they are thinking that they won’t get their course or whatever. They prepared in a certain way, but the exams now won’t take place.”
The Leitrim native, who has been Sligo-based for up to 40 years, has also identified relationships as an area with major changes in recent months, with feedback indicating that the changing family dynamics has tested even the strongest of relationships.
“One of the big areas affected has been relationships. This whole thing has challenged relationships of all sorts, even the good relationships we have.
“One scenario we have seen is adult children returning to live in the family house. The family dynamic has changed in many cases, and that is the big thing that has come across. You could have a mother and daughter who got on well, but now the daughter may have returned home from living away and things have changed.
“We have seen that people with anxiety or anyone that we were seeing with anxiety, it has skyrocketed. There’s an awfulising process.
“There’s the constant thing of the six o’clock news, and the news that’s coming through. And it’s funny, the people with anxiety will watch the six o’clock news.”
Issues with addiction have also been to the fore in research gathered, with the last number of months proving very challenging for many with addiction problems. Mr Farrell says that feedback received from counsellors has revealed that many clients have filled the vacuum of recent months with alcohol, substance or activity addiction.
There have been some positives, however. For many, the pandemic has offered an opportunity to reassess livelihoods and where to go for the future. For those clients with depression, Mr Farrell says that members of the IACP had noticed an improvement in their mood since the onset of the coronavirus.
He said: “People with depression are actually finding that the fact that the whole community is in a state of crisis leaves them feeling less isolated. People with depression find it worse in the summer because everyone else is in good form during the summertime. This works in a similar way - a large part of depression is that feeling of isolation.
“Counsellors are getting calls from people they’ve never heard from before - some people have taken a different perspective on life and are maybe evaluating the job they’re in and asking ‘is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?’ People are not necessarily in trouble but they have had a change in perspective”
For people who may be noticing a negative impact on their mental health during this time, Mr Farrell said that a short but simple dose of exercise and fresh air on a couple of occasions each week can be as useful as any medical prescription.
“People should try to keep a careful eye on their thinking. The first strategy is to move the body, and it has been show that a good 15 minute walk three times a week is as good as Prozac. There’s huge research to show it completely changes neurons in the brain. It is also important to get good positive personal and present tense affirmations such as ‘ this will be OK’ or ‘ this will pass’.
“And thirdly, make connections. Pick up the phone or use Zoom or whatever. Isolation is a terrible thing. Of course people may need to isolate right now, but we can use technology to stay connected.”
If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, contact details for fully accredited counsellors and psychotherapists are available on www.iacp.ie.
THIS WHOLE THINGHAS CHALLENGED RELATIONSHIPS OFALL SORTS EVENTHE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS