WEARING THIN HOW TO GET HELP
More seeking help for anxiety; ‘We’re always open,’ caregivers say
The unknowns of the coronavirus pandemic, be they due to the virus itself or the safety measures put in place, have brought additional stress and anxiety into the community.
Dr. Eduardo Espiridion, chief of the department of psychiatry at Reading Hospital, and Stephanie Lee, Tower Behavioral Health CEO, have seen an increase in patients seeking behavioral health services during the past months.
“Recently there’s been an increase in the volume of psychiatric visits in the emergency department,” Lee said. “We’re seeing more mood disorders related to depression and anxiety and a lot of these are triggered by social isolation, stress and anxiety. Some of these are financial stressors or substance abuse.”
Espiridion has seen a significant increase in outpatient-services interest.
“Any pandemic can be very stressful, but this one for COVID-19 has really caused a lot of fear and anxiety because it’s a new disease and people don’t know what to expect,” he said. “I personally think a lot of people felt overwhelmed. This brought up a lot of emotions among our population.”
While public health actions to help protect against the virus validated the community’s concerns, these actions caused additional stress and anxiety.
“People were already worried about their health and now they’re worried about the health of others as well,” Espiridion said. “Subsequently, it affected their anxiety related to their financial situation or their job. Also a lot of people lost their support services because community centers were closed.”
‘A lot of unknowns’
Stress and anxiety caused by changes to routine may lessen as the unknowns become part of a new normal and more is learned about the virus, but the situation is continuously changing due to new information and annual routines.
National and state resources
• PA Support & Referral Helpline: 1-855-284-2494 (TTY: 724-6315600)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Línea Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454
• Crisis Text Line: Text “PA” to 741-741
• Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273TALK (8255)
• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800985-5990
Students are heading back to school for the first time since the physical closure of schools in March.
“In our environment with talking about students reentering schools, we all know that it’s challenging to social distance in a school so this is another unknown that we’re embarking on,” Lee said. “Dependent upon practices put in place in the school environment we imagine there will be an uptick (in stress and anxiety).”
It is impossible to eliminate all unknowns associated with the pandemic. As more is learned about the virus, the medical community and others become better equipped at ensuring the health and safety of the public.
“A lot of people are very anxious about this because there are still a lot of unknowns,” Espiridion said. “The amount of information coming out from the medical community has actually significantly increased and gives us the confidence in how to handle this.”
Seeking help
At the start of the pandemic, people were fearful of seeking treatment of any kind due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The decrease in community members seeking help for behavioral health concerns caused worry for Espiridion and Lee because the consequences of nontreatment can be dire.
“It’s so important to seek help during this time, especially when there’s early signs,” Lee said. “People may be experiencing mental health concerns for the first time. There can be a stigma in the community about seeking treatment. Seeking treatment is very important to someone’s health and wellness, and their ability to be treated and be successful.”
During the pandemic, health systems have been evaluating the situation and making changes daily to ensure their facilities are safe and that patients have access to health care.
Lee said Tower Health is very thorough in cleaning, screening and social distancing to ensure everyone’s safety.
Health systems, including Tower Health, have begun to rely more on telehealth during the pandemic. The telephonic or virtual visits allow patients to connect with their caregivers from the safety of home.
“In this unique practice of behavioral health the relationship to the caregiver is so vital in someone’s recovery,” Lee said. “(Because of the pandemic) social distancing is into play and isolation. These things are sort of opposite of what we do in our care. We really had to get creative.”
As more telehealth was implemented, Espiridion made sure enough staffers were available in outpatient services. Some patients benefit from telehealth visits, while others do better in a face-to-face setting. Health systems work with patients to make sure they can get the care that is best fit for them. For instance Tower Health offers virtual and in-person services.
“As a physician, I personally think the population should be informed that they should not delay treatment,” Espiridion said. “I know there’s still a lot of unknowns about COVID-19, but I would personally recommend that if you need some help, seek help. We’re always open. If you really need some sort of mental assistance, we are here. We are able to provide these services to the community.”
Handling stress
Even without a pandemic, stress and anxiety are still a part of life. Everyone copes with stress in their own way.
“It’s really critical for us to really take care of ourselves,” Lee said. “Self-care is very important for our mind and body.”
Suggestions on how to practice self-care include getting the right amount of sleep, exercising regularly, practicing meditation techniques, keeping a routine, staying connected with others and taking breaks from social media.
Espiridion also encourages people to avoid excessive alcohol use as a way to deal with stress. Being present and focusing on the positives in life are also ways of coping.
“Try to enjoy whatever you have at the moment,” Espiridion said.
Though it can be difficult to stay connected with others during this time, Espiridion said the connections with family and friends can help reduce stress on a regular basis as they offer a support system. Lee agreed on the importance of staying connected.
“I think that we have to remember that we still exist in this world,” she said. “Keeping our normal routines is important. And making sure that we’re staying in touch with individuals and not necessarily cutting ourselves off from the world because we’re social distancing.”
In this specific situation, everyone doing their part will help alleviate stress and anxiety for others, the experts said.
“Something that can help deal with the stress and anxiety is that we each have a responsibility to be safe and practice the safety practices,” she said “Wear your mask. Wash your hands properly. Bring hand sanitizer along with you and sanitizing wipes. The more that we all practice that as we’re reentering, the safer we will all be and we’ll be keeping our community safe.”