Beyond the stigma: Mental health wellness through and beyond COVID-19

by Tina Cole-Mullins

May is Mental Health Awareness month. At the forefront of awareness this year is the increase in mental health conditions due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis. Even those without prior issues find themselves overwhelmed and are now dealing with a new form of anxiety or even depression.

Front-line and essential workers are noticing fatigue, combined with anxiety and depression, weigh heavily on their minds due to added burdens and workload worries.

Two months into Michigan’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” order, people are learning to maneuver through the “new norm,” as cliché as it sounds. Mental health is at the forefront of many peoples’ minds, including those at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), which is offering up new resources to help accommodate the growing need for mental health support.

 

  • The MDHHS Warmline’s specialized, trained staff will help address those feelings that result from being isolated from others and provide outreach assistance and referrals for those in extreme crisis. Warmline is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week, and is available to all, regardless of insurance status. Call 888-PEER-753 (888-733-7753). NOTE: Warmlines are an alternative to traditional psychiatric hotlines.
  • LifeWays Community Mental Health is offering a virtual community support group to help cope with feelings of isolation, stress, and anxiety. The group sessions are hosted by master’s level clinicians and take place via Zoom on Mondays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. For more information, go to org/COVID-19-Updates and look for the Support Group Meetings update or call LifeWays Community Mental Health crisis phone line at 1-800-284-8288.
  • Headspace.com has partnered with the State of Michigan to offer assistance for weathering the storm before us with “Stay home, Stay Mindful” through meditation and exercise. It’s all part of keeping our minds and bodies healthy.

Mental health awareness also engages the hope that creating an open dialogue on the subject of mental health can ease the common stigma that often goes hand in hand with this topic—year round, not just mid-pandemic.

James Clark-Swalla of Stockbridge spoke recently about daily management of his own mental health and wellbeing. When asked if he has experienced depression, Clark-Swalla replied, “I wouldn’t call it depression, but I do experience lows. When I’m feeling low, there’s not much I’d like to do. My bed has a strong gravitational pull that attracts me to lay and watch a movie.”

Clark-Swalla and I spoke of his treatment at Community Mental Health out of Mason, Mich., and how he’s managed  his mental health prior to the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order.

“It is an ongoing process with my psychiatrist. There’s no magic pill; we just need to find the right balance of medication. Currently we are communicating face-to-face on webcam through Zoom. It’s not much different from in-person.”

“I’ve been doing fairly good with everything that has been going on with COVID-19. I developed a routine I’m trying to stick to. Eat at specific times so I don’t overeat. Go for a walk. Stretch. Work on my small business and a few side projects.”

Recently, I also spoke with Amanda, a research technician with Dr. Melvin McInnis of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research program at the University of Michigan Depression Center, where I have participated in a study for over a decade.

Although not an idealistic approach for addressing one’s mental health and wellbeing, why not take this opportunity to utilize resources and doors that have now opened? Amanda and I discussed how mental health resources, which are often limited, are on the upswing during this pandemic, especially now that a larger sector of the population is addressing mental health issues. What it comes down to is that the COVID crisis has opened more doors for mental health wellbeing.

Following is a list of helpful resources Amanda provided.

Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry

To make an appointment: 800-525-5188 or Emergency: 734-936-5900

medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/michigan-psychiatry-resources-covid-19

 

Michigan Medicine Depression Center

To make an appointment: 800-525-5188 or 734-764-0231

depressioncenter.org/

 

St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea Outpatient Behavioral Health Services 734-593-5250

stjoeshealth.org/location/st-joseph-mercy-chelsea-outpatient-behavioral-health-services

 

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_99557—,00.html

 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 offers a 24-hour crisis line
suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

 

The Listening Ear in Lansing 517-337-1717 a 24-hour crisis line.
theear.org/

 

Crisis Text Line: Text “Start” to 741-741

 

A useful reminder for this stressful time appears on the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Anchorage Facebook page @namianchorage.

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