LUMBERTON — As the new coronavirus outbreak continues to keep millions of Americans under stay-at-home orders, local experts are saying proper mental health should be put at the forefront.
“Disasters like pandemics and resulting quarantine come with psychological impacts like uncertainty and fear as well as with behavioral impacts like anger, mistrust and misuse of illicit substances like alcohol and other drugs,” said General Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr. Mandeep Kaur, of Southeastern Health and Southeastern Psychiatry Clinic. “These events test our resilience and some pre-existing factors, like past psychiatric history or previous substance abuse history.”
It is important to remember that everyone is affected, including healthcare professionals and their families, she said.
“During these times, it is recommended that we promote self‐efficacy within families,” Kaur said. “I encourage that we stay informed, communicate within the family, especially with children.”
Children’s responses will vary based upon developmental age and, often, children will reflect the emotional responses of parents, Kaur said.
“It is advisable to avoid too much of media exposure for children and to answer their questions in age-appropriate language,” she said.
Individuals under stay-at-home orders will benefit by establishing “new” or “for now” routines for home and teleworking, she said.
“It will also be helpful if we stay connected with our extended family and friends with means of telecommunication,” Kaur said.
That is one of the main things LynnDee Horne, the director of Counseling and Psychology Services at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, is telling students.
The department has gone completely virtual to serve its student patients. Horne said this includes counseling sessions, and medical management. Students also are able to connect for the first time through virtual services.
“We’ve really been able to switch everything we do to virtual services,” Horne said. “We have students all over the state that we are continuing to provide mental health care to. That’s been a really neat thing to be able to do — to realize we can still have that reach and connection with our students.”
The biggest adjustment for students has been uprooting the lives they’ve made on campus and returning back to the place that once was called home but can in many ways be different, Horne said.
“They are, at many times, going back home to a place that has changed since they’ve left,” Horne said.”They’re use to living in their own apartment or on campus, and having to go back to an old room or a space that’s not even your room anymore.”
Maintaining focus and drive is also a problem Horne sees students facing while working online or remotely.
“That’s been a lot of conversations we’re having with students,” Horne said. “How do you manage family relationships during this time? How do you manage your stress during this time? How can you still take care of yourself even though you might not be able to do some of the stuff you were able to do before.
“We’re just having a lot of those transition conversations now more than anything else.”
Horne said the main advice they’re giving students is that the schedule they had on campus is not going to work at home.
“We’ve been talking about ways they can create a new schedule,” she said.
For some, that could just mean making a list and being flexible and trying to get done the things on that list, Horne said. For others, that could be a very detailed schedule, with every hour broken down to determine when to eat, work and take a break.
“It’s really individual to every student,” Horne said.
Staying active is also important during this time of isolation, Horne said. This could be done by following a YouTube exercise video or just going outside for a walk.
“Just being in the sunlight can increase your energy, can increase your focus, can increase you Vitamin D levels within 20 minutes, which is going to boost you immunity and help you feel better,” Horne said. “It’s probably things we already know to do. It’s not special, it’s just having that reminder that in the middle of all this transitioning chaos to try to keep it simple and still do some of those self-care things.”
Local pastors are saying that it’s important to keep the faith, connect with other and focus on God during times of isolation.
Herbert Lowry Jr., pastor of Chestnut Street United Methodist Church, cited the scripture in Genesis 2:18 that states, “It is not good that the man should be alone.”
“We were meant for communion,” Lowery said. “We were meant for each other.”
He is encouraging his member to remembers to “focus on the good rather than the bad and realize God is in control,” Lowery said.
It is important to set an example among his members and keep calm in the midst of the storm, the pastor said.
“As a pastor if I’m stressed and concerned then they’re stressed and concerned,” he said. “Others are looking to us. I try to say God got this.”
He speaks with his church leaders regularly and encourages them to stay in contact with groups within the church to foster connections, Lowery said.
Barnesville Baptist Church Pastor John Spence Jr. also said connecting in his church is important.
“We’re texting and calling them regularly to check up on them,” Spence said. “We’re encouraging everyone to pray and to keep everyone in their prayers.”
Pastor Sammy Shropshire, of Star of Bethlehem in Fairmont, has incorporated daily phone calls of encouragement into the lives of his members to encourage connectivity in a time of social distance. He said encouragement is the key during this time.
“Isolation can get us all in a sad mode. Anxiety will fall in,” Shropshire said. “We need to call them, make them laugh and focus on the positive. We don’t bring up the negativity that is going on. They hear that enough.”
His church has had group Bible studies over the phone that have been “powerful,” Shropshire said.
Pastors Spence and Lowery described the problems of today as a storm that will pass but make people stronger.
With those storms, “we just have to be strong with our faith,” Lowery said.
“This is a storm that can be weathered,” Spence said.
