Challenges During COVID-19
by Veronica Graveline, Intern Senior Friendship Centers (SFC)
Psychotherapist Jeffrey Frank, LCSW spoke with me about some of the mental health issues that may be affecting our community.
Veronica: For those that are caregivers, how can social distancing physically impact our emotional connections?
Jeffrey: Because of this extraordinary time, caregivers may be cut off from options that would ordinarily provide some relief to the stress of caring for a loved one.
To avoid stockpiling resentment, it’s important that caregivers acknowledge their own emotional and physical needs and limitations, and communicate respectfully about what’s bothering you and work out agreements of expectations. This should include ways to create some separateness, if not geographically, at least through other social interactions and activities. Online communities allow for physical distance without having to socially distance.
Veronica: It might be harder to identify some of the feelings that may be bothering us below the surface. What are some ways that you’ve seen anxiety manifest?
Jeffrey: Every which way. It feels like there’s this collective and chronic level of anxiety that we’re all existing in together. We’re all in the same boat with uncertainty.
People are walking around with a lot of tension and irritability, looking for some kind of comfort and reassurance, but there’s really not much out there. Feeling anxious is understandable, but accepting uncertainty is tough, especially for those that are natural problem solvers. Accepting, rather than ignoring feelings of helplessness or hopelessness can reduce the stress that avoidance can produce. Not to say that we need to become passive. Engaging more purposefully in our work, in relationships and in ways that promote self care are active measures we can take. People describe taking on household projects and improvements.
Paralleling that, I’ve noticed an uptick in people seeking my services, which I think can be attributed to the inward focus people are having, in response to isolation and limited distractions. That, coupled with the convenience of teletherapy, people are taking the opportunity to work on their emotional “spring cleaning”.
Veronica: It’s a bit of a silver lining with the accessibility and the time to reflect on ourselves. Are there any other latent feelings that we might not recognize?
Jeffrey: Loneliness. Especially with seniors, because of losses of a partner or career, they find themselves alone. Of course, the quarantine has exacerbated this, with less outlets and resources to combat loneliness. Look for ways to connect with people, with the community. On our own, we can do yoga, meditate, take nature walks, but engaging in those activities with another person or group can make a tremendous difference in the quality of these experiences. Even a virtual connection is better than no connection. A quick online search will connect you with an abundance of therapeutic and support groups.
Many thanks to Jeffrey for his insights. He and two other mental health professionals are creating a series of video podcasts discussing wellness issues with SFC’s Robert Rogers and me. We are always looking for anonymous submissions to discuss and bring back to the community through the video discussion.
To enhance our online community, SFC is launching a weekly Book Club and a monthly virtual gathering to explore the Sarasota Library’s Bi-Folkal kits.
Please contact me at vgraveline@friendshipcenters.org or Robert at rrogers@friendshipcenters.org and (941) 556-3226 to get more information or the zoom links for any of these community projects, as well as submit anonymously for our discussion panel.
Originally published in Herald-Tribune/ Prime Times 11-1-2020
