Essay: Coping with Mental Health Treatment during Lockdown: Challenges and Solutions

Living in a household that is unaware of your mental health issues or active therapy sessions is a narrative that many may be familiar with. For ‘Susan’ (not her real name) this has led to countless days soaking her pillow as she silently cries into it in the hopes that no one can hear her or ask the dreaded question ‘What’s wrong?’. As the days of self-isolation go on ‘Susan’ worries for the progression of her mental health and that it may be hung in the balance of uncertainty.
As the UK falls to a standstill, the country faces a double crisis where mental and physical health go hand in hand. Some may be experiencing escalating distress for the first time from the growing anxiety over losing a loved one or falling ill themselves whereas people like ‘Susan’ deal with existing psychological problems that need not only attention but also treatment.
In 2019 alone the number of referrals to talking therapy was an astounding 1.6 million, according to a paper released by the UK Parliament earlier this year. Yet, treating mental health issues goes beyond these sessions. It is taking in the importance of what happens beyond the conversations of the therapist and the client once they are in their environments.
For ‘Susan’ this period of isolation has led her feeling as though her progress is at a halt, “I’ve had multiple breakdowns since lockdown began. The first time I broke down I locked myself in my room and took one of my sleeping tablets. I feel like all the emotional and mental progress I was making has gone completely”. So, what happens to the wellbeing of those unable to access their therapist in such worrying times adding to existing troubles?
Since the start of the lockdown period, most therapists have switched to using online platforms like Zoom, Skype or FaceTime to continue their sessions. Yet online therapy may pose some concerns for the therapist and the client, ‘Susan’ who lives at home with her family says “I haven’t told them about my depression and PTSD so now I feel more alone than ever. I can’t speak to my therapist in confidence and I also can’t speak to my family. It’s hard being in a situation where I feel uncomfortable speaking to someone”.
A scenario that mimics how ‘Susan’ feels towards online therapy is one that resonates with other people who may be enclosed in domestic situations where they do not have the luxury of privacy. Judy Karr, a psychosexual and relationship therapist, advises on being “creative” during this unprecedented time to ensure that the initial needs for therapy remain addressed. She says, “Try and find some private time in your bedroom and have the radio on in the background to cut down the feeling that other people can hear what you’re talking about”.
This period has revealed the layers of struggle people have and the extent to which they are willing to confront these issues. Whether it be physical ailments relating to the coronavirus or mental health issues. In a poll conducted by YouGov showing the effect of the virus on mental health, results showed that ‘nearly one in three people had felt unprepared, one in 10 had felt lonely and nearly one in five (18%) had felt hopeless’ (The Guardian, 2020).
Peeling apart each ‘layer’ when considering the psychological impact of this virus would be a learning curve for most people. Judy Karr believes that “Isolation has had a massive impact on people who aren’t necessarily good at self-soothing”. Given her portfolio of clientele mainly struggles with addictions and reaching sobriety, her advice for ‘self-soothing’ draws from the perspective of “finding other ways that don’t have harmful consequences for them”.
For others, these ‘layers’ may be of a different form. Beverley Lester, a psychotherapist for over 19 years, says “We will be thinking about and bearing the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic long after it is treatable”.
Right now, foremost in hers and others concern may be focusing on the suffering of people enduring the weight of being unable to be with loved ones in their dying moments, who are unable to bury their dead in the ways how would have chosen, unable to mourn with family and friends how their traditions, cultures, religions offer. Beverley adds, “This enforcement of social isolation at a time when we most need one another, adds further pain to loss and complicates grief, the most devastating of life experience”.
Waking up to roam your house day in and day out remains our reality for the foreseeable future. Given the new circumstances, the nation is under, strategizing ways to maintain a healthy mind is of utmost importance to prevent mass hysteria over the known but more importantly over the unknown.
“Limit your exposure to news feeds, in particular by ensuring that both the period of falling asleep and waking up is free from intrusive news announcements. There is no need to flood yourself with anxiety-inducing news updates when you are at your most vulnerable,” advises Beverley as she emphasises the importance of having self-compassion during this time.
Having issues in any form at a time of a pandemic can cause a domino effect on one’s mental wellbeing and with limited access to the usual forms of therapy, it is imperative now more than ever where the mundane should be utilised to address internal pressures. Judy stresses the importance of making the most of our technology to have some social interaction, even if it just through a five minute phone call.
“Talk about other things, things that you’re grateful for. Life still goes on despite the situation we’re in”.