The Pandemic and Mental Illness, a first-person account!

     As the noted biologist and writer E.O Wilson once wrote; “We are drowning in information while starving for wisdom!” These words could be considered a metaphor for the challenging zeitgeist we currently face in our everyday life. As most of the world begins to emotionally crumble from the effects of social isolation brought on from the coronavirus, the damage inflicted from the hysteria may become worse than the virus itself. More specifically, for those struggling in silence and solitude with mental illness, they now face an added set of challenges. I know, I am one of them!

     Living with mental illness, especially depression, the current stay at home orders, with the added stress of being furloughed from a job, can be a lethal combination. Lost are structure, self-worth, and a paycheck, all key ingredients in recovery. When added to it the anxiety of a future clouded in a sea of uncertainty, the weight of this environment can become the anchor to drown a person into relapse. As often is the case, speaking out in defense of those afflicted are consistently met with ignorance and ridicule, and a worldwide pandemic offers little reprieve from the scorn.

     Early on in this stay at home order, noted television Psychologist, Dr. Phil McGraw, faced brutal backlash for weighing in on the long-term mental health dangers along with the possible financial devastation brought on by this current rule. Though social isolation has many facets, depression becomes the hallmark and that is where Phil McGraw focused on what should have been a productive analysis, as he illustrated the importance of reopening the country as soon as possible. He pointed out that people suffering from clinical depression find themselves with these additional challenges.

·         29% more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease

·         32% more likely to suffer from a stroke

·         40% more likely to suffer from some level of dementia

     This endless list of life-limiting boundaries will likely grow with significantly increased isolation, deeper depressions, and with that, more catastrophic results. Suicide, which is most often the result of a battle with depression, takes the life of approximately fifty thousand Americans every year. Add to it the stress and anxiety brought on by social regulations, that number will assuredly increase at an alarming rate

     What Dr. Phil expressed is simply, mental illness will be the silent killer of this pandemic and could be deadlier than the virus itself! Rather than create openness and dialogue, many people attacked his message with the intensity of a rabid dog. His credentials, his education and even his morality came into play with mockery and disdain as many just did not want to heed his warnings. Though his focus was the emotional toll the current lockdown will likely cause, many internet experts on psychology refused to be open to his advocacy, and his critical views were drowned out under the noise of mobocracy.

     As one who lived many years within the painful confines of suicidal depression and who has also lived a good life for the past 19 years, his words set off alarms. For the first time in nearly two decades. I am concerned not only for myself but for many others of the emotional toll this will have on our struggle to stay healthy. Today, relapse is not only a constant fear, but it is a likely outcome for many, and with it, potentially tragic results!

     Though we are only seven weeks into these orders, some warning signs are appearing, and no, it is not people protesting for the country to reopen. It is the symptomology of mental illness becoming increasingly prevalent and along with it, many peripheral issues.  

     For those furloughed from our jobs, such as me, with deepening uncertainty and anxiety, there has been a 77% increase in the number of people reporting a sleep disorder. This is a huge red flag of impending problems with depression and inevitably leads to additional challenges. Besides the loss of structure, one now must live with the fear that a job or a business may no longer exist. Additionally, Express Scripts, the mail order Pharmacy, recently reported a 34% increase in the number of people seeking psychotropic drugs for both depression and anxiety.   

     For those struggling with these added stressors, sleep deprivation is a hazard that feeds into depression and magnifies challenges the person faces.  It clouds judgment, increases paranoia, and soon the madness of mental illness controls the mind and can leave that victim helpless to focus on any positive task. Also, those currently on furlough from a job, the loss of the social side of employment creates even more solitude and loneliness.

      The reasons are clear as by our very nature, we as humans are social beings, we tend to meet in packs and enjoy life. When most of us meet at restaurants and bars it is not to drink, but to socialize and simply relish the company of others, which is currently limited or prohibited. Additionally, facilities to exercise, a key component in living a healthy lifestyle, are now shuttered and that further erodes structure and wears on the mental health of a significant part of the population.

      As pandemic exhaustion begins to take its toll, other issues have begun to rise to the surface. Three major cities, Houston, Texas, Charlotte North Carolina, and Phoenix Arizona are already experiencing significant increases of up to 17% in Domestic Violence police calls. The Domestic Violence Child Advocacy Center in Cleveland recently announced a 40 increase in calls for assistance. It is a safe bet as the stress of this shutdown grows, those numbers will continue at a disturbing trend upward.

     Though hard data on the number of suicides are not yet available, some emerging evidence is beginning to paint some ominous warnings.

     According to Beth Zietlow-Dejesus Director of External Affairs of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services of Cuyahoga County (ADAMH-S) there has been an increase in requests for services. She explained that though the suicide prevention hotline has stabilized in April after a spike in Mid-March other cautionary signals are emerging She added, “There has been a 40% increase in calls to the Peer to Peer support line since the Mid-March.”  She elaborated that most of the inquiries were made to find treatment mainly for the anxiety related to the pandemic. 

     One of the strongest contributing factor in suicide is that many of those who end their lives do so in a prison of long-term emotional torture. As one who survived attempts to end my life, the loneliness of the struggle created a level of pain that became unbearable. The current environment is a recipe for pushing people more into a deep suicidal depression. The present dangers are fear, loneliness, lack of structure., and most importantly, evidence of a bleak future.          

     People can mock individuals such as Dr. Phil and his dire prediction, but as these social limiting orders continue with only some modifications, other dangerous situations will rise to the surface. Besides the effects of depression, chemical dependency, often associated with mental illness, will most assuredly increase. For many seeking treatment for situational distress, will discover this to be a trigger into a clinical depression and with it, a lifetime sentence of treatment. With summer programs being canceled for young and old alike, the stress and anxiety will continue to mount. Even when it does end, the financial hardships these orders created and the vicarious trauma from living through it, will have a lasting emotional affect.            

     Finally, many of those who understand the potential dangers and agree with people like Dr. Phil, are being ignored and dismissed, but eventually, we may be the ones whose warnings become a prophecy.  Never forget, ignore mental illness at your peril because the price will be high!