Covid 19 and mental health: My brother's experience
Today,
I want to share a personal experience I'm currently living through my brother's mental health confrontation during this pandemic. But, I wanted to start by talking about mental health issues on a global scale, since these are situations that affect a high percentage of the population worldwide, but it hasn't the visibility that I consider it should have.
The World Bank (2020), states that at least 10% of the world's population suffer from mental illness, and that 20% of children and adolescents suffer from some type of mental disorder, including depression and anxiety, that can induce to premature mortality and affects functioning and quality of life; which is a global problem since there is inadequate government's funding in proper health care systems, causing a huge increasement of loss productivity at the economic outlook. This is really shocking information since it was announced during the beginning of the pandemic's restrictions governments were taking, and shows how the external factors have a huge impact on the well being of individuals, in this case, at a mental level.
Also, I see it really important to mention the level of stigma that is given to mental health problems, not only in countries like ours, but also in highly developed countries with apparently good living conditions, where "nearly nine out of ten people with mental health problems say that stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives"(Mental Health Foundation, 2015).
And why? Because, people usually relate mental health disorders with aggressive or violent behaviour which generates that people stay away from those with mental problems for supposedly being in danger of being hurt or seeing how mental ill people get an "episode of insanity" where they mistreat themselves. Therefore, people who really need to be diagnosed and treated, don't seek for professional help or even worse, they don't ask help in any way. How ironic! no?
So, it's something we all, as society, must pay attention since nowadays it has been proved that mental health issues can affect people at early stages of life and due to these kind of social stigma, that also includes family and friend's opinions, people have problems dealing or recovering properly, or even having trouble finding work, being in steadies, long-term relationships, living in decent housing and be socially included in mainstream society. (Mental Health Foundation, 2015).
Okay, now I want to share with you my brother's experience during this pandemic related to his mental health!
My brother is currently in school, and like most of us, since March 2020, he switched to virtuality. At first, he confessed to me that he loved the idea of not having to go to school and being able to study fewer hours, so he had the rest of the day off. But with the passing of the months, and the uncertainty of the evolution of the pandemic to return to face-to-face classes, my brother who was used to playing with his friends every weekend, training basketball almost every day and following his daily routine to go to school, began to perform less in school activities and to express his lack of enthusiasm to do something other than playing video games. And specially this last situation, brought many inconvenients in my house the last year, since he was getting addicted. And, as the World Health Organization (2020) says the video game addiction is a mental health disorder and if it's severe, would have repercussions over other life interests.
Fortunately, my mom and I were able to talk with him and implement other strategies to help him cope with this situation, with positive results until the end of last year and the beginning of this one. However, the new restrictions that have been implemented this latest weeks, put my brother's optimism back into imbalance, but, the good thing is that this time he already knows that he can seek for help and knows more ways of avoiding falling into a bad habit or addiction such as excessive use of video games.
Finally, I want to share an article from the New York Times, published in 1973, where the hypothetical case of a woman living with depression is discussed, which i found interesting. In addition, it provides really useful information for the time, which surprised me, since for several decades mental health problems have been present and the world has tried to give it visibility but not with the enough force that is needed.
The link is: https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/25/archives/depression-the-common-cold-of-mental-ailments.html
And please, don't miss the opportunity to constantly inform yourself and others on the subject, since being aware of this problem can literally save lives!
References:
Mental Health Foundation.(2015). Stigma and discrimination. Retrieved from: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/stigma-and-discrimination#:~:text=Nearly%20nine%20out%20of%20ten,find%20work
World Bank Group. (2020). Mental Health. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/mental-healthWorld Health Organization. (2018). Addictive behaviours: Gaming disorder. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/addictive-behaviours-gaming-disorder
Thanks,
Sharon.
Hello Sharon, I find this blog and your opinion very interesting. I didn't know many of the numbers you just mentioned. In my perspective, mental health is PRIMARY to carry out all our activities, I feel very identified with your brother since I too was quite desmotivated and I had an emotional shock when knowing that I could not go out to meet my friends and that I had to stay in home all the time, it is not easy at all.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I had read that in Colombia mental disorders especially affect children, adolescents and young adults, which greatly worsens (as you mentioned) the academic and economic productivity of the population and, it has been evidenced that the majority of mental disorders begin between the ages of 9 and 23 in the Colombian population and in the medium term affects two out of every five adults in our country. So I consider that for these cases, which in my opinion are completely normal, since we are going through one of the worst crises in the world, we must seek help from professionals and promote spaces like the ones that you and your mother gave to your brother to dialogue and letting go of all those emotions and feelings that we have repressed because if we do not communicate it we can make things worse at the end. Thank you for sharing your experience! It's good to know we are not alone :)
Hi Sara,
DeleteThank you for your valuable reply! I think that mental health is a priority as you say, to be able to perform well in all other areas of life, since many times we associate health only with the physical part, but for example the WHO mentions that health must be integral, including physical, mental and social well-being among many other subvariables covered by this term. I find it very moving that you have identified with my brother's experience, because it is true that we are not alone in this! :)
Reference:
WHO. (2021). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/frequently-asked-questions
Thank you Sharon for sharing it, at this moment mental health is one of the things we have to worry about the most and not put aside, a mental illness is just as important to any disease of the body, it needs the same attention and the same importance , mental health is just as important as physical health, thank you for sharing the experience with your brother, sometimes even I feel that I am addicted to social networks and that is also important to handle it and more now that we are in virtuality, and Reading things like this remind us that we are not alone and that we should seek help in situations like this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this sincere comment! You are right, sometimes it is important to know that others are also going through the same to understand that we are all facing the same situation but not in the same way. I hope you feel better and remember that any time is a good time to ask for help! :)
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