Isolation

 

COVID-19. At this time we all know and have experienced something related to COVID. Whether that be you personally having COVID or family and friends. Or just the lack of social interaction. It has not been a shock to see mental health issues rise in the global pandemic.

Despite being a front line worker, and despite my own mental illness and struggles, I had considered myself lucky by avoiding having COVID myself. Of course family and friends had, and I see the devastation of COVID at my job. Until the beginning of this year.

I tested positive for the first time for COVID. I consider my case as pretty mild compared to what I have seen and heard from friends and family. But the toll of having to quarantine, to isolate, greatly affected my mental health and stability that I have been working so hard to keep. 

Thankfully my kids never got sick and were already at my moms due to my work schedule. Thankfully I was able to isolate myself with my boyfriend, who also quarantined due to being with me so much. But since he never had symptoms we stayed away from each other. And thankfully you only have to isolate yourself for 5 days now. 

But for 6 days, since I was still running fever on day 5, I was alone. Yes, we talked through the door, he would come give me food and lots of gatorade. But for me it was not having human contact, touch. I felt so alone. What person doesn’t want physical contact when they are sick?

It really gave me a new perspective that, while I had empathy for people describing how alone they felt, now I have experienced it. And that feeling, that lonely feeling, really impacted my mental health. So I got a little proactive. I spent a lot of time writing, journaling. Spent a lot of time talking to family and friends, expressing how I was feeling. 

Having already had a mental illness and a very open dialogue with my family helped tremendously.  COVID is a very isolating thing for many people. We need to remember that when someone opens up to you to remain supportive. Validate their feelings, do not tell them someone has it worse. Keep the dialogue open and without judgements. In a time of everyone being vulnerable, we need to remember to still be open with each other.