Expert weighs in on impact isolation can have on mental health – KCRA Sacramento

Expert weighs in on impact isolation can have on mental health

Updated: 7:56 PM PDT May 2, 2020

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MANY OF US ARE FEELING THE STRAIN OF WORKING FROM HOME AND HAVE HAD TO MAKE CHANGES TO OUR DAILY ROUTINES FOR SOME OF US, DEALING WITH THE LOSS OF SOMEONE TO CORONAVIRUS OR ANY ILLNESS RIGHT NOW IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. JOINING US NOW LIVE, DOCTOR MOE GELBART WITH THE THELMA MCMILLEN RECOVERY CENTE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE STUCK AT HOME ALONE RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE ALONE. WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE ON THE BRAIN AND WHAT CAN PEOPLE IN THAT SITUATION DO TO IMPROVE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH? >> LET ME CORRECT, IM THE DIRECTOR OF PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRY IN SACRAMENTO. WALTER: YOU ARE THE PERSON WE WANTED TO TALK TO ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS. >> YES. I THINK THE KEY FACTOR, SOCIAL DISTANCING DOES NOT MEAN SOCIAL ISOLATION. STAYING AT HOME AND QUARANTINING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET OUT AMONGST FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND SO ON DOESNT MEAN WE CANT STAY CONNECTED. BEING ABLE TO STAY CONNECTED IS THE KEY. OF COURSE, IN THIS SITUATION, THERES TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES. KIDS ARE NOT GOING TO SCHOOL. FAMILIES ARE STAYING HOME. HE BLOGS SPENDING MORE TIME WITH EACH OTHER THAN THEYVE EVER SPENT BEFORE. IN MANY WAYS, THAT IS BENEFICIAL AND PLEASANT. IT IS ALSO QUITE CHALLENGING. WALTER YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE STUCK AT HOME WITH OTHER PEOPLE. SOMETIMES YOU DONT WANT TO BE AT HOME WITH THOSE PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE ARE STUCK AT HOME WITH OTHERS THAT THEY ARE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH. THERES NOT ENOUGH SPACE. A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO LEAVING THE HOUSE. WHAT CAN THEY DO? >> ITS VERY DIFFICULT. I THINK THE MAIN THING IS, REACHING OUT TO FRIENDS, FAMILY WITH THE PLATFORMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. WHETHER ITS ONLINE, TELEPHO, PRIMARILY THOSE. MAKING SURE YOU ARE STAYING CONNECTED AND NOT COMPLETELY ISOLATING. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THE INCIDENCE OF ABUSE IS INCREASING. I GUESS LIKE ANYTHING, WHEN YOU ARE IN THE HOUSE AND NOT ABLE TO GO OUT, WHATEVER ISSUES ARE GOING ON IN ONES RELATIONSHIP ARE GOING TO BE MAGNIFIED. WALTER A LOT OF US KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST SOMEONE, WHETHER TO THE CORONAVIRUS OR ANOTHER ELLIS. WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROCESS THIS GRIEF THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING, EVEN THOUGH FUNERALS ARENT EVEN BEING HELD RIGHT NOW? THAT IS WHERE WE WOULD USUALLY GET SUPPORT. WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? THATS A GREAT POINT. THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AS YOU SAID, FUNERALS AND SERVICES ALLOW US TO PROVIDE CLOSURE. WITHOUT THOSE BEING AVAILABLE, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER SOMEBODY FONDLY, WE ARE LEFT WITH THIS HANGING FEELING THAT THE GRIEF IS JUST TREMENDOUSLY INTENSIFIED. AGAIN, THE KEY IN MOST OF THE SITUATIONS AND, EXPRESSING RATHER THAN REPRESSING. MAKING SURE YOU FIND OUTLETS FOR COMMUNICATING, FIND PEOPLE YOU CAN SPEAK TO, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE IN RESPECT YOUR OWN EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY SOMEHOW TO DISCUSS IT WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU. ONE LAST THING. THE OTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE WITH GRIEF AND FAMILY MEMBERS DYING, TRADITIONALLY IF SOMEONE IS IN THE HOSPITAL AND CRITICALLY ILL, THE FAMILY IS THERE. THE FAMILIES AROUND THE BEDSIDE. THE FAMILY IS THE LAST PERSON HOLDING THEIR HAND. IN THIS SITUATION, THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE PHYSICIAN OR NURSE IS ON THE PHONE WITH THE FAMILY MEMBER. WE CANT EVEN SEE OUR LOVED ONES AS THEY GO THROUGH THAT PAIN. THAT IS TREMENDOUSLY PAINFUL FOR PEOPLE. WALTER: THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR JOINING US. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WONDERING ABOUT THESE THINGS. IF YOURE IN NEED OF OTHER EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, YOU CAN ALSO USE THE CRISIS TEXT LINE. TEXT THE WORD HOME TO 74

Expert weighs in on impact isolation can have on mental health

Updated: 7:56 PM PDT May 2, 2020

Many are feeling the strain of our daily routines being changed and staying at home for such long periods of time.KCRA 3 spoke with psychiatry expert Dr. Moe Gelbart about what impact isolation may have on the brain, and what people can do to improve their mental health.Get the full story in the video above.

Many are feeling the strain of our daily routines being changed and staying at home for such long periods of time.

KCRA 3 spoke with psychiatry expert Dr. Moe Gelbart about what impact isolation may have on the brain, and what people can do to improve their mental health.

Get the full story in the video above.

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Expert weighs in on impact isolation can have on mental health - KCRA Sacramento