Pandemic Exhaustion- How to Avoid Mental Illness and Relapse

By Linda Larson Schlitz MS

For many of us we are way beyond pandemic fatigue. We are exhausted. Tired of the masks, tired of the stay at home expectations, tired of having to be conscious of spreading the virus,   through droplets and needing to constantly be cleaning something, tired of having the kids out of school, not going to church and tired of the political and social drama.

What happens when we are under stress for too long? In case you aren’t aware, our brains are made up of tons of chemicals that tell the rest of our bodies what to do, when to do and how to do it. I know. Sounds crazy but it’s true.

I was fortunate to work for a Psychiatrist for several years where I learned the inner workings of the brain and the chemistry that governs everything we think and do. In simple terms the brain is made up of a number of different chemicals that actually talk to each other. I liken it to a car’s engine. I learned this when the mechanic told me the water line broke in my car. It drained the water out of the radiator which overheated the engine and cracked the head gasket which caused the pistons not to fire causing all kinds of engine functioning issues and cost thousands of dollars.It is not only gas that runs a car, you need water, oil, transmission  fluid and brake fluid if you want to safely get from one place to another.

Like a car, our brains have numerous chemicals that all have different purposes that integrate   with all the other chemicals to create a fine tuned body. Some of those chemicals, which you most likely have heard of on commercials include serotonin, dopamine, glutamate and norepinephrine. Each of these chemicals has a different function and impact different parts of our minds, emotions and bodies.  UPMC in their article in Health Beat explains it as follows.

Serotonin for example plays a role in sleep and depression but since about 90% of the chemical is actually stored in the gut, it also impacts things like appetite and digestive functioning.

Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that is found throughout your brain and spinal cord and it is essential in early brain development, learning, memory and other cognitive processes.

Norepinephrine is a chemical with a  primary role that is working overtime right now during this pandemic by helping us all to deal with stress. It can sometimes act as a hormone that creates the fight-or-flight feeling. It is the chemical that helps to maintain or raise blood pressure in certain illnesses.

So consider the scenario where someone you love is in an accident. They are trapped under something heavy like a rock or a car and you come along. Miraculously you pick up this incredibly heavy object to save someone but the next day it is impossible to budge.

Or consider running a marathon or an iron man. You get started and wonder how you can possibly do it but then all of a sudden you get that “second wind” and you are able to pull it off. You cross the finish line with apparent ease because your mind has told your body to push out the adrenaline which it does but once you cross the finish line, you collapse. You are carried off, dehydrated, sick and think you could die. It takes days to recover because your body is depleted of every chemical you had to make that feat happen.

And so it is with this incredibly stressful life we are living right now across the world. It is not just one thing that we are dealing with. The pandemic alone would be enough but there are so many other things we are trying to cope with that the marathon has just become exhausting.

I asked some of my followers on social media and here is the list they gave me which I am sure is not anywhere near a complete list.

WHAT ARE WE STRESSED ABOUT?

• Social distancing
• Loneliness
• Wearing a mask
• Financial duress
• Fear of getting Covid-19
• Fear of someone you care about getting Covid-19
• Actually getting Covid-19
• Ending up in the hospital or being very sick
• Having someone you love be in the hospital
• Having someone die
• Not getting the things you need to function properly
• Conflict among family, friends and everyone else in the country
• Fear of what will happen in our country and across the world
• Dealing with the kids being home
• Dealing with a significant other or spouse being home
• Having to work from home with others in the house
• No structure
• Afraid of going to work or not having work to go to
• Loss of purpose
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Not being able to sleep
• Fires, hurricanes and other natural disasters
• Violence and threats of violence
• Political and social unrest
• Not being able to control what is going on
• Loss of precious time with loved ones
• Getting hugs
• Isolated
• Abject fear created by media
• Secondary traumatic stress
• Becoming physically sick from all the stress with headaches, body aches and more
• Turning to alcohol, drugs, gambling, food or other things
• Worried about a loved one becoming addicted to something that is ruining their life

WHAT DO WE DO TO BETTER COPE?

In my 30 years as a counselor and being someone with a mental illness who has managed to keep alcohol and drug abuse at bay for nearly 25 years, I have some tools that have worked for me and many others. I have also added some additional helpful strategies that my followers have listed that you may find valuable.

WE NEED BRAIN HEALTH

What is it and how do we get it?  Dr. Daniel Amen, one of the world’s leading experts on the study and treatment of the brain, has an entire course on how to care for the brain. Much of the challenge is simply feeding it the right things. Think of how much impact a high fat high salt diet can have on our health. The same concept impacts brain health as well. Learning what things can improve your brain functioning is especially important right now to combat the mental and emotional vulnerabilities caused by the stress that Covid-19 brings. For those with food allergies and sensitivities we know the importance of staying away from those foods.

One of the things I had learned from Dr. Amen is that gluten can cause difficulty for some people with ADHD and intestinal issues. I decided to test the theory.

Even after a few days without gluten I noticed a big difference in my ADHD/ Hypo Mania Type II Bi-polar thinking problems. I found that by not eating gluten I did not have the constant channel changing anxiety and annoying brain fog I often experience. The dull headache disappeared and I was able to focus and be less impulsive.

It was such a drastic difference that my friends and family even noticed. I even did an actual test on the computer with and without my ADHD medication and with and without gluten and discovered that not eating gluten was more beneficial than being on medication. I have been off my ADHD medication now for 4 years.

The point is, if just altering my gluten intake can make that much difference in the chemistry of my brain functioning I can only imagine how much better I would feel if I did all the other things Dr. Amen suggests to maintain brain health like exercise, eliminating processed foods, unhealthy sugary foods etc.  When our brains are functioning properly it will be much easier to control our unhealthy thinking which better manages our moods and feelings which then impacts our behaviors. If we think positive we feel good and make positive choices. We think negatively, we feel bad we seek a quick fix to feel better.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Exercise. The thing I hear the most about. Get outside, breathe, walk, ride a bike, anything that gets your heart going because that increases oxygen to our bodies and minds which in turn produces endorphins which minimizes stress and other bodily functions.

Eat healthy. Intestinal health is extremely important in keeping the rest of our bodies and minds working smoothly. When we are filled with poisons, which is what our food becomes when it is sitting too long in our intestines, the chemicals that are produced in the gut does not make its way back to the brain to tell us how our bodies should be functioning. Food disrupts that functioning. Exercise can help move things through but the key is putting the right foods in to begin with. So what do you eat?

Whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, limited red meat, no processed foods, plenty of nutrients and protein and minimum. Most of us may benefit from nutritional supplements to balance our minds and bodies. Now that our days are shorter, at least on this side of the earth, we would benefit from Vitamin D which is the chemical produced when we are in the sun or at least have more natural sunlight. Isn’t that weird that we get a chemical boost from the sun? The body is an amazing machine.

Another important thing that Dr. Amen and the majority of other doctors in the world would say is to stay away from alcohol, drugs, smoking and anything else that becomes an addiction.  But how do you do that?

SOLUTIONS TO STOP OVERINDULGENCE AND ADDICTION

Clearly this pandemic is wreaking havoc on many things including mental health. One company, Drizly, told ABC that during the early lockdown days, they saw growth surge of 700-800%. It’s leveled off some since then, but they’re still sitting at 350% growth since last year.

Even before Covid-19, studies had been done that indicated that some groups were really being impacted by increase use.  Studies on women, for example, indicated an 85% increase in alcohol related deaths among women in the past 10 years. What in the world is that all about? There are multiple factors.

Right now, women are using alcohol more because the brunt of these pandemic changes have rested on them at times. Especially in single parent homes. Women feel like they are doing it all. Sometimes they are. They are working, being the kids’ teacher, making the meals which are much more since the kids are home and doing all the other things. There is no place to escape to or no one to even vent to because there is always someone around. It is exhausting.  A glass of wine with dinner was a nice treat after a hard day at work. Now, the hard day starts when everyone wakes up and it never ends.  Many parents are finding that they need to take the edge of much sooner than dinner time.

Men as well have a great deal of pressure on them and drinking has been a normal American male bonding activity. Now without those connections many have become lone drinkers or have even turned to drugs as a means of escape. Men and women alike are desperate to find relief.

Another tragedy is the kids that are so anxious and depressed because their whole world is upside down. Most of them miss school, their teachers their friends and all the activities they were involved in. They like getting away and having their own lives. They like the challenge of being more grown up and developing relationships. It is all gone now and it hurts them along with the adults in their lives.

Unfortunately even kids are turning to alcohol and drugs. Some have gotten so depressed they even commit suicide. We had a young girl in our community who was determined to have committed suicide and she was only 10 years old. We need better ways of coping.

Drugs are also on the rise. The Advocacy Resource Center, a report from the American Medical Association (AMA) compiled 20 pages of articles and studies that document the increase in opioid and other drug abuse and death increases since Covid-19 came to the United States. The article was updated on October 20th, 2020 and is called “Issue brief: Reports of increases in opioid- and other drug-related overdose and other concerns during COVID pandemic .

And then there is overeating, shopping, gambling, pornography, obsessed with television, gaming and only God knows how many other things we may have gotten caught up in.

SO WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO COPE TO DEAL WITH THE MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES WE ARE FACING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

Again I went to my followers and here are some of the answers I got-

• Play the scenario to the end….what could happen if you drank too much?
• Plan ahead. Don’t leave anything to chance.
• Connect with others who are like minded. Depressed angry drinking buddies aren’t a good choice
• Make a God connection.  85% of Americans identify themselves as Christians
• Get outside and do something
• Exercise
• Pray
• Meditate
• Read the Bible or other good books
• Listen to music
• Talk to a friend
• Get involved with something outside of yourself (make sure it is safe)
• Change your thinking
• Let God help you
• Use self discipline
• Be mindful
• Consider the Serenity prayer
• Work the 12 Steps of AA or NA
• Talk to a counselor, sponsor, mentor or life coach
• Take a class
• Take a nap
• Dance
• Listen to contagious laughter videos
• Join a support group
• Turn to Jesus
• Use social media to connect and support each other

There indeed are a lot of different choices besides overindulgence if we are willing to be honest with ourselves and reach out for help and support to make changes. Life is what we make it but there are times when we cannot see beyond the moment and we need the perspective of someone else who is coping better than we are.

There is help available. Reach out now and make a better tomorrow despite the world around you today,

Join our Saturday Recovery Support Group  

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Linda Larson Schlitz has been a counselor and professional speaker for over 30 years. She has worked in schools, outpatient clinics, churches and non-profit organizations assisting others to discover their purpose in life and learn how to get paid to do it. Linda’s service to the community earned her the prestigious Athena Award and the Red Cross Community Hometown Hero awards and a commendation plaque from the Governor of Wisconsin. Linda is the author of the books “Ditzy Blonde Faucet-It’s a God Thing” and “Speak To Me God I’m Listening” and she offers counseling and life coaching and speaking worldwide.  You can find her books at .AMAZON AUTHOR LINDA LARSON SCHLITZ