India is grappling with the massive outbreak of Coronavirus, with around 2 lakh cases, fifth ongoing lockdown and excessive shortage of proper healthcare infrastructure, and no vaccine for cure.
All the sufferings have now left their shadow in our mind, leading to mental disorders like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, phobia, bipolar disorder and many more. Thus, a looming mental health crisis has ushered in. India’s was vulnerable to such crisis because it already had scanty mental healthcare staff and huge gaps in system. There are only 9,000 psychiatrists for 1.3 billion people.
Anandita Goyal, a psychiatrist had to counsel herself after her sister studying in London tested positive for Coronavirus, she suffered through remorse that she couldn’t manage to bring her back. In other incident, Ram Manohar, a shopkeeper says, “A day after PM announced the lockdown, I woke up sweating in the middle of night, having a panic attack and I thought that I have acquired the virus.” These are only a few stories but during COVID, every house has a story of mental disorder to tell.
Mental disorders need a trigger in most cases. The trigger in this case were, unemployment, alchohol abuse, domestic abuse, economic hardships and in indebtness, arising due to the pandemic.
According to research by Indian Psychiatry Society, there has been 20% rise in occurrence of mental disorders during the epidemic. Out of the 150 million population, the most vulnerable to mental health crisis are the old, labourers, women, workers in unorganized sectors, front line workers and healthcare staff.
Fear and Stigma are two faces of pandemic trauma. There is fear in minds of people, that they themselves or a loved one would catch the virus. This fear is taking a form of phobia, like a phobia of going out or talking to people or going to doctor. Stigma or disgrace is shown to the corona patients and medical staff, Like, there were news of healthcare workers treating Covid being evicted out of houses, fearing that they will spread the virus.
Mental health crisis has worsened the already worst sufferings of poor, including labourers. Lack of employment and livelihood have fumed hunger and homelessness, thus, creating a sense of guilt among them for not being able to look after their loved ones. This is taking them into depression, anxiety and intense worries about future, and increasing their baggage of sufferings.
India witnessed the largest lockdown, with 1.3 billion people being stuck into houses. Many couldn’t cope up and went into survival and denial mode, thus, acquiring mental disorders Social isolation and loneliness have left a vacuum in the lives of people. This led to Suicidal tendencies and negative thinking patterns.
The condition of people already suffering from mental disorders has gone for a toss. Many worsened because they couldn’t travel to far distances to get their medications or go for rehabilitation treatments. They are now having online counseling sessions with their psychologists, wherein they are struggling with communication gap and lack of bonding.
The most frightening mental issues are that of teenagers and kids. Schools have been shut, studies halted and hobbies have stopped, triggering children’s minds with depression, frustration, withdrawal, and other child disorders. Children have isolated themselves and turned to social media, creating new worries for parents.
The girls and women are falling prey to domestic violence and emotional abuse, at the hands of their dominant male members. They are sexually traumatized with increase in marital rapes and unwanted pregnancies. The National Commission of Women (NCW) suggested an almost 100% increase in domestic violence during the lockdown. They therefore become invisible members, with their voices being shut and their mind developing complex mental disorders.
COVID 19 mental health crisis are different from the past because so called normal people have suffered through a disorder. Thus, reinforcing a fact that it is OK to suffer with disorders.
The community needs to come together to provide support to people through counselling and clinical intervention. This will require a close partnership between civil society, local administration, media, legal fraternity and psychologists. Dr Prabha, a psychiatrist at NIMHANS says, “We need to reach out to the people around us. Whether it is domestic help or watchman, people need to feel that they are looked after. We can help by just taking interest in their well-being.” Online counselling is need of the hour, even if it is not that effective as offline. It normalises conversations and the focus are on listening, emphasizing, and encouraging purpose-driven solutions.
For everyone suffering through a mental disorder, be easy on yourself and try to watch out for symptoms. Then, take up an online counselling session and just let your unconscious mind talk, without a filter.
Take up a hobby like cooking, painting, reading etc. Practice positive thinking and say affirmations like, I will do it’. Practise mindfulness exercises like meditation and yoga. They will miraculously calm you down and erase fear regarding Coronavirus.