When COVID 19 first took hold, a lot of information was dispensed on how to keep safe and healthy during the pandemic. Social distancing, self isolation, washing your hands were all initially touted as best practice to ensure everyone's well being. Weeks became months and there seemed to be little discussion of the mental health effects of what a world wide crackdown on the population would have. Even in a normal world the pressures on individuals can take a tremendous toll on our mental health. From worries about job security and financial matters, to depression to anxiety and loneliness, drug and alcohol dependence, relationship issues, all these can lead to feelings of anxiety and insecurity.

People tend to neglect their mental health until something goes seriously wrong. Physical health disorders can manifest themselves in fairly concrete ways and a call to a doctor or trip to an emergency room would be considered the normal action to take during one of these episodes. Mental health problems however, can often go undetected. One might feel tired or sad or on edge and just ignore it as a bad mood or a result of too much work or stress over paying the bills at the end of the month. There is also the stigma attached to mental health as being the problem of someone else or the fact that if we need help we must be crazy and could be judged as weak for not being able to keep ourselves under control.

 
In the pre-COVID world it could be a struggle for some just to cope with daily routine. So imagine the extra stress levels added to a society when we are suddenly forced to withdraw from the world and basically go against every human instinct towards socializing and society in general. It can all become overwhelming very quickly.

With all that has happened in the last few months, LJI journalist Kim Krause decided that now might be a good time to talk to an expert and get some information about how we can all cope in these days and just what was the role of people in the mental health industry.

A zoom meeting was arranged with NOSP, the North of Superior Counselling Programme. Karen Barclay and Mellissa Howe run the clinics in Marathon and Schreiber. Donna Mikeluk and Rona Godin joined in on the conversation, which was both highly informative and casually upbeat. The biggest message from our two experts seemed to suggest that we have no reason to be ashamed when we suffer from mental health issues and that going to see a mental health specialist should be regarded as no different from seeing a medical doctor. They are there to help and in these trying times we can all use a bit of help now and then.