Alleviate Stress
Last week I recorded a short video for Yahoo News about the basics of BA.2. I hope it’s helpful! (Last week's newsletter was also about BA.2 and boosters.)
I also wrote an article (button below) for MSNBC about “Post-Pandemic Stress.”
While we may be experiencing a temporary spate of optimism as Covid-19 rates decrease and related government mandates are lifted, living in a state of hypervigilance for two years has taken a toll on our individual and collective well-being.
It’s what some medical professionals, including myself, are calling “post-pandemic stress” which is not an official diagnosis (nor does it mean that Covid is gone!) but is characterized by anxiety, mood instability, and mental exhaustion that is interfering with quality of life.
I have witnessed the full spectrum of this trauma response among my patients. Some lean on friends; others seek solitude. Some rigidly adhere to strict diets; others binge on alcohol or sugary foods. Some grieve quietly; others lash out on social media—or at flight attendants—in anger. As trauma specialist Dr. Gabor Mate says,“Trauma is not what happens to you, it's what happens inside you.”
So this week I’m taking a dose of my own medicine, taking some time off with my family to rest and restore!
I will see you next week. Until then, be well.