Acknowledge the Struggle
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE
OK, team. It’s time to regroup.
It’s been six bleeping months of this!
So last week when Bloomberg news asked me to talk about the mental health ramifications of the pandemic—particularly the increased rates of depression and anxiety among Millennials and “Gen Z”—I said, BRING. IT. ON. Yes!
We need to keep talking about mental health. It matters for all of us.
And indeed, the pandemic UNIQUELY STINKS for young people. September normally signals the dawn of a new school year, halls teeming with adolescents and the excitement of sweaty togetherness. I myself fondly recall the (less sweaty) annual end-of-August trip to the shoe shop with my mother and brothers to get our feet measured and then stuffed into stiff, shiny, saddle-scented shoes. To me, this ritual marked the kick-off to—and the promise of—a new season. Yahoo!
But this year, with or without sweat or new shoes, high school and college-aged kids turn the page to September with a completely different landscape ahead. They are more isolated, stressed, and unclear about their futures than even before. Not surprisingly, the data on mental health tells us that they are struggling more than any other age group at the moment.
Recall that even in the best of times, ages 15-24 can be fraught. This is a decade of change, uncertainty, and intense vulnerability. Relationships can be turbulent. Identities are being shaped and formed and sometimes completely reimagined. This is when we grow away from our parents and into ourselves. And even on a sunny day, storm clouds can gather fast.
And then when you add a pandemic, pre-existing blues, self-doubt, and anxiety can become overwhelming. Self-medication with alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs can become the path of least resistance and in some cases even lead to a full-blown addiction.
I am seeing the struggle in my office every day. My adolescent and young adult patients—even the most seemingly well-adjusted—are grappling with lost opportunities, rocky relationships, and dashed hopes. I find myself saying to many of them, “It is completely normal to feel derailed by the pandemic. In fact, if you weren’t a little distressed, I’d wonder if you were paying attention!”
But reassurance only goes so far. Like adults, young people need structure, predictability, and a plan. They need a sense of agency. And they sometimes need professional support.
Which is why when I talk to my patients about symptoms of anxiety, depression, and substance use—regardless of age—they leave my office with more than a pat on the head. We need a plan. We need tools and action items. We need metrics to measure progress. And we need to connect the dots between mental and physical health.
And while it may sound simplistic, we have to start by addressing the basics: sleeping, eating, moving, and processing feelings. We all need a plan for each of these foundational components of our daily existence, but if you are new to adulthood, you may not have given these items much thought.
There is no one-size-fits-all plan. For one person, exercise, journaling, and reducing social media inputs can help quell anxiety and instill a sense of calm. For another person, simply getting three solid meals a day and sticking to a sleep schedule can bolster mood and a sense of wellbeing. For others, medication, therapy, or a combination thereof is warranted. My job is to demystify the perception that mental health isn't relevant or important, and then to arm my patients with insights, coping skills, and resources they can take with them.
For so many young people, simply acknowledging the struggle can be a relief. Particularly right now as we return to some of the “trappings” of normal life, it can be easy to sideline the low-grade, constant worry and mental weariness of COVID. But let’s face it: emotions are heightened and everything is harder when we’re already worn down.
So don’t let the mere mechanics of the new school year fool you into thinking you should be okay! If you do feel okay, that’s great, but remember it’s okay not to be okay—and that asking for help is a sign of strength. Your parents learned this the hard way! So why not skip a few painful steps and reach out for help now? It’s there if and when you need it.
CLICK HERE for the full clip of the Bloomberg news segment. (For my segment, skip to 1:50:17.)
I will see you later in the week. In the meantime, be well.