Dealing with Depression During Coronavirus

Loss. Since the onset of the pandemic, this is what most people have been experiencing, even if we have not been able to identify exactly what we are feeling or why.



The pandemic has necessitated change to every part of our lives. As most of us can agree, change is difficult to navigate, even when it is expected and something we chose. When we experience loss or grief, we go through an internal process which involves making sense of and coming to terms with that loss. Part of that process results in experiencing depression. For people that already deal with depression, this means an added layer of difficulty to something that is already exhausting, isolating and hard to manage. Restrictions on who we can see, how much we can interact with others and access to activities that help us feel better are limited, which could increase depression or remind us of a particularly hard time in the past.



What I want for this blog post is to normalize the absolute lack of normalcy going on in the world. Know that I see you—even if only through the webcam—but I see you.



I hope that you have found ways to lighten the load of the last few months, and that the suggestions in this article will help you find the right combination of hope, levity and new tools to reassure that there are ways of managing this loss and depression. Often, we have more control than we feel we do. Finding strategies that resonate with you personally will help to make difficult times more manageable and provide hope that we will come through this and other difficulties. The mental health therapists are here and ready to help talk through the stressors of this time, should you feel a little extra support would be helpful.