I have specialized in trauma and PTSD for over 25 years and I haven’t seen anything like this in my lifetime/career. COVID has affected the mental health of just about everyone that I have met. Whether you know someone who has passed away from COVID, someone who has long haul COVID or simply from being locked inside of your house for 2 years, we have all gone through a traumatic time in history.
Trauma is stored in the memory of our actual cells (DNA) which we pass down to our children. I do believe that we have suffered a generational trauma that we need to address so that we don’t pass it down to future generations.
There are many different ways to heal, which I will talk about below.
Talk to People
I know that all we have done over the past 2 years is talk about this pandemic. I’m not talking about getting into debates about masks or vaccines, I’m talking about getting into your experiences about being isolated and about your experiences going back in the world. Whether you were mad about the lockdowns and feel like you are getting out of prison or you thought the lockdown was a good idea and you feel like you are getting out of prison….. TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES. What is it like to go to the store, what was it like to not see your grandparent for so long, what is it like to see people again and deal with family dynamics again, are you ready to go back into the world, do your pants fit, etc?
Make Eye Contact
Prior to the pandemic, my kids had a limit on screen time. When the pandemic hit, the limits went out the window. We were all on our devices all the time. That is all we had to do. In doing this, people often stop making eye contact. Eye contact is where genuine connections start from. It’s how you know if someone is telling the truth, if someone is truly listening, or if someone cares. Since going back into the world, I have noticed a lot less eye contact in the world. It may be a little awkward at first, but make a point to put down your phone and look at people when they are talking.
Hug People
Have you ever had a friend or family member who has the perfect tightness of a hug? These people don’t come around often, but you know who I mean. They don’t go in for one of those quick “hello” hugs, they have the “I really missed you” hug (even if they just saw you yesterday).
It seems silly to say, but they have done studies on chimps on what social deprivation does on them. Although I don’t agree with doing research on chimps, the information is there for us to look at. When we go long periods of time without human contact, it takes a toll on our mental health. So, when you see friends and/or family who you feel comfortable hugging (and they feel comfortable hugging you), give them a tight hug and take time to pay attention to how it feels. This may feel weird, but it is important to really let it sink in.
Make a Therapy Appointment
You don’t have to be in therapy for years to work on this, but it is important that you make sure that you have flushed out as much as the pandemic trauma as possible. Even people who are “made for” working at home and people who are introverts have had trouble with the pandemic. Some introverts were stuck inside with roommates or family with no escape from them. Some people who were “made for” working at home still missed their best friends and going to the movies. These are heavy feelings many people experienced that can lead to depression, anxiety and a general feeling of being overwhelmed. If you are reading this, you are already aware that perhaps doing something to ease the post pandemic stress could be helpful.
If you live in California and think therapy is the right choice for you, you can reach out to us at Long Beach Therapy by email info@LongBeachTherapy.com or calling us at 562-310-9741