How your mental health could be affected by the pandemic

Outdoor seating, limited capacities, closures and reopenings.These are the hurdles business owners have faced during the pandemic.”We’ve had several describe it as whiplash,” said Amanda Blackwood, CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “We’re open, we’re closed. We’re good, we’re not. This virus is something we did not know what to expect.”At the start of the pandemic, the chamber set up a hotline to help business owners navigate the pandemic.”Just to have a place people could call,” Blackwood said.But the calls weren’t just questions about loans and closures. Blackwood said after about a month, the calls became cries for help. The chamber partnered with mental health experts to train staff on how to help business owners in need.”We did trauma and suicide prevention training for our staff so that they knew you may be the only person that they have told to,” Blackwood said. “They want to know about the PPP loans, but it’s not about the PPP. This is about me as a human person.”It’s not just business owners facing mental health challenges.”People are dealing with a profound sense of insecurity and uncertainty,” said Evan Marmol, a licensed clinical social worker and member of Stop the Stigma, a program that provides help and resources in a safe and comfortable way.He said the unknowns of the pandemic are leading to an increase in people experiencing mental health illness. He said the program has noticed many more people struggling with mental health symptoms and urge people to look out for signs in family members. Other mental health experts said the risks of anxiety and depression have increased across the county.”I think as we move forward, it’s going to be really important to keep an eye out for people who may be reaching for help, but reaching for help under the radar,” said Dr. Shannon Sou, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UC Davis Health.Sou, who is also board certified in family medicine, said people should be on the lookout for changes in behavior that could be signs. These could include impatience with everything, lack of sleep and acting “completely different from themselves in multiple areas.”Sou also serves as the director of the Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic in Sacramento County.She said it’s critical people check on each other.”Anyone who”s acting unlike themselves in a negative way, it’s probably worth touching base with that person and seeing how they’re doing,” Sou said.She said while people are resilient, it’s important to provide support and resources, when necessary.

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