Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18.1% of the population) every year. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 16.2 million U.S. adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2016. For many individuals, dealing with anxiety and depression is part of a daily routine. Everyone’s journey to mental wellness is unique, and not every day is a step forward. Some days you might be feeling your symptoms worsen, and some days you may not feel them at all. However, what are you supposed to do when suddenly your routine is completely changed? This is a question many people have found themselves asking once the country was given an order to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have depression or anxiety, isolation and staying at home can be incredibly triggering. You may find yourself feeling ways that you had moved passed through therapy and self improvement. It is natural for you to experience these feelings when you are forced into habits that you worked to grow out of. For example, if you were experiencing symptoms of depression, you might have stayed in your house all day. Now under quarantine, you are forced to do the very habits you worked so hard to overcome. This can feel incredibly frustrating, especially when you have worked so hard to better yourself, only to have your progress knocked back.
If you feel isolated and it is bringing up familiar depression symptoms, remember you can video call your friends and loved ones. If you live with someone, try starting conversations or playing games to entertain yourselves. While it is not recommended to have physical contact with anyone outside of your home, these physical-distancing solutions can be helpful to combat the negative feelings that isolation can stir up.
It is common to feel trapped at this time, and it can be triggering for those with anxiety. Try going on a drive around your neighborhood while listening to music you enjoy if you are able to do so. Taking walks with necessary precautions implemented may also help calm the stress that being isolated in your home may bring up. These activities can help remind you that the world around you is still functioning, things are just temporarily different. Your home is not a prison, it is just a safe space.
It is crucial to keep in mind that experiencing worsened depression and anxiety symptoms do not make you a failure, and it definitely does not mean your mental health journey is irreparably damaged. A setback is not the end of the road. In the end, you will be stronger because of this, as you know you have the power to press on. You know what has helped you in the past, and you can do it again. You will conquer. Climb on.