Princeton House Community Relations Representative Chrissy Isaac, LCSW, LCADC and Director of Addiction Services Nicole Orro, LPC, LCADC have discussed these struggles with health care staff at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, with Isaac making rounds as a Wellness Ambassador, and Orro providing free therapy sessions for employees through the Penn COBALT network.
“It’s no longer possible for them to compartmentalize stress to just work, because anxiety has infiltrated every aspect of our lives,” explains Isaac. “Health care workers have not even reached a level of post-traumatic stress yet, because the chronic trauma is still ongoing.”
Mental health symptoms have skyrocketed among health care staff across the country. In a recent survey conducted by Mental Health America, 93% of health care workers reported experiencing stress, 86% reported anxiety, 76% reported exhaustion and burnout, and 75% said they were overwhelmed.
“At one time, the expression was to take things day by day,” adds Isaac. “Now, it’s often a matter of hour by hour or even minute by minute.”
Dealing with Prolonged Anxiety
Isaac and Orro offer the following tips that behavioral health providers can share with patients who are frontline workers and others dealing with long-term pandemic stress, including themselves:
- Create as much predictability as possible, with some level of flexibility. For example, waking up at the same time each day can be helpful in framing the day.
- Re-evaluate what’s working. Keep track of what you may be overdoing or underdoing, and understand that the right balance probably looks different than it used to. Everyone has their own formula for what works.
- Focus on self-compassion. Give yourself permission to acknowledge difficulty, even if it means taking five minutes to find a solitary space at work to release some tears.
- Take advantage of fellowship and empathy. Connecting with colleagues who understand shared experiences can be powerful.
- Likewise, keep an eye out for changes in colleagues. Simply asking how they are doing can make a difference. Compassion for others can also be therapeutic for oneself.
- Revisit values that led to choosing the health care field. This type of reflection on human connections and healing can keep people going on darker days.
“It’s normal for people feel alone in this experience, but no matter what position you hold, you’re never alone,” says Orro. “This is why behavioral health exists. Talking through our issues helps us survive.”
If you are feeling overwhelmed, the CDC provides resources and connections to counselors and crisis hotlines at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/mental-health-healthcare.html.
Article as seen in the Spring 2021 issue of Princeton House Behavioral Health Today.
