The unspoken trauma of the third wave
The psychological impact of the pandemic is grossly underestimated, psychologists say.
JANA-MARI SMITH
WINDHOEK
Experts warn that the devastating emotional blow of the pandemic on mental health is not only underestimated but severely neglected.
“The psychological impact of the pandemic is grossly underestimated. Now we sit with trauma, bereavement, fear and panic,” clinical psychologist Heidi Burmeister-Nel warned.
She added that over the past year trauma specialists have noticed a “dramatic increase in depression and anxiety”, and increasingly a collective grief has taken hold of Namibians as the third wave of fatalities and hospitalisations rises steeply.
“It’s often a part of this pandemic that has been neglected,” she said.
The emotional toll brought on by a year of restrictions, including isolation, hospital visit bans, funeral limitations and more recently, a steep rise in infections and deaths, has worsened an already fragile mindset, clinical psychologist Iani De Kock said.
“There is lots of fear right now. Fear of getting the disease yourself, or fear of losing your loved ones.”
She added that Namibia is experiencing a form of complex and collective bereavement, that, if left unaddressed, can lead to long-term emotional scars.
“Brain scans show the impact of anxiety, depression, and trauma on the brain. If you think of mental illness as structural changes to your brain, these things do not happen overnight. With Covid-related mental disorders, which we are seeing now, these things are pervasive and long-term.”
She says there is thus a serious concern that “we will still sit with a whole bunch of people who now have long-term depressive, anxiety, obsessive disorders that will follow them around longer than Covid-19 does.”
New normal
A crucial step towards addressing the shock and trauma is to speak about it.
De Kock said it is critical to accept that in the new normal, “it is okay to not be okay.”
She added that it's also important to be aware of the emotional devastation wrought by the third wave.
“If there is anyone out there who is expecting that their spouses, their children, their employees are 100% in functioning mode and living their best lives, I think you have not been paying attention.”
Hermien Elago, an advocate for breaking the taboo around mental health issues and founder of Brave Hearts, stressed that the third wave has brought the pandemic into homes and workplaces like never before.
“It started from being a thing of numbers and now these numbers are people and it's people we know. It’s no longer just out there, it is here, it is in our homes.”
She added that multiple infections and deaths within families and communities have unleashed a cloud of despair and hopelessness.
“For most of us, it's not just one person. It’s one person after another.”
Tools
De Kock explained that normal grieving processes are hampered by a world that is not built to withstand the tragedy unfolding in Namibia. But there are steps to take to ensure healing is possible.
“From a mental health perspective, it is very important that we acknowledge the state of the world right now, that we acknowledge the impact it has on us. We have to normalise that it is okay to not be okay.”
The first step, she stressed, “is to speak about it.”
De Kock urges Namibians to show “a lot more empathy and compassion. Because just as much as we are struggling and grieving, we need to acknowledge that your colleague, your employee, are also really struggling. They are struggling with depression and anxiety. They are struggling with this new normal.”
Elago says her focus on mental health, and use of therapy over many years, has helped her put together a toolbox that has helped her weather the worst of the storm.
“Had I not had those tools that I got through therapy and spent years working on my mental health, I honestly believe that I would have died.”
She said therapy has helped her accept that “grief, fear, anxiety, they are constant companions and they serve a purpose. Integrating them, especially now, is important. We are all a little scared, we are all a little anxious.”
Economist John Steytler recently wrote about his own struggles with depression and anxiety linked to the burnout he was diagnosed.
He said in Namibia “mental well-being is still a taboo topic”, but stressed that the impact of Covid-19 on mental health has left few unscathed and there is an urgent need to break the taboo.
“We have to demystify this taboo and talk about it openly.”
Apart from acknowledging the collective grief and trauma, another step is to stand together and to find meaning in these unprecedented times, Burmeister-Nel recommends.
“Despite being isolated, we can be connected. We can stand with each other, and care for each other. We need to be kind and generous and loving towards each other.”
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Experts warn that the devastating emotional blow of the pandemic on mental health is not only underestimated but severely neglected.
“The psychological impact of the pandemic is grossly underestimated. Now we sit with trauma, bereavement, fear and panic,” clinical psychologist Heidi Burmeister-Nel warned.
She added that over the past year trauma specialists have noticed a “dramatic increase in depression and anxiety”, and increasingly a collective grief has taken hold of Namibians as the third wave of fatalities and hospitalisations rises steeply.
“It’s often a part of this pandemic that has been neglected,” she said.
The emotional toll brought on by a year of restrictions, including isolation, hospital visit bans, funeral limitations and more recently, a steep rise in infections and deaths, has worsened an already fragile mindset, clinical psychologist Iani De Kock said.
“There is lots of fear right now. Fear of getting the disease yourself, or fear of losing your loved ones.”
She added that Namibia is experiencing a form of complex and collective bereavement, that, if left unaddressed, can lead to long-term emotional scars.
“Brain scans show the impact of anxiety, depression, and trauma on the brain. If you think of mental illness as structural changes to your brain, these things do not happen overnight. With Covid-related mental disorders, which we are seeing now, these things are pervasive and long-term.”
She says there is thus a serious concern that “we will still sit with a whole bunch of people who now have long-term depressive, anxiety, obsessive disorders that will follow them around longer than Covid-19 does.”
New normal
A crucial step towards addressing the shock and trauma is to speak about it.
De Kock said it is critical to accept that in the new normal, “it is okay to not be okay.”
She added that it's also important to be aware of the emotional devastation wrought by the third wave.
“If there is anyone out there who is expecting that their spouses, their children, their employees are 100% in functioning mode and living their best lives, I think you have not been paying attention.”
Hermien Elago, an advocate for breaking the taboo around mental health issues and founder of Brave Hearts, stressed that the third wave has brought the pandemic into homes and workplaces like never before.
“It started from being a thing of numbers and now these numbers are people and it's people we know. It’s no longer just out there, it is here, it is in our homes.”
She added that multiple infections and deaths within families and communities have unleashed a cloud of despair and hopelessness.
“For most of us, it's not just one person. It’s one person after another.”
Tools
De Kock explained that normal grieving processes are hampered by a world that is not built to withstand the tragedy unfolding in Namibia. But there are steps to take to ensure healing is possible.
“From a mental health perspective, it is very important that we acknowledge the state of the world right now, that we acknowledge the impact it has on us. We have to normalise that it is okay to not be okay.”
The first step, she stressed, “is to speak about it.”
De Kock urges Namibians to show “a lot more empathy and compassion. Because just as much as we are struggling and grieving, we need to acknowledge that your colleague, your employee, are also really struggling. They are struggling with depression and anxiety. They are struggling with this new normal.”
Elago says her focus on mental health, and use of therapy over many years, has helped her put together a toolbox that has helped her weather the worst of the storm.
“Had I not had those tools that I got through therapy and spent years working on my mental health, I honestly believe that I would have died.”
She said therapy has helped her accept that “grief, fear, anxiety, they are constant companions and they serve a purpose. Integrating them, especially now, is important. We are all a little scared, we are all a little anxious.”
Economist John Steytler recently wrote about his own struggles with depression and anxiety linked to the burnout he was diagnosed.
He said in Namibia “mental well-being is still a taboo topic”, but stressed that the impact of Covid-19 on mental health has left few unscathed and there is an urgent need to break the taboo.
“We have to demystify this taboo and talk about it openly.”
Apart from acknowledging the collective grief and trauma, another step is to stand together and to find meaning in these unprecedented times, Burmeister-Nel recommends.
“Despite being isolated, we can be connected. We can stand with each other, and care for each other. We need to be kind and generous and loving towards each other.”
[email protected]
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