Podcast: Living With Mental Illness in the Lockdown

“Lockdown has been a blessing, I was forced to deal with my negative emotions and patterns and re-work them.”

(Image: iStock)

The lockdown has been ongoing for several months, and it is difficult for everyone. Adjusting to the 'new normal', the isolation and the uncertainty have caused an increase in our anxiety and depressive episodes.

How are people with mental illnesses dealing with this time? For Isha, the lockdown has worsened her anxiety and BDP diagnosis and pushed her to the edge of darkness.

The lockdown took me to my breaking point.

Isha

But for Maria, the lockdown provided an escape from her unhealthy routines and forced her to reckon with her emotions and behaviour patterns. "I had to really sit down with my emotions, and it has helped me immensely. In a lockdown, I could focus on myself without unhealthy distractions, and I was able to form healthy patterns. I exercise more often, my sleep pattern has become regularised, my online therapy helps as I was anxious to go in person before, and I have found healthy outlets like cooking.”

This lockdown time has been a blessing, I was forced to deal with my emotions.

Maria

Dr Ruksheda Syeda, a clinical psychiatrist, said that different disorders and people have different reactions. For those with social anxiety, this time has been a blessing. Some people with psychiatric issues like depression and anxiety have gotten worse. "It has been different, for some, economic pressures have pushed them into depression. For others, the option of online therapy has been a huge boon.”

Make sure to fill your feed with positive news too! It doesn’t matter if your algorithm shows you more puppy or baby pictures, some balance is needed to deal with the triggering news.

Dr Ruksheda Syeda, clinical psychiatrist

(The article was first published in FIT and has been republished with permission)