What are some coping mechanisms?

On March 16, a grassroots committee hosted the Worland Mental Fitness Fair at the Worland Community Center.

Members of the panel were Dr. Ralph Louis, psychologist from Oxbow Center in Basin; Janae Harman, owner of Family Circle Counseling in Worland; Mary Johnson, CEO of Oxbow Center in Worland; and Carol Bell, provisionally licensed therapist at Foundations Counseling in Cody.

The panel answered questions. The Northern Wyoming News is covering the questions on a weekly basis.

The pandemic lockdowns created mental challenges for many people, especially youth. What are some coping mechanisms for things like social withdrawal and germaphobia?

Louis: I know personally, the lockdown time was hard. It was hard for me who was not going to work every day working from home. It was not being able to see the people I see on a regular basis. Not being able to carry out my normal routine, it was it was hard. It was stressful. It was a challenge.

The coping mechanism that I use in this kind of a situation is to look at the situation as realistically as I can. So what are the limits to what I can do? What can I realistically do? How can I accept that? Because I don't have an option not to accept it. That's the reality of my life at this time. But that doesn't stop me from thinking about the rest of my life and what I want to do and making plans and looking at what can I do in this moment, that will move me closer to where I want to be further on in my life.

So even though I can't do the things that are my normal, my routine, my everyday stuff, I'm limited, I can still use my brain, use my mind to think about how things are going in my life. I can use this time for reflection. I can use this time to do some mindfulness and think about where am I, what is going on in the world right now what is going on in my life. And I can use that to do something today. Some little thing maybe, but do something now in the present moment to move me closer to where I want to go.

Harman: One of the most basic fundamental needs for people is to feel safe. I think that when COVID happened, the world didn't feel safe. And people got really nervous, because the things that they could feel safe about, and kind of take for granted, like just going out, going to the store, doing those daily things, didn't feel so safe anymore. And so it's not uncommon that people have gotten stuck in that feeling of it's not safe.

So if you're stuck in that, and you're still dealing with that it would be helpful to get some assistance with that. Because sometimes when you get stuck in that neurological fight or flight, you can get held there, and you want to find some method to get yourself back out and to realize that there is a lot of safety that you can access.

Of course, there's always things in the world that don't feel safe, but you want to be able to see what is. Sometimes we just get stuck into that that fear and survival mechanism.

Bell: Janae's comment made me think about another basic human need, which is connection. And I think that during COVID, a lot of us got really good at using technology to pretend to ourselves that we're connecting. And even now that COVID is over, and we can get together with our friends or go back to going to church in person, or rejoin the world, we are now in the habit of connecting through technology.

I noticed in myself that if I'm stressed or overwhelmed or struggling, I turn to my phone, or my television or my computer. Before COVID I would have called a friend to take a walk or come over and have a cup of tea.

I do feel like just checking in with yourself about your use of technology. And thinking a little bit about how vital connection to others is to our health and well-being and pushing yourself maybe to return to your old ways of being in community.

Next week's topic: How does a therapist address traumatic brain injuries?