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Protecting Your Mental Health During the COVID Crisis

South Dakotans are being asked to drastically change the way they live their daily lives. Children are home from school. Thousands of people are working from home. Health care workers are building capacity and learning how to take care of themselves while caring for us during a pandemic. Grocery store employees and others are working long hours opening boxes and filling shelves.

The pandemic impacts everyone differently, but it is stressful for almost everyone. What about people who already struggle with mental illness? What if you've been diagnosed with OCD and have been dreading this scenario for years? What if events on the news trigger your PTSD, deepen your depression, or interrupt your mental health follow-up care.

Lori Walsh: Today we talk mental health in South Dakota with Malia Holbeck. She's manager for Avera Behavioral Health Outpatient Services. Malia, thanks for joining us today.

Malia Holbeck: Thank you.

Lori Walsh: Tell us a little bit, first of all, about services. Are they still available through Avera if people have appointments? How were adjustments being made to protect healthcare workers and patients?

Malia Holbeck: So, things kind of are changing day by day, but what we're currently doing is we are still open and we're still offering services to individuals that are needing mental health and addiction services at this time. So, some of the extra precautions that we're taking in our clinics for people wanting to receive those services is we're just asking the questions when they come in. So, had they been traveling recently? Had they potentially been exposed to anyone that has been sick or experiencing symptoms of the Covid-19? Do they have a fever? Are they coughing? And runny nose.

If they are experiencing any of those or if they have said yes to any of those questions, we just ask that they would stay home until some of those symptoms have cleared or until they are feeling better, too. We do have a lot of people that are calling and asking questions, too, "Is programming still available?", where they are able to come in, too? They're also very conscious about wanting to make sure that they're keeping other people safe. So, a lot of people are letting us know too ahead of time over the phone that they are feeling a little under the weather and asking for our advice and on what to do. Right now, we're just asking them that they stay home until those symptoms do resolve.

Lori Walsh: When you look at a scenario like this, and we've been through other very stressful times before ... We even had stories about mental illness and stress during the impeachment hearings, where people had an increased level of trying to manage their symptoms or just really mitigating the effects of stress. Do you see higher numbers, a greater need in the communities you serve?

Malia Holbeck: I think it is. It's definitely there. Again, things continue to change day by day with this. So, I think when we're not able to really kind of expect what the next day is going to bring, what the next week is going to bring, what additional changes might come out as far as kind of our day to day activities, I think it does cause for some worry and some anxiety, because oftentimes there's planning that needs to get involved for different people. So, what does that look like for work? What does that look like for childcare? And a variety of other things as well.

Lori Walsh: Give us some mental health hygiene tips. We're all washing her hands and social distancing. What are some of the things that people either already have mental health issues ... I'm guessing stay up to date on your medication might be one of those recommendations. What else would be your mental health hygiene tips?

Malia Holbeck: I think that it's continuing just to be able to follow through with some of those healthy habits that do keep us healthy all year around, too. We're all doing the best that we can with washing our hands and making sure that we're covering our cough, so to help to reduce some of that spread as well. But then also just making sure that we're eating healthy foods, and taking care of our bodies, and making sure that we're drinking plenty of water, and in exercise, too. That always can be very beneficial. And making sure that we were getting enough sleep as well. Then just avoiding things that can be toxic to our bodies too, so making sure that we're not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or drinking a lot of caffeine.

Lori Walsh: Yeah. So, stay in touch with your mental health care provider if you have an ongoing serious of mental illness. How do we check in on each other? Because a lot of us ... I mean, if maybe you don't have a problem, it's a time to reach out to other people who might need a little extra ... you know, that counselor on the phone. Talk a little bit about how we can support one another, Malia.

Malia Holbeck: I think that it's helpful for everybody just to be able to kind of talk to other people. Some people would benefit more from talking to a professional. Right now, again, a lot of these mental health counseling agencies are open, where you're able to still access that. But I think, not only with mental health counseling, but I think a lot of different places too are starting to explore those additional options of what are we able to do virtually, just to make sure that people are able to access some of those services too.

So, I think you'll start to see maybe some of your mental health providers providing some information about how you can continue to stay connected virtually. So, they're able to still be able to stay safe, follow through with some of those guidelines and recommendations that are out there, and then be able to still access some of those services that they're needing, too. But I'd also recommend too reaching out to friends and family, too, and just being able to kind of talk about some of the things that are going on, too. That can also be very healthy for everyone as well.

Lori Walsh: And take a break every once in a while. I know I had to turn my phone off for a little bit yesterday. I just told the people closest to me like, "I'm shutting down for two hours to breathe."

Malia Holbeck: Well, and another thing, there's a lot of information that is out there. It's hard to turn on a TV and not see something about the Covid-19 right now. So, there's a lot of information getting pushed out, too. I think it is wise just to be able to shut some of that off and put that aside, because I think we do get very overwhelmed and can get very consumed in all that information that is out there right now about this virus.

Lori Walsh: All our information is on our website. You can access it later if you need a break from listening to it live. Malia Holbeck, thank you so much. We appreciate your time.

Malia Holbeck: Yes. You bet.

Access all of SDPB's COVID-19 resources at www.sdpb.org/covid