Mental health in isolation

Kai Yoshida

Distance learning seems like the evil, hideous, intolerable monster that rears its ugly head to cause all of our problems. Ultimately, it feels like the root of our anxiety, stress, and worsening mental health.

But during this time in a global pandemic, two underlying factors may have a tighter grip on society: isolation and poor physical health.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), from 2005 to 2017, adolescents who experienced depressive symptoms in the previous year increased by 52%. The reason? Social media and the dwindling phenomenon of face-to-face interaction.

Surprise, surprise–COVID-19, Zoom, and texting didn’t help the situation.

“The increase in mental health issues was because of students feeling so isolated. Zoom is a great way to connect with friends and family when you can’t in person. However, nothing compares to the interaction you have with people when you are face to face,” Tammy De Paoli, head Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) counselor, said.

No matter how easy it is to shut yourself in a room and escape from reality through video games and scrolling through TikTok, it is impossible to ignore that we are social creatures.

As COVID-19 has obstructed our basic social needs, interactions with people have all but disappeared. Regular encounters, like waving to a classmate during a passing period or ordering from a waiter, are some things most of us haven’t experienced for over a year. Without adequate social interaction, our mental health begins to deteriorate. Feelings of loneliness can intensify and, if left untreated, can evolve into depression.

“Meeting with friends is super important. Going for Starbucks, a walk, or if you both have dogs take them to the dog park together,” Shelly Bustamante, coordinator of Students Offering Support (SOS) and mental health counselor, said.

It is an excellent goal to actively reach out and meet up with friends weekly. In doing so, strengthening social bonds and increasing interactions reduces the likelihood of depression.

“Ever since school resumed last August, I’ve met up with friends every week or two. Before that, I was much more isolated, but I never felt lonely,” Griffin Svec-Burdick, a junior, said.

The Mayo Clinic lists low energy, anxiety, and a perpetual bad mood as some symptoms of depression.

As we spend most of our time slouching in chairs, more than a few of us have experienced these hardships. Nowadays, it’s a hassle dragging yourself out of your room and to the fridge just to get a snack, let alone hiking out the front door to walk around the neighborhood.

Because of this, we see a strong correlation between physical and mental health. If one goes down, the other will often follow. Many studies have shown physical exercise is an effective “all-natural” treatment against depression.

As reported by Harvard Medical School, low-intensity exercise develops nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, the region in the brain that regulates mood, which alleviates the symptoms of depression.

“I have asthma, and I don’t play sports, but I walk all over the place. It’s not uncommon for me to go out for two or three hours, sometimes much longer,” Svec-Burdick said. “I usually walk alone, but sometimes with friends. I’ll admit, there are plenty of days where I don’t get any exercise, but it balances out in the end.”

Along with exercise, keeping healthy habits can improve mental situations. One of these habits involves a good diet. Unfortunately, that means that ordering the same steak burrito every lunch isn’t exactly balanced.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reports that a large portion of patients with mental disorders have nutrient deficiencies, and providing daily supplements of nutrients often helps alleviate their symptoms. Spicing up your pallet with more variety and hitting all the food pyramid categories will provide key nutrients your body and mind need.

Finally, it’s always essential to get your sleep. The structure in our daily lives has fallen apart, and in doing so, many people’s sleeping patterns have crumbled. Staying up super late, sleeping in every day, and getting a three-hour power nap are big no-nos in terms of mental and physical health. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, hitting the sweet spot of eight hours of sleep can give your body the proper amount of rest and increase your emotional resilience, relieving some symptoms of depression.

With the added stress of distance learning, isolation and poor physical health can take a heavy toll on our brains.

Increasing social interaction and staying physically healthy are steps to take towards easing symptoms of depression. Yet, they are not cures. If you show any symptoms of worsening mental health, reach out to professionals for help.

“At Carlmont, we are lucky to have eight full-time school counselors, a mental health specialist, Ms. Bustamante, and an intervention counselor, Ms. Torres. Although counselors have recently been doing registration appointments, we always make time for the mental health needs of our students,” DePaoli said.

Kasey Liu

“How are you?” your therapist might ask. Or not.

“How has your week been?” your therapist might ask. Or not.

“How have you been feeling?” your therapist might ask. Or not.

While therapy is an individualized experience, many agree that therapy has helped them in unimaginable ways.

“Therapy has helped me better understand myself. It’s helped me learn about what I want and what I need. It’s also helped me understand my behaviors and habits, like why I feel the way I do, why I do things, and why I do things I don’t want to do,” Marguerite Fields, a junior, said.

Like Fields, many find that therapists’ third-person perspective can help them sort through their problems. Therapists often reframe the issues clients talk about, which allows clients to view their own actions through a different lens.

“Sometimes you can be so zoomed in on one problem that you develop a sort of tunnel vision, and you continue focusing on the negative. Therapists can help you find a bit more balance,” Mindy Chiang, the Carlmont Chinese teacher, said.

Although therapists may use similar techniques, such as reframing a problem or displaying empathy, not all therapists are the same. Some may guide clients to a solution and give advice, while others may just be an outlet to discuss problems with. In some cases, clients might even prefer getting into the details of what chemicals in their brain make them feel the way they do.

Emily van Sebille, a Carlmont English teacher, equates the various techniques used in therapy to differing styles of teaching.

“You teach the way that you learn best, and I think therapists do the same thing. They try to help in the way they want to be helped,” van Sebille said.

Therapists often apply the techniques that they’ve experienced and have worked best for them since they’ve also been to therapy as part of their training. Because of this, it’s important to remember that not all therapists are the same, and a negative first experience shouldn’t be a deterring factor.

“Think about it like a dating app. Your first session is like your first date—your first swipe. You might not like them right away,” van Sebille said.

However, finding the right therapist is important. If you and your therapist don’t click, that’s okay! You won’t hurt their feelings; they truly want the best for you, and sometimes the best may not be with them.

“Therapists are there to help you. You pay them to listen to you and help you with your problems. In my experience, they really care about people, which is why they do what they do,” Fields said.

Susan Ko, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology, encourages those who may be unsure about whether or not therapy is right for them.

“I may be biased, but I definitely recommend it. We live in a busy world, and therapy is about taking time for yourself, increasing your awareness of why things are going on, and creating time and space to learn about what you need. It’s the ultimate way to care for yourself,” Ko said.

Although therapy is significantly beneficial for mental health, it has been an entirely different

experience during the pandemic. Sessions occur virtually since it’s unsafe for clients and therapists to sit in the same room. This change in style has impacted the effectiveness of therapy, as many fear that the people they live with might hear the things they discuss.

“If I’m talking about how it’s difficult to be with my family sometimes, I’m afraid that someone might hear and get hurt. I have a younger sister, and I don’t want to upset her with things that she doesn’t have to worry about,” Avantika Swaminathan, a sophomore, said.

Some may also feel that the lack of human connection damages the therapy experience overall.

Furthermore, while therapy is a beneficial experience to most, there still exists a negative stigma around it. This stigma can be based on a variety of factors, such as race.

“A lot of people of color think it’s a ‘white person’ thing, which is not true. A lot of people also view therapy as a weakness because it’s like admitting something’s wrong with you,” Sofie Hai, a junior, said.

Contrary to popular belief, going to therapy doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. Everyone goes through their own problems, and many find benefits in discussing them with a licensed professional. Hai equates this experience with broken glass.

“You’re not going to ignore broken glass on the ground; you’re going to pick it up, not pretend that nothing’s wrong. It’s just like going to therapy to pick yourself up,” Hai said.

Therapy is an impactful way to sort through problems and better understand feelings, and it can further lead to improvements in health, both mentally and physically. KASEY LIU “With less of a weight on my shoulders and spending less time ruminating about various things in my life, I was able to sleep a lot better,” Swaminathan said.

Getting enough sleep is a physical change that has a great impact on mental health. According to Harvard Medical School, treating a sleep disorder may help alleviate symptoms of mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Additionally, many believe that therapy is only an outlet for those with significantly damaging mental illnesses, such as depression. However, it’s important to recognize that everyone’s struggles are equally valid.

“Everyone’s their own person; they have their own struggles and their own problems, so conversations with therapists are unique for everyone,” Brian Yan, a junior, said.

But, no matter what issues you face, it can be daunting to delve into them with another person since these issues often stem from our deepest insecurities. However, Milo Lee, a junior, notes that therapy is truly an individualized experience.

“You really don’t have to share every single thing with your therapist. You can talk about anything you like until you get the feel of what therapy is like, and then you can dive deeper into other things,” Lee said.

Ultimately, it’s crucial to remember that therapists want what’s best. They’re there to help people, not judge them.

“Their one job is to not judge you and listen to and absorb what you’re saying,” Swaminathan said. “It’s the one place where you can speak freely, and you don’t have to keep that burden all on your own.”