Fighting a pandemic in the mind

Ten minutes before our scheduled telephonic chat with Tina Fernandes this writer received an SOS from her on WhatsApp Will he declare an Emergency Fernandes had discovered on social media about Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation for the second time in less than a week The last time he had imposed JanataCurfew a 14hour national lockdown Now having read a spurious news story online which listed how India was readying for an Emergency Fernandes was expecting something more dreadfulFernandes 32 admits that this state of uneasiness has found permanent room in her mind especially since she started working from home two weeks agoThe Mumbaibased content writer was diagnosed with mixed anxietydepressive disorder MADD in 2016 while she was in Europe to pursue a degree The symptoms fluctuated from elevated moods of extreme happiness and confidence to unwarranted stress where shed experience shortness of breath and severe palpitations During these phases shed struggle to get out of bed It was only after seeking psychiatric help that she developed a routine which included yoga and long walks in the park every day It helped me calm downFernandes returned to Mumbai last year and got a job with a media house in Lower Parel Here she found another lifesaving routinemdashfixed working hours This meant that she woke up on time ate meals at regular intervals and slept before 10 pm I was in a happy place she shares And then the corona scare struck forcing the government to implement strict measures to keep the crowds in check Nothing is the sameFernandes like others coping with mental health conditions finds herself struggling Social distancing and isolation which appear to be the only weapons to currently fight the pandemic are taking a toll Suddenly it feels like I am trapped in a room which is getting smaller with oxygen depleting by the day says Lekha Rane an HR professional diagnosed with clinical anxietyTwentythreeyearold Sanjana S is pursuing a masters degree in education at a university in Bengaluru I have generalised anxiety disorder which means that everything and anything can make me anxious says Sanjana who hails from Jaipur and lives alone away from home in an apartment in the city Her college shut down on March 6 and students were requested to leave My parents too insisted that I return home But anxiety kicked in and the very thought of leaving my house and boarding a flight made me panicWith all her friends having left Sanjana has spent most of the month locked up in her flat Every day is a challenge There is no routine so I am constantly thinking about my parents who are old and vulnerable to the illness It has made me a wreck she saysMumbaibased Rachana Iyer who heads corporate social responsibility at a leading financial institution lives with a mental health condition that manifests itself in extreme mood swings bouts of depression and low distress tolerance Iyer has launched a peer support group on WhatsApp called The Mind Knows No LockdownHaving social support can make it easy feels Keenan Dias 35 a Mumbaibased sales professional Diagnosed in January last year with bipolar II disorder Diass symptoms range from mild mania to depressive episodes Since his diagnosis Dias hasnt had a single episode but the lockdown means that his work and gym schedules have gone for a toss This can immediately affect the mood But because I live with family I have been able to cope In fact I had an opportunity to work abroad but with my condition I need support to keep myself together Now that I do I can bond better Dias also keeps a mood diary where he writes his thoughts down Ever since he started practising social distancing he has been writing letters to friends too Of course you need to take your medication on time You cant afford to skip especially when everything around seems to be falling apartBut access to medicines is the other hurdle Earlier this week midday had reported that because psychiatric patients didnt have fresh prescriptions from their doctors they were struggling to get medicines at drugstores While the Maharashtra Medical Council MMC has allowed for sending prescriptions online psychiatrists say chemists need instructions from the Food and Drug Administration FDA to accept soft copies Last week American health organisation National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI in its online resource guide to cope during the pandemic isolation had suggested that mental health care providers give 90day supplies versus a 60 or 30day supply to their patientsVrushali Reddy 23 a data analyst from Gurugram has bipolar and borderline personality disorder which impacts the way she perceives herself Reddy confirms that she has faced a shortage of medicines but adds with my condition the thought of stepping out to buy medicines too can be terrifying The medication needs to be taken daily and at a particular hourShe eventually did go to the drugstore this week Here the problem again is that chemists tend to be wary of giving you medicines with higher doses without a prescription because there is always the risk of overdose But its not all bleak Health practitioners nonprofits and counsellors have come together to facilitate helplines online therapy sessions and support groups Mumbaibased Rachana Iyer who heads corporate social responsibility at a financial institution lives with a condition that manifests itself in extreme mood swings bouts of depression and low distress tolerance Diagnosed two years ago Iyer a mental health advocate has been working on keeping herself mentally and physically fit I am a social person and my work involves a lot of travel across India to urban and rural areas she says It has now come to a halt I also find it hard to be cooped up in the house it has brought my exercise routine at the gym to a standstill Initially I used to be anxious angry and distressed with what is happening around us says Iyer 30 She has learnt to channel the pain productivelyNaina Shahri counselling psychologist and associate at The Alternative StoryLast Wednesday Iyer launched a peer support group on WhatsApp called The Mind Knows No Lockdown The need for it has risen from my own experience of social isolation All of us are facing our own peculiar challenge during the lockdown The purpose of this social media challenge is to support each other despite the social distancing to get more in tune with ourselves I see this as a chance to go inward to reflect and adopt good habits and practices There is no big or small goal she saysIn the group which currently has 21 members from across the globe including Pakistan Nigeria and Australia every individual shares their goals for each of the 21 days sharing updates on the progress at the end of every day From hydrating regularly to being mindful of our breath to getting exercise in to getting good sleep and not binge eatingmdashall of these goals are important and this is a good time to define what we want to achieve in the 21day lockdown Of course transformation and mind mastery takes time but we can surely use the forced isolation to push ourselves to let our mind overpower anxiety the negative voices and sadness hopes IyerThe group has a rule though Members cant discuss negative news rumours share forwards or pass judgements on each others goals All of us already have too many groups we are part of theres enough clutter The motive was to create a safe and sacred space for all of us to support each otherMental health service The Alternative Story which provides offline as well as online counselling has moved its therapy online for now Last Friday Paras Sharma the founder and mental health professional hosted an online meetup where he discussed what it means to live in quarantine Naina Shahri counselling psychologist and associate at The Alternative Story says that there has been an increase in the number of enquires for therapy since the time people were asked to self quarantine People are generally feeling anxious Theres uncertainty over what the next few weeks will look like People are unsure if they should travel home or stay put Most of us are afraid how we will get through the lockdown without having enough groceries or medicines she saysShishir Joshi CEO Project Mumbai has launched a 12hour helplineSurabhi Dand a psychotherapist practising alternative healing therapy has been conducting guided healing meditation sessions on WhatsApp with a range of messages and audiobytes We sit at our different locations and collectively meditate at 10 pm Its helping people keep the balance and strengthen their selfesteem Negative feelings and fear impact immunityOne of the initiatives that has taken off in a big way is a 12hour helpline service initiated by Shishir Joshi CEO and founder of nonprofit Project Mumbai The Free Counsellors on Call facility comprises a team of 50 trained counsellors working from 8 am to 8 pm across languages including Marathi Hindi English Gujarati Malayalam Punjabi and Kannada Joshi launched the nonprofit 18 months ago with a mental health programme in BMC schools So this mental health wasnt alien territory Its been one of our passion spaces Since I am on the BMC commissioners task force I thought let me look at the gaps I realised that if I personally was experiencing stress what would the most vulnerable be feeling right now Each phone call lasts 15 minutes and each counsellor works on a sixhour shift Its not a helpline for coronavirus We are here for mental wellness so our job is to offer solutions We will continue with this till the situation calls for itMalvika Fernandes a counsellor who is leading the mental health programme for Project Mumbai says she receives an average of 15 calls daily some from the US from young Indians who are worried about their elderly parents back home Right now we are acknowledging everybodys feelings There will be people who are severely affected and others who are just doing okay Any and every feeling is valid and legitimate On the few occasions when Fernandes feels that the callers need professional therapy she passes on referral numbers from their databaseSurabhi Dand certified pranic healer and psychotherapist conducts guided healing meditation sessions on WhatsApp at 10 pm every dayDr Kersi Chavda practising psychiatrist and consultant at Hinduja National Hospital says this is the time to be united psychologically He says Attempt to improve relationships and do see a psychiatrist if there are psychological issues running in the family rather than paying heed to a lot of nonsense that flies around on social mediaShahri says that the times are such that people are going to feel nervous and lost Witnessing widespread illness death and isolation are conditions that can naturally bring up questions about human existence Many people I have spoken to are experiencing existential angst I want to tell them that this is a shared experience and nobody is alone in feeling soSome names have been changed on requestSix steps to mental fitness1 Switch off from bad news If you are feeling overwhelmed by the news disengage from it for a while Switching off your phone and television and doing an activity that requires your attention and engagement will help2 Stay connected with friends relatives If you have WiFi or Internet video call friends and check about how theyre doing Tell them what youve been up to Isolation very often is ground for mental health concerns to grow3 Have a routine Today is characterised by uncertainty and one way to feel in control is to know how your day looks like It is natural for schedules to get disrupted when we are at home In this process our sleep and eating routines might be influenced which cumulatively impacts our mental wellbeing4 Set boundaries with work Working from home can spill into your time to doing other things We may feel we have more time since we are saving on commuting time but its on the contrary This might lead to exhaustion5 Divide house work duties Many women are exhausted because household chores are assumed to be their responsibility and is aggravated because house helps are not coming to work Division of duties will help members fit in responsibilities into their daily schedule6 Engage in selfcare This is a term that is often discussed and is essential to these times Selfcare can look different for different people Some people might like journaling some may take to a form of art to express emotions for some it might be working out Pick whatever you like to do Naina Shahri counselling psychologist and associate at The Alternative StoryWhere to get helpFree counselling Nonprofit Project Mumbais counsellors are available for WhatsApp calls in various languages For helpline numbers visit projectmumbaiorgOnline therapy The Alternative Story is currently providing individual and organisational wellbeing services online Visit alternativestoryin50The number of helpline numbers made available by Project Mumbai 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