Is our mental health the after-shock?

I was talking with a friend today and her tone was markedly different. The upbeat person I know was replaced by someone who was brimming with anger. 

For her, the anger was targeted at the closure of the national parks. It was the final straw, on top of so much rapid change to life, work, home.  

But what if it was more than that?

Now, full disclosure, I’m no therapist. But after I sat on it for a few hours, I wondered whether she was grieving.

It got me thinking about the seismic shift in our world in the last two weeks. All of a sudden our range of choices has been limited to an ever-shortening list that we’re not accustomed to. 

I realize this post may set off a tirade of shaming; we’re so fortunate to live in a democracy with public health care and a social safety net. Let me assure you, I’m well aware that there are great concerns on the hierarchy of needs at the moment. 

But mental health also requires our attention. A column today in the Globe and Mail by the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association put this issue on the front-burner. Post-pandemic, mental health issues could be the after-shock we are equally unprepared for. Another great Globe and Mail piece by Robyn Urback highlighted the connection between “economic peril” and mental health.

I don’t have tips to offer. All I ask is that we give ourselves plenty of grace as we adjust and perhaps grieve the interim loss of social connections and the routines that give balance to our lives. 

But this I know for sure: we all need to move through these dramatic changes. By listening and talking with others perhaps we can find yet more common ground in our experience of grief, worry and disappointment.

There has never been a better time to pick up the phone and call a friend, family or neighbour.