Coping with COVID-19

Did you ever believe this pandemic would go on so long? Isn’t it surreal to go shopping and seeing everyone masked up? I heard that in China they have monitors on people and anybody who has a temperature is whisked away to the hospital for a checkup. Their numbers are going down, ours aren’t.

A person I know who works at the CDC who predicted at the outset of the disease, that it was going to be a 16-month process. Dig in, we still have a year of this left to him. In the meantime, how do we cope? How do we cope when people we know are sick or dead? How do we cope when we lose our job? How do we cope when we are quarantined away from loved ones? And overall, how do we cope when we can’t go to a baseball game – the biggest crime of all!  And this isn’t even mentioning the civil unrest. Portland, my heart goes out to you. (I guess this should be in my next blog).

Where does therapy fit into the equation? It can’t bring back the dead, nor the job, nor the closeness with persons at risk. Are we destined to live in plastic sheeting, worrying about death by improper social distancing, or masking? Social interaction is a basic need for proper mental health, but as we are asked to separate, it separates us from that human contact that we need so much.

Yes, there is virtual interactions, which helps, but one to one contact, hugs, and kisses are not part of that computer programming (well at least the program I have). The most important part of therapy is the bond that is created with the therapist and the client. Over the internet, it seems that something is lacking, though it can take place. Still, the point here is that human survival has a social element that is lacking today.

So here we are separated, isolating, watching the same shows, and hoping that door dash will deliver the meal already. I don’t know about you, but my COVID diet has put on at least ten pounds. How’s about you? There is nothing to do, so why not eat, smoke pot, or have a drink. Has that helped?

I heard on the news this morning that Cannabis sales have spiked in the last few months. With the constant negativity in the air, most think, “Why the hell not?” Well, it seems like such a buzzkill to be inebriated and possibly facing illness, with no income, and death of loved ones.  

We can’t abuse ourselves enough to make ourselves feel better. And, isn’t this what we want in the first place? With all the negativity in the air, what is needed is to counterbalance it with positivity.

Changing the Negative

Years ago, I had the fortune of living in a haunted house. Yes, even doctors experience the paranormal, and I’ve got to tell you it was pretty cool, mostly. What I learned was that there were both positive and negative forces that were present and the only way to remain safe was to be positive. We meditated, lit candles, said some daily prayers, and this was out of necessity. If you didn’t center yourself, you were vulnerable to attack. (Check out my Burnward book, available on Amazon). (Okay, so I can plug myself every so often). By the way, this article is brought to you by…

Why I bring up the haunted house thing is because roommates placed a red light in their room, which seemed to draw in a negative element to the house. So, to combat this, I placed a blue light in my room. Therefore, I think that this is what the world needs right now, a bunch of blue lights.

All kidding aside, the point is, to change the negative feeling hanging over us, we need to keep our heads, be positive, and not add more negativity into an already stressful environment. A daily prayer and meditating on peace, health, and my favorite – Joy is a great solution. Have you heard of anything better? Why not attack this problem with love and joy?

There have been hundreds of studies on the power of collective prayer. When a group meditates on peace, the crime rates in that area drops 30%, and this has been repeated over and over again. Meditating on health can have a great impact on the world. Plus, it feels good.

Of course, a therapist is going to ask people to be sober, meditate on joy – well that’s if they attended a school on Spiritual Psychology – and of course, find avenues to socially interact. But using this as a starting block can drastically reduce stress because your efforts are combatting it.

I will leave you with an exercise to do. Hold one arm out in front of you. Come on, hold it out. Appease me for a second. There you go. Now with your other arm push down on it and note how strong you are. Next, fill your mind with negativity, i.e. “I am going to get sick and die”. Next, hold your arm out again and push down on it. Note if you are weaker or stronger.

This is called muscle testing. When we have negative thoughts, our body gets weaker and we are more vulnerable to illness. Now, check this out. Place your arm out one more time, surround yourself with great thoughts like, “You just won the lottery!” When you feel positive, push down on your arm again. Stronger or weaker?

Candice Pert got a Nobel Prize for proving that when we have positive thoughts, the brain secrets Peptides that enhance the immune system, makes us stronger, and slows down the aging process. I don’t think you could put that in your pipe and smoke it. Are you willing to exchange substances with joy?  

What makes you happy? Do it. Dance, play music, tell jokes, act like a kid again. There is science proving that when we surround ourselves in memorabilia from our youth we feel and act younger. Grow down I say, but be responsible when needed.

Compassionate Care is Always Available

There are many more tools and strategies you can use in your pursuit of happiness. Here is where we come in. Contact us at Basic Steps Mental Health and let us support and educate you on this journey back to your loving heart center. Imagine living a heart-centered life, regardless of what is happening externally. We’d love to be of help.

For 25 years, Dr. Scott Alpert, the clinical director of Basic Steps Mental Health, has treated over 7,000 people with mental health and addiction problems, using a Psychological approach that mixes and matches ten of the top approaches used in the industry.  We are here virtually and in-person to help you get through this COVID-19 pandemic and many other difficulties you may be experiencing.

May you have good mental health.