Chase DiMarco opens up about recent events that lead to personal anxiety and discusses how students can deal with anxiety and depression during COVID.
The medicine world has often been recognized as a stressful environment that sometimes hurts a medics' performance, physical health, and psychosocial well-being. Throw a global pandemic into the fray, and you'll find that even more medics are falling into a state of either depression or anxiety. Interestingly, medical practitioners are less likely to seek help because of the fear of being stereotyped or judged by their peers.
With the global suicide stats at an all-time high, it's high time we addressed the mental health issues in a COVID-fatigued society. Although Chase has faced bouts of anxiety since his high school, he has managed them with relative ease. However, a recent trigger event made him feel a little overwhelmed with what was happening around him. This trigger event helped him understand that no matter how small the issue you're facing might be, it has the potential to make you feel anxious or depressed. These triggers can come from anywhere, and it won't matter how insignificant they are; the thing to note is that they affect you, and you need to do something about them.
We unknowingly struggle with mental issues which means some of us seek help when it's too late. These little anxiety triggers are known to build up and eventually blow up, leading to a spike in negative thoughts crisscrossing through a person's mind. The most important step in the healing process is recognizing that you need help.
While different solutions can work wonders for different people, a couple of resources that worked for Chase might also work for you. With the pandemic restricting people's access to physical help, online platforms such as BetterHelp and TalkSpace are known to offer help via text, chat, or video calls. Chase advises people to try and seek help from neutral parties since close friends and family typically have a bias because of the relationship you have with them.
Learners have the most to lose when it comes to dealing with mental health issues. The fact that depression and anxiety can play havoc with one's memory makes it difficult for learners to ingest new material or answer a patient's questions. The mental issues will also affect your sleep patterns, and the longer you wait before seeking help, the longer it will take before you come back to a state of normalcy.
Chase's message for you today is that it might not be you who's battling depression and anxiety, but you might know someone who is. Not everybody has the guts to come out and talk about what's eating them. If you notice somebody acting differently from what you associate them with, be the friend and offer a listening ear, you'll be surprised by how big an impact you can have by just being there. You can also share this episode with them to let them know that they are not alone and that there is help. We live in trying times, and the best way to look out for one another is by being there for one another.
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