Reflecting on the rise and fall of mental health
Written by Ali Grutchfield, Graphic by District Staff
In this year of constant chaos, only one thing remains the same: everyone spends all of their time at home. Although it was fun to bake bread and do puzzles for a few weeks, it is becoming harder to maintain a healthy work-life balance when they exist in the same space. While some people are dealing with increasing perfectionism and hyper fixation, others have developed a pessimistic and depressive outlook that hinders everyday joy. These two opposing issues stem from the same source, as being home forever is not a sustainable lifestyle.
Personally, I have always prided myself on being such a determined and ambitious person with a great work ethic. However, this has become a toxic trait as I am now signing up for more clubs, internships and classes than ever before. I wanted to be able to say that I succeeded during quarantine, to lie and pretend I enjoyed the isolation. I felt like I needed to use this time productively so that I could bounce back when COVID-19 ends — if ever. My life is now synonymous with pedaling too fast down a steep mountain. I reap the high feeling of being on top of the world but at the same time I’m spinning out of control and if I don’t slow down soon, I will crash. My once victorious and superior attitude has become one of anxiety and obsessive personality compulsion.
A first-year SCAD student and friend of mine has developed opposite issues. She no longer feels any motivation to get out of bed. Because the past year has put everyone in isolation, she doesn’t see anything in the future to be working towards. Rather than her home becoming only a place of work, it’s now simply a cage of pessimism.
Conceptually, society can acknowledge the progress in returning to normalcy but the tunnel seems to be getting longer. The light is becoming further and further away. This is causing mental fatigue and decay as rates of depression and substance abuse soar. According to a CDC poll, 40% of United States adults report struggling with mental health or substance abuse as a result of the pandemic.
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, take this time to check in on friends and family because you never know who is struggling. As the pandemic drags on, it is important for mental health to be at the forefront of everyone’s priorities. Because while we may never get the last year back, sanity and health are forever. Acknowledge your own successes and failure but have grace in this time where the only thing constant is change. You are more than your G.P.A., performance evaluation, salary or sleep schedule.
You are more than your mental illness.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Awareness Services Hotline: 1-800-662-4357.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
