How the Power of Positivity can help those living with an illness during a pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought its challenges, impacting the lives of many individuals in the world. It has affected people physically, emotionally and mentally, with the lockdowns and isolation periods often compared to prison sentences.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought its challenges, impacting the lives of many individuals in the world. It has affected people physically, emotionally and mentally, with the lockdowns and isolation periods often compared to prison sentences.
For those suffering with various conditions and illnesses, the anxiety surrounding the virus has been almost intolerable.
In March, a range of different health conditions were placed into a ‘high risk’ category by the government, including those with heart issues and those undergoing cancer treatments. They could not leave the house under any circumstances.
This decision was not taken lightly and meant that even the simplest tasks, such as going to the supermarket, were a danger and a threat to the lives of vulnerable people.
Pauline Jones *name changed at their request*, age 61 was diagnosed with Breast Cancer four years ago. Despite the cancer not being treatable, her condition is currently stable even though treatment was stopped during the pandemic. Understandably, this was a worry for her 22-year-old daughter, Sally Jones *name changed at their request*, who is currently studying on a fast-track journalism course.
“When my Mum's treatment was stopped, we were all very concerned,” she explained. “At the time I was trying to focus on my degree online and was constantly worried about her. We did not know whether her cancer would come back as we received very limited information on her condition from her doctors. It certainly made us all anxious and at times, rather angry.
Her shielding was definitely difficult for her because while she is a resilient person, the mental strain of being inside for 11 weeks is certainly challenging. She has said she was lucky to have me and my dad because she would have struggled a lot more if she was alone.
As a family, it has been a very tough year but we have pulled through together as a team, as we always do. We have been living with uncertainty for nearly five years ourselves, so the pandemic was just another obstacle for us all to face, together. We do not know what the future holds but I know we can tackle it together.”
According to the Mental Health charity Mind, one in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England and certain groups of people are more likely to suffer than others - one of these being those with differences in physical health.
Rachel Mary, a 20-year-old student in Liverpool, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2017. She knows only too well how vastly misunderstood the disease is, along with many other ‘invisible’ illnesses.
She said: “I imagine most people feel more fragile during the current circumstances, but with Crohn’s, there’s always a lot more I have to think about: hospital appointments, medication, shielding, and even going into supermarkets. Having a disease has, at times, felt like a massive burden during this pandemic.
I think at first it all felt really daunting. I didn’t want to mix with anyone and I felt scared every time I had to leave the house. However, I know that going outside is very good for my mental health so I tried to get some fresh air every day and take time for myself outside.”
Everyone I interviewed agreed it is important to remain positive. Focusing on this attitude is a valuable mindset to have, despite it being tough at the minute, explains Mary.
She added, “I’d encourage people to be kind to themselves. It’s very easy with a disease to be self-destructive and to heavily criticise yourself for not being able to function ‘normally’, and within that, it’s hard to find the time or strength to be kind to yourself mentally. But I’ve always found that, by accepting things as they are, making peace with your circumstances and then focusing on how to get better, I’ve been able to cope with my condition the best, helping during the pandemic.”
‘Crohn’s and Colitis UK’ are one of the many charities currently aiming to provide support for those who have been affected during the pandemic. They, along with other health organisation websites, have information on how people can keep a positive mental state during Covid-19.
Guidance on their website under the Mental health and wellbeing section suggests that when you have a chronic condition or illness such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, it can be easy to prioritise looking after physical symptom, but coping with a long-term condition can have a big impact on your mental well-being too. It has been reported that sufferers may be twice as likely to experience Mental health problems than the general population.
Leah Cox founded mental health blog ‘The Elephant in the Room’ during lockdown, offering advice and tips via social media on how to have a healthy mental well-being.
Sites such as these are becoming increasingly popular and are on the rise, defying and eradicating the decades-old stigma around having poor mental health
Cox said, “I have wanted to set up my blog ever since I got better from my own anxiety and depression. I was inspired by many people in lockdown doing positive things and as people’s mental health were being impacted massively because of lockdown, I thought this was the best time to start it.”
‘The Elephant in the Room’ is growing every day. Similarly to ‘Crohn’s and Colitis UK’, it focuses on specific areas when providing information to readers. There are sections focusing on topics including lockdown, grief and mindful hobbies. However, Cox isn’t alone in noticing changes to people’s Mental health because of the Pandemic.
The ‘National Hereditary Breast Cancer helpline’ was founded 1996 by Wendy Watson, a keen activist who has a family history of Breast Cancer. Gaining recognition from the likes of Princess Diana and the European Parliament, Watson set out to change the way the diagnosis system works and succeeded in allowing people to have access to preventive Breast Cancer surgery.
Throughout lockdown, Watson hosted Zoom calls to put many minds at ease, with hundreds watching and being worried about a delayed diagnosis due to screenings being stopped, ultimately affecting their Mental health.
Watson described the helpline as something that’s helped those who have ‘been in a muddle’ during the Pandemic, acting as a great support after some NHS services were stopped.
Karen Oakes, a Health Counsellor based in Cheshire, has also picked up on differences to those needing help with their Mental state due to the effects of Covid-19.
She said, “It (Mental health) is a subject I am passionate about as I have seen many clients who have experienced some fundamental and long-term positive changes regarding their mental well-being.
By embracing their real feelings as a result of feeling safe and being heard during Covid-19, consequently the client gains a greater understanding of themselves and hopefully begins to find a way forward as a result of a more positive view of themselves.”
Counselling is a great support system for those struggling with physical conditions and their mental well-being. However, the system is notoriously difficult to access and can take a long time to arrange, as Rachel Mary explained.
“During my experience with Crohn’s so far, I have sadly found that both medical and educational institutions have been poor when it comes to offering support for mental health. I have often felt isolated due to the waiting lists and it has taken up to 3 months to be seen by someone.”
She also described feeling ‘lonely’ and ‘left in the dark’ whilst waiting to be seen.
These services are essential for people like Mary, who suffer from conditions or illnesses which are known to statistically have an extreme impact on a person’s mental health. With prolonged delays for appointments often identified as a stumbling block, waiting to see a specialist can prevent sufferers from finding a positive way forward.
It isn’t all bad news, though. According to NHS Digital, 89.4% of referrals for those struggling with anxiety and depression waited less than six weeks for their first appointment, up from the figures in 2017/18. 99% of these people waited less than 18 weeks.
Mental health-based services are improving each year as the demand for help with this issue becomes more accepted and in-demand. If help is now easier to access, many who have suffered stand a better chance of regaining their positive mental attitude. This can only help.
