May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and the pandemic has certainly impacted several people and their mental state.

Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Heather Wilson with Greene County Medical Center says the last two years of the pandemic has put additional stress on everyone’s lives, including having to sometimes be isolated from people.

“We’re very social creatures. So when we have to isolate because it’s a pandemic it does have an effect on our mental health. And there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding each of us on a daily basis, not only the pandemic, but basic anything going on in the world right now. So another thing to think about is the effects of grief on us. Like when we do lose people we love and care about, or even people we know to the pandemic that absolutely has a huge impact on us.”      

Wilson points out the negative stigma that still exists with those who have problems with mental health.

“They have the assumption that they’re going to be deemed crazy or people are going to judge them, which isn’t true. Just like physical health, if someone had a broken arm, you wouldn’t tell them not to go to the doctor. The idea is to treat it as our overall health. If you don’t feel well mentally have it examined, have your mental health looked at, and have that process started so you can tell when you need that extra assistance.”  

Wilson notes there are several resources available for those needing help with their mental health, including seeing your primary care provider, a mental health counselor or therapist and in crisis situations, there are mobile crisis units, behavioral health and crisis intervention facilities, along with a hospital’s emergency room.