Your Mental Health Matters

We may finally be turning the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic,

but the impact on our mental and emotional health lingers. Many frontline healthcare workers continue to struggle with stress, depression and burnout. If this sounds familiar, here’s what you need to know to care for yourself.

What to Look For

  • Dramatic mood changes, from high to low and back again
  • Difficulty focusing
  • Restlessness and fatigue
  • Prolonged feelings of sadness, worry or being “on edge”
  • Poor sleep and eating habits
  • Avoiding friends or social activities you used to enjoy
  • Overuse of substances like drugs and alcohol
  • Suicidal thoughts

When to Reach Out

It’s okay to not be okay…except when it isn’t. You don’t need to be in crisis before asking for help. If any of the above symptoms are affecting your daily life, reaching out to a medical professional is the first step toward a treatment plan that can put you on the path to feeling better.

Find the Support You Need

When you are struggling, trying to find help can feel like another task to add to your to-do list.

Karinn Glover, MD, MPH

PHOTO: OREN SIDDO

If you are not experiencing a mental health emergency, your primary care physician can be a good place to start. Your doctor can not only address any physical symptoms but can also connect you with a counselor, therapist or psychiatrist. You can check to see if they are in our network at findadoc.1199SEIUBenefits.org.

Our Wellness Member Assistance Program’s team of trained social workers and counselors can also help you and your eligible dependents find mental health support. All information shared is confidential, and multilingual options are available. For more information, contact the Wellness Member Assistance Program at (646) 473-6900.

You can also go directly to Teladoc.com to view the profiles of behavioral-health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals to schedule an appointment via video or phone. You can also call them at (800) TELADOC (835-2362).

There are multiple ways to address well-being. Having a good laugh, eating good meals that include vegetables and fruits, spending time in nature, and forms of exercise like dancing are all very important. Group therapy, individual psychotherapy and in certain cases, medication, can play a vital role in maintaining well-being, too.

Karinn Glover, MD, MPH
Attending, Adult Outpatient Psychiatry at Montefiore;
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine