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I usually don& #39;t share articles here, but I found this very interesting. (thread)
There Are Not Enough Asian Therapists by Jennifer Lu https://link.medium.com/jGz9ZVEqJ6 ">https://link.medium.com/jGz9ZVEqJ...
There Are Not Enough Asian Therapists by Jennifer Lu https://link.medium.com/jGz9ZVEqJ6 ">https://link.medium.com/jGz9ZVEqJ...
Aside from getting a major in education, I also took on psych science as an additional major. I learned a lot about psych, esp developmental, family, and social psych. Because of this pandemic, I have been explaining a lot about the importance of psych to my mom...
My mom, someone who felt very overwhelmed at the beginning of the pandemic, didn& #39;t understand the ongoing changes of human thought of behavior. She also couldn& #39;t explain the discomfort she had been feeling as well...
So, there would be times that I explained the situation to her in psychological terms, such as how humans are social animals that need human interaction in order to function, so it becomes difficult to not go outdoors and be with others...
Alternatively, it becomes vital for people to stay in contact via online platforms because it helps keep them socially active. They seek human presence (such as attention) because solitude can haunt the mind. They are not used to the lack of human presence...
which makes it more likely for them to refuse to go outdoors. Sure, there are some people who are comfortable without going outdoors, but they may feel extremely uncomfortable once they do go outside during the pandemic and see the changes that have been made...
in compliance to social distancing orders, and it makes them feel uncomfortable as well. The masks reduces human expression, everyone is fending for themselves, many are angry, many are scared, etc...
which leads to the next point: people do not want the virus to take control of their lives. It has already taken over the social aspect of their lives, so they have the need to take control of their own (and family) survival...
...and they did so by stock-piling household cleaning supplies, disinfectants, food, medicine, or just anything they need to 1) reduce germs, 2) make sure they have something that others don& #39;t, and 3) fill the emptiness that they have been feeling...
because they want to DO smth about the situation rather than sitting around & waiting for this pandemic to end. They can& #39;t sit tight knowing that there is smth that can be done about it, even if their methods are influenced by the media...
the media can& #39;t be entirely blamed b/c they are the informants of what is actually going on. However, some of their viewers end up becoming paranoid about "not having enough" of smth and then go out to "hoard" these items...
but little do they realize that they are contradicting their own beliefs-- they want to be safe from the virus, yet they are exposing themselves to the virus by going outside into packed stores just for the item that they WANT rather than NEED...
and this is thought bias leads to errors. People are frustrated and/or angry. Some have lost loved ones, and some want to be with their loved ones. This leads to errors in thought: they want something, someone to blame...
they keep thinking in the past tense. I "should have," "could have" done this or that. These thought processes exacerbates one& #39;s frustration, and these thoughts fill up the already stressed-out mind...
And then the person feels all kinds of emotions: fear, anger, sadness, hopeless, defeated. The events in the world are now unpredictable, and only time can tell--people fear this lack of control of their lives, and they will do all that they can to go back to equilibrium...
There are inequalities in this too. Not everyone has social support, and even worse--they may be stuck in households that worsens their mental health. They have to experience ongoing paranoia from their family, or constantly check on them so they do not put themselves at risk...
We& #39;re constantly looking out for one another, but we are also experiencing "us vs. them" in the process. We have to protect ourselves, but we also have to stay away from others--social distancing. Our thoughts are set, but become skewed...
We are seeing racism, specifically xenophobia, in the news/media, public, and online. Feelings become more salient. We begin to see the true colors of every individual, whether it be family, friends, coworkers, teachers, professors, etc...
Whether unintentional or not, we are able to observe human thought through their behavior/intentions. Is anyone at fault? Even I cannot say, because my thoughts is also biased in some way -- prone to errors. But there is something that we can do...
We are able to look out for one another. Pick up the phone, type up a text, open up a chat box, or type up an email to check up on your friends, loved ones, or anyone you are concerned about. But please, don& #39;t forget about yourself...
To maintain control of your life again, you need to feel in control. Take a break, listen to some music, practice relaxation techniques, practice meditation, do some yoga, make a sweat (exercise), take a walk / nap / bath, play some games, start a new hobby,...
....watch some shows/movies, draw / write / paint / read something, make a video, sing or write a song, etc. The overall message is to practice self-care. All of us have lost at least smth in our lives (concrete or abstract), so your feelings are valid...
If you need to take a break from the news, social media, your relationship(s), or family -- even if it is difficult, you know yourself best. Log off, step away, let them know; we need to heal, psychologically. Breathe. We can get through this.
//All of the things that I have discussed in this thread are things that I actually had to do in my life ever since the lockdown procedures began. I told my mom about how mental health is as important as physical health. Ever since then, my mom began to be more open-minded--
--and she began to look (and be) less overwhelmed over time. I was so scared when I saw the gradual deterioration of my mom& #39;s mental health. She has always been strong, but this pandemic almost broke her. I went to talk to her about all this stuff--
--and how she should always remember to let someone know about how she is feeling rather than keeping it in. She is a parent, but I wanted to let her know that it is okay to make herself vulnerable. Her children and husband are the only social support she has--
