Guest, Dr. David Susman PhD - Impacts of the Pandemic on Our Mental and Physical Health

Our guest, Dr. David Susman, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist, Professor at the University of Kentucky, a Mental Health Advocate, and writer. Links to his contact info and work are below.

On this episode of Moments of Clarity with Tiffany, Dr. David Susman PhD, joins Tiffany Werhner for a great conversation between two mental health professionals. Dr. Susman speaks honestly, from years of experience about what he is witnessing about how this pandemic is taking a toll on both our mental and physical health. Even those of us that are doing our best to stay positive, exercise, eat a nutritious diet, and practice mindfulness are starting to experience the negative consequences of prolonged stress.

Apps Mentioned in the Show

• Instacart: https://bit.ly/moc-instacart

• Covid Coach: https://bit.ly/MOC-Covid-Coach

Dr. Susman wrote about 12 ways that the pandemic is affecting our mental and physical health. He and Tiffany touched briefly on most of the topics and both weighed in with their professional experience and opinions.

A Dozen Ways the Pandemic is Hurting Our Mental and Physical Health: https://bit.ly/2MHmDrT

Dr. Susman wrote about 12 ways that the pandemic is affecting our mental and physical health. He and Tiffany touched briefly on most of the topics and both weighed in with their professional experience and opinions.

The Coronavirus pandemic is causing frustrations across the board. People are unemployed, worried about finances, stuck at home, isolated from friends and family, and that creates depression, anxiety,and other health challenges.

In terms of managing managing anxiety, especially around leaving the safety of home and going into public Tiffany and Dr. Susman discuss the importance of strategizing when going we have to leave our homes, like going to the grocery store early in the morning or later at night when there are fewer people, making it easier to social distance. Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic attacks are common, but there are ways to minimize their impacts.

Isolation is another major issue leading to depression, but there are ways to combat this. Staying in touch with friends, family and loved ones is important for everyone right now. Video chat technology, for those fortunate to have access to it, should be taking advantage of it. Video chat can add an extra level of connectedness that we can’t get from sending text messages, commenting on Facebook posts, or even talking on the telephone, however it may not be appropriate to use all of the time, so phone and messaging are still important tools for staying connected.

Not only is our mental health at risk, but so is our physical health. Due to quarantine, people are not able to see doctors when they need to and gyms are closed, and it becomes easier to forego taking care of our physical health. Self-care is noted as critical, which means taking care of our sleep, nutrition, and creating an exercise routine.

A very difficult topic was briefly addressed by Dr. Susman, and that is the death of George Floyd. Dr. Susman stated, “I want to be clear that I totally commit to these efforts to end systemic racism.” At approximately the 06:30 mark in the video the topic is raised. “I along with the mental health community are also grieving and standing in solidarity, wanting to learn and help find solutions to this, and we recognize that this is so traumatic and is having such an impact on our black friends and neighbors and loved ones. It is important to use our voice.”

The mental health effects of systematic racism and the trauma that it creates in the black community are, in a way, another form of pandemic. People feel anger, despair, depression, and hopelessness, and that compounds with the fears we all have been having about the coronavirus. The stress of the unrest affects police officers as well, and they discuss the importance of mental health treatment for police officers during this time.

Contact and Social Media Information

• Website: http://www.davidsusman.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidSusmanPhD

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidSusman

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsusman

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsusmanphd/

Links Mentioned in the Show

• A Dozen Ways the Pandemic is Hurting Our Mental and Physical Health - Article by Dr. David Susman, PhD: http://davidsusman.com/2020/05/29/a-dozen-ways-the-pandemic-is-hurting-our-mental-and-physical-health/

• 13 Advocates You Must Know - Article on davidsusman.com: http://davidsusman.com/2020/02/13/13-great-mental-health-advocates-you-should-know

• NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Health: https://nami.org

• APA, American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org

• National Center for PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov

Full list of resources available on Dr. Susman’s website: http://davidsusman.com/resources

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“Change can only happen when we stand together as one.” –Tiffany Werhner