“The average person checks their phone some 150 times a day,” Dr. “It’s emotionally exhausting and traumatizing,” she says about our constant exposure to the latest news about civil protests, pandemic figures, and economic turmoil. Chatigny suggests limiting our exposure to the news by electronically unplugging at least one hour a day. Parents can only do so much at home with children who, like their parents, are going stir-crazy. But the pandemic has closed schools, ending extracurricular activities, playdates and even trips to the playground. For now, we can’t do the things that typically bring us joy and restore us.”įor example, parents relied on after-school activities as a healthy outlet for their children. But sheltering in place has robbed us of that.
“It used to be that when we found ourselves stressed, we could count on family life at home to comfort us. The recent civil unrest rocking the country has only worsened our mindset, stoking a “tinder box of psychic stress,” Dr. And in some people already prone to anxiety or clinical depression, the toll can be even worse.” We’re tired of seeing the numbers, the forecasts, the predictions. “Since COVID-19 started, we’ve lived in various states of stress, depression, exhaustion, sleep problems, anger, and growing cynicism,” Dr. Ashley Chatigny, a double board-certified psychiatrist and medical director of behavioral health with Lee Physician Group, walks us through what disaster fatigue is and how we can fend it off so we can protect ourselves and families. But in this pandemic year, emergency officials worry we’re suffering from “disaster fatigue,” which may affect our ability to prepare effectively for the 2020 hurricane season.ĭr. Check below for strategies for each letter in the H.A.L.T.S checklist! H.A.L.T.Just when you’ve adjusted to lockdowns, social distancing and workplace closures related to COVID-19, along comes the possibility of another disaster to upend our lives-hurricane season. method suggests individuals ask themselves if they are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, or Sick. When we feel upset, stopping to evaluate our feelings is often the ‘next-right-thing’.
#Sick and tired of being sick and tired series
This article is part of a series of posts portraying what recovery looks like in everyday life.
It summarizes the basics of sleep-hygiene as well. This next, latest SAMHSA briefing summarizes the importance of building support team, and is a great resource on non-pharmaceutical treatments. Sleeping problems can occur during withdrawal, but they can also last months and years into recovery and can be associated with relapse to substance use. Teralyn Sell, PhD In conclusion, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reports that sleep complications occur frequently in individuals suffering from a substance abuse disorder. “Second most important thing to remember: Sleep requires a holistic approach, as does addiction recovery.” She also suggests meditative breathing as a go-to coping skill to quiet the mind at night. Sell, as well.įinally, she stresses the importance of proper sleep hygiene: Establishing night time routines and a proper sleep environment. ”Īddictionologists and sleep scientists agree with Dr. The addiction causes poor sleep patterns interrupting the sleep/wake cycle. Teralyn Sell puts it, “First of all: Individuals–particularly those in early recovery–struggle tremendously with sleep. If healthy sleeping habits are rare in most of us, how do those in recovery fare? “In the long-run, CBT is the best method for addressing Insomnia… far better than taking medications.“ Addiction, Recovery, and Sleep When we feel tired, most Americans tend to simply accept poor sleeping habits as a part of adult life. Vyga Kaufmann speaks on the advantages CBT (that is, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) has in treating insomnia, and the relation of sleep to addictive substances. Secondly, “Slipping into slumber is a necessity”. Feeling tired? First of all–If you aren’t getting enough sleep at night, you’re letting waste products build up in your brain.