Jessica Gold, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
It’s safe to say that this is a really hard time for everyone. I’m just going to put that out there right at the beginning so we can all start on the same page. Thanks to the new coronavirus pandemic, we’re basically all anxious, we’re all uncertain, and we’re all afraid right now. And even though it can be easy to think mental health professionals have all the answers, as a psychiatrist, I can tell you I’m not exempt from these feelings.
Because of my job, I’m trained to be in touch with my feelings. I know it’s good to process where they’re coming from and why they might be arising at any given point. If I’m listening to a patient tell me a story, for example, and I notice that I feel sad or angry, my training prompts me to think about what those feelings mean about both me and the patient and their story. With all of that said, even though I’m trained to notice my feelings, it can still be hard for me to prioritize making myself feel better when I need to. I struggle to practice self-care without feeling selfish, just like you might.
I am aware, however, that in so many ways, this pandemic is a marathon and not a sprint. If I don’t stop to take care of myself, it’ll be harder to finish this race as mentally, emotionally, and even physically okay as possible.
Read the full piece in Self.