Help for the long marathon of COVID-19

by Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, Santa Barbara County, Department of Behavioral Wellness

Just a couple months ago, we all felt like the pandemic was coming to an end and that we had finally made it past the finish line of this long marathon. Then, just when we thought things were getting better, along came the Delta variant which, in keeping with the marathon analogy, made us feel like we were asked to run a half marathon the day after finishing the first marathon.

With the advent of the Delta variant, we had not yet recuperated from the mental and emotional exhaustion felt from the pandemic. Prolonged stress, fear, constant vigilance to our safety and the safety of others, and the many unknowns have taken a toll on us all. Then, all of the new information on Delta hit us at a time when our minds and spirits are beyond exhausted. For many of us, our minds are not capable of taking in information and new unknowns in the same way. In addition to being completely exhausting, hearing new information can create a high level of frustration, even distrust or suspicion.

Finding ways to hold onto the feelings we had earlier this year when we thought the pandemic was over are important. We need to hold tight to those feelings we had when everyone first got vaccinated; the joy of being able to visit with friends and family again, socialize indoors without masks, return to work, plan for return to school, play sports freely. We need hope, shared hope. We are all in this together and we will make it through together, strengthening our overall resilience as individuals and as a community.

It is not an easy thing to accept that we are not yet done with the pandemic. In fact, it is entirely possible that things may get worse before they get better. We simply MUST rely on each other, family, friends, neighbors, our community and our connections. We must keep going forward and be prepared for ongoing change to continue and evolve. 

Here are some tools that may help you deal with the toll of what we are all going through:

  • Let go of control. There are so many things we cannot control right now; focus on the things you can control. 
  • Focus on what is working. Yes, there are things that are not working well right now, but there are also things that are working. Focus on the simple things that bring positive emotions.
  • Reduce media intake. Pick a few trusted sources of news and review them once or twice a day.  Resist the urge to constantly check the news and social media. 
  • Map out your daily lows. Map out the lowest points in your day or when you are feeling most tired and depleted, and  plan to give yourself a boost at that time. Be intentional about using that time to work in something small that makes you feel good (a walk, a coffee break, pet your dog, hug your child, call a friend, meditate).
  • Take good care of yourself. Work in daily time outdoors. Work in exercise. Get fresh air. Walk your dog or walk with a friend or neighbor. Move your body. Eat healthy meals. Stay hydrated.
  • Stay connected. Stay connected with others. Reach out for more help when needed.

Talk to others. At some point, everyone needs a little help. Please reach out for support – we have so much support available in our community. If you need help connecting to resources, you may call the Community Wellness Team at 805-364-2750 or visit: https://sbccwt.org/.

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  1. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
    I feel bad for the immunocompromised, who must exercise extreme caution, even in pre-pandemic times. And, I wish they would hurry up and approve the vaccine for the young ones.
    But everyone else…can be split into the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. I do not believe that the vaccinated should be encouraged to feel that it is OK to feel endlessly freaked-out, psychologically fragile, etc., imputed by the experts who wrote this article.
    If you are vaccinated, you are highly unlikely to wind up in the hospital or dying as a result of contracting COVID. That is the message the psychologists should be sending us. But no, the messaging remains: masks, outdoors, EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY CAUTION.
    I see no justification for requiring masks for vaccinated adults. None at all. The imposition of the mask mandate is unnecessary from an epidemiological point of view, unless you’re worried about the anti-vaxxers (and I have long ceased to care about them). And it is causing long-term psychological and social problems.
    We see here an example of how the COVID-19 crisis is being monetized by psychological experts who are loving every minute of the financial windfall resulting from this pandemic.

  2. Trust me, I met a lot of therapists on dating sites during 2020 and ’21 and they are busy as all hell. This is a huge financial windfall for the psychological profession. A bonanza, in fact. And they’re encouraging everyone to feel diminished and neurotic. Money in the bank. I know what I’m talking about.

  3. This is the sort of thing that “Behavorial Wellness” loves to do (and which will be validated by their manipulated recent survey). It is a lot easier than actually going out into the community and dealing, one on one, with people in need of help. It is pyscho-babble. But they feel very righteous for doing it and I am sure the Board of Supervisors will pat them on the back for this meek intervention.

  4. Well, it’s true. And I am laughing myself. But if you were on the dating sites in January through March, there were lots of nurses and therapists, because they were the ones who got vaccinated first. I met two female therapists in Santa Barbara (of course, I will not mention names) as well as a few in the LA area, and they are confirmed that they had never been so busy. For certain professions, including psychologists, COVID has been a windfall. It’s funny, weird…and true.

  5. Well, I’m sorry you don’t believe me, SACJON, but why would I make this stuff up? For the therapists of this world, COVID is a huge bonanza.
    And FYI, all those nurses and therapists on the dating sites were completely comfortable meeting, maskless, in bars and restaurants on first dates during a raging (yawn) pandemic.
    They say one thing in public, as health professionals, and eat at the French Laundry at the same time.
    (I’m against the Recall, by the way, but I do think that “eating at the French Laundry” has become a much better expression for hypocrisy than the old Biblical “mote that is in thine eye” – Matthew 7:5. Thanks Gavin.)

  6. LOOSE – well yeah, of course all medical staff of pretty much every kind has been more busy due to the pandemic, but that was not what I meant. What I don’t believe is your claim that pyschs are out there “monetizing” this for their benefit, as if they’re out there scaring potential patients into “needing” therapy.

  7. I also continue to maintain that people, including a large segment of the psychological-therapy professional world, are commodifying the virus, and that this is a serious problem.
    To reiterate, I am a pro-vaccine mandate leftist.

  8. LOOSE – so psychiatrists are out there freaking people out about the virus just to get them to come in for therapy? I’ve never heard of this or seen any evidence of that, but then again, I don’t date therapists online 😉

  9. WINNER: Best 19 Words Of All Comments On Post! (Goes To: LooseCannon, 5:39pm)
    Yes, you would think the “professionals” who put this (help information) together would follow (or at least mention) the words and beliefs of the SB Heath Professionals; “Get Vaccinated!)

  10. Yes, SACJON, I do think there is a growing industry of people, including social workers, psychologists, therapists and other “experts,” who see COVID-19 as an opportunity to enrich themselves, and have a vested interest in prolonging the crisis. (And I am NOT diminishing the health crisis. I think COVID is a real thing, think everyone should be vaccinated, so I am not a crazy person, nor am I conspiracy-minded, just a little jaded, thinking many of us are left spinning in a state of anxiety that is, to some extent, manufactured for completely rotten, financial reasons.)

  11. Yes, I have found that youtube, reddit, and my crazy uncle are vastly more informative (also conveniently more entertaining and inline with my biases) than people who’s life and career has been spent studying complex material.
    If you go “looking into things for yourself” you’re just going to find what you want to hear.

  12. @1:47 well then you might want to call the FDA because several groups of credentialed MD’s and PhD’s, (living in fantasyland apparently), are currently conducting controlled clinical trials to determine its efficacy as a covid treatment. Yes, they’re the ones living in fantasyland because you already know the results of these trial!

  13. And I have to share a planet with all you nut-bars.
    See?..If you had made space-ships instead of bombs, like you were Supposed to..none of us would be in this mess, but nooo, you wanted to collect all the bananas for yourself.
    Greedy monkey.

  14. A classic example of not understanding science or how it works. a) It’s called a horse dewormer because it is one. b) This was a tiny study of 72 people and the result was “the study sample was too small (n = 72) to draw any solid conclusions”.

  15. Marcelk, classic example of misinformation. Were you aware it has been safely used in humans for decades, for a variety of uses, and it’s inventors won the Nobel Prize in Medicine (human medicine)? That’s like calling Tylenol a dog painkiller. Do you take dog painkiller Marcelk?

  16. The MSN article you posted states for NM, “ first fatal case of an individual dosing themselves with the drug, while a suspected second case was in critical condition”
    I’m sure you’ve seen articles like, “ One Hospital Denies Oklahoma Doctor’s Story of Ivermectin Overdoses Causing ER Delays for Gunshot Victims”
    The MSN article doesn’t say thousands of NM people are dying from unauthorized Ivermectin use.
    Considering the Fed Govt is not discussing it, Pharmscies won’t fill prescriptions from Doctors, Health Insurance won’t cover it & the Fed government told the manufacturer to dial down production people are turning to alternatives.
    Why can’t a Doctor prescribe an FDA approved, Nobel Prize winning drug that is on the WHO list of essential medicines that has literally saved Billions of people.
    How many people die from the FDA approved Opiods? Yet they don’t block the prescriptions or refills on those.

  17. 2:48 – Ivermectin works well for its uses – treating parasites in livestock and humans. For COVID, it has been proven to have no therapeutic value. It’s another nostrum being pushed by the same delusional people who pushed hydroxychloroquine. Only someone with a complete lack of critical thinking skills would advocate for its use, especially the veterinary formulation for large livestock that is sending gullible people to the poison control center in herds (appropriately).

  18. Incorrect @ 3:20, it has not been proven not to work because the studies are still ongoing, and no one is advocating for the use of the veterinary formulation for large livestock, that is simply a lie you’re perpetuating.

  19. Dr Fauci is the Director of the NIH, right?
    The NIH is a trustworthy source, right?
    CNN, MSN, FOX, Independent are not scientists and not sources for reliable information.
    Here are some links from the NIH website.
    Read for yourselves about the Nobel Prize winning drug that is on the WHO website as an essential medicine that has saved Billions of people.
    It’s not just a “horse” drug, despite the non scientists non expert media telling you it is.
    On the NIH website easy to find;
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3043740/
    “ There are few drugs that can seriously lay claim to the title of ‘Wonder drug’, penicillin and aspirin being two that have perhaps had greatest beneficial impact on the health and wellbeing of Mankind. But ivermectin can also be considered alongside those worthy contenders, based on its versatility, safety and the beneficial impact that it has had, and continues to have, worldwide—especially on hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people. ”
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8203399/
    Posted June 2021
    “ A study by Lehrer S et al observed that Ivermectin docked in the region of leucine 91 of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and histidine 378 of the host cell ACE-2 receptor blocking its entry into the host cell [22].”
    “ Conclusion: Considering the urgency of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, simultaneous detection of various new mutant strains and future potential re-emergence of novel coronaviruses, repurposing of approved drugs such as Ivermectin could be worthy of attention.”
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33723507/
    “ ivermectin did not result in any serious adverse events. All patients exhibited a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 viral load within 7 days; ”
    “ Conclusions: Ivermectin is safe in patients with SARS-CoV-2, reducing symptomatology and the SARS-CoV-2 viral load. This antiviral effect appears to depend on the dose used, and if confirmed in future studies, it suggests that ivermectin may be a useful adjuvant to the SOC treatment in patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms”
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8088823/
    “ Review of the Emerging Evidence Demonstrating the Efficacy of Ivermectin in the Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19”
    Posted in April
    States “ In the context of ivermectin’s long-standing safety record, low cost, and wide availability along with the consistent, reproducible, large magnitude of findings on transmission rates, need for hospitalization, and mortality, widespread deployment in both prevention and treatment has been proposed. ”
    Yes more research is needed but they post 84 references and independent studies showing positive results. “
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34145166/
    “ Conclusions: Moderate-certainty evidence finds that large reductions in COVID-19 deaths are possible using ivermectin. Using ivermectin early in the clinical course may reduce numbers progressing to severe disease. The apparent safety and low cost suggest that ivermectin is likely to have a significant impact on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic globally.”
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7709596/
    “ A 5-day course of ivermectin resulted in an earlier clearance of the virus compared to placebo ”
    “ In the 5-day ivermectin group, there was a significant drop in CRP and LDH by day 7, which are indicators of disease severity. It is noteworthy that the viral nucleic acid Ct value (indicator of viral load) dropped significantly compared to the placebo group on day 7 and day 14.”

  20. “People need to stop thinking Conservative leaders care about your health” – there fixed that for you. All they care about is making more money for a small sliver of the American population everything else be damned.

  21. How can you look at the massive amounts of money Wall Street, Big Pharma, the defense industry, etc. have poured into the DNC and their candidates and think it’s only the conservatives that only care about money?

  22. Amazing these anti-vaxer and conspiracy theory nutjobs will put just about ANYTHING in their body besides a prove, FDA approved, highly effective vaccine. LOL – less idiots in the gene pool indeed. Perhaps social media has ushered in a new new wave natural selection?

  23. VOR – didn’t say that Democrats don’t care about money. What I said was that Conservative leaders care about practically NOTHING but enacting policies or getting elections won that will line the pockets of a very small sliver of the population. Democratic leaders care about money as well, but also other things.

  24. Ivermectin has been FDA approved for human use since 1988 & has won a Nobel Prize for saving Billions of human lives.
    But the media won’t tell you that. So much for getting the full story.
    The NIH has been posting positive studies on their site since Dec 2020 & recently in April 2021. So why hasn’t there been more news & research and FDA approval for use against Covid? Money?
    None of the studies have been retracted, they are still valid. The age of the study does not matter. If the Dr Faucis NIH found Ivermectin to be dangerous they would have retracted the studies and posted that on their site. The FDA has clinical trials posted on their website that are promising. Not one of the government agencies say Human Ivermectin is bad or dangerous.
    They play on words stating the animal paste is causing harm.
    So how many people have gone to the hospital or died from Ivermectin. I can’t find that stat anywhere. Just blanket stmts about the animal version not the human version.
    A few months ago NIH posted another paper of studies stating “ Since 2012, multiple in vitro studies have demonstrated that Ivermectin inhibits the replication of many viruses, including influenza, Zika, Dengue, and others.9–17”
    “ Ivermectin significantly diminishes viral load and protects against organ damage in multiple animal models when infected with SARS-CoV-2 or similar coronaviruses.31,32”
    NIH stated on their site “ “it soon made historic impacts in human health, improving the nutrition, general health, and well-being of billions of people worldwide “.

    “ it was highly effective, broad-spectrum, safe, well tolerated, and could be easily administered.”
    Question for you who are against trying a safe drug, per the FDA & billions that have been saved.
    Per the FDA website, “An overdose of ivermectin can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma, and even death.”
    And what are the side affects of Covid? Pretty severe I imagine after all the lockdowns and forced vaccinations Covid is bad, right?
    What choice would you make? After all the deaths and people with “long Covid”
    Would you take an FDA approved Nobel Pruze winning drug that has saved millions with less chance of negative affects than Covid?

  25. People need to stop thinking that the pharmaceutical industry cares about our health. They care about profits! They also have hundreds of billions at their disposal and have lobbyist and politicians imbedded on both sides of the isle to ensure continued profits. SBDUDE, you don’t think $1.2 billion dollars to develop something new vs. conducting robust trials on something existing might skew Merk’s decision making
    https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/merck-says-us-govt-buy-about-17-mln-courses-cos-covid-19-drug-2021-06-09/

  26. 03:20 ……but…… but….. but blindness and liver failure from taking ivermectin is just a small price to pay for getting your best medical advice from Fox News?
    Everyone keep in mind that if you are the weight of a horse, 1,000 lbs, you can take the usual equine dose. The explosive diarrhea is your body expelling the worms for which ivermectin is used.

  27. Agreed, follow the money trail.
    Countless accounts and numerous studies discussing the benefits of Ivermectin posted on the NIH & FDA website.
    Hiding hope in plain sight
    Whilst the news media blatantly misleads people saying The award winning FDA approved drug is for animals only.
    Seriously, wake up and get your information from somewhere besides CNN & Fox.
    Go to the NIH website snd search fir the drug Read for yourselves. Then make your own decision. Stop letting false misleading opinions from CNN & our Indeoendent rag make up your minds for you.

  28. Not at all, to say ivermectin, or any treatment for that matter, works would require robust clinical trials which are still underway. Big pharma has little interest in running these trials on existing products as it relates to covid because there’s not much money in it for them, in addition, you can’t get an emergency use authorization if there is an suitable treatment. It amazes me how many here can on the one hand complain about the ills of capitalism, and the other trust big pharma to do what’s “right” vs. what best increases their bottom line, while also ignoring the huge amount of money this industry spends on political campaigns and lobbyists. Businesses, especially highly successful billion dollar enterprises, simply don’t spend money unless they get a return on the money spent.

  29. VOR, are you really saying there would be no incentive for big pharma to do a study that would elevate a horse paste to a covid remedy covered by the feds in a capitalist system? If they don’t see the incentive for something that is a valid treatment according to the commenters here, maybe I will do the study and finally be able to buy that estate in Montecito. Or maybe they don’t really think horse paste is any better than the current vaccines?

  30. You and Pit create an excellent example here. Joe Rogan, under the guidance of his doctor, took a number of medications to treat his covid. One of them was ivermectin, a medicine developed and safely used on humans for a variety of reasons for decades. People (like Pit) and for-profit media falsely, worse actually because it’s intentionally false, say Joe Rogan took horse dewormer. He gets better, now some idiots think they should take horse dewormer because the news said Joe took it and he got better quickly. Without thorough studies no one can say it is or isn’t effective, including the “experts”, and when people take anything without a prescription, in a form/quantities meant for a horse, of course it’s dangerous, as are many other common and safe medicines when the dosage isn’t followed. As far as the lack of trust question, that will take an entire thread but in brief when questioning something, it’s rational and reasoning, is censored and/or shamed, that automatically increases the distrust. All of these major policy decisions that require drastic action need to be able to standup to up to thorough questioning.

  31. Your link is a letter and does not contain studies like the links I had posted. It is also dated Feb where as some of the links previously posted are dated later.
    The link you provided states, “ Reports from in vitro studies suggest that ivermectin acts by inhibiting the host importin alpha/beta-1 nuclear transport proteins, which are part of a key intracellular transport process that viruses hijack to enhance infection by suppressing the host’s antiviral response.4,5 In addition, ivermectin docking may interfere with the attachment of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to the human cell membrane.6”
    It further states, “ There is insufficient evidence for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Results from adequately powered, well-designed, and well-conducted clinical trials are needed to provide more specific, evidence-based guidance on the role of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19.”
    The question is after a year & a half why has t the government performed more research. Thus far most of the research shows positive effects.
    Ivermection is safe, FDA approved, Nobel Prize winning fir saving billions of lives, on the WHO list of essential medicines.
    After being administered to billions of people the chance of side affects are significantly lower than Covid and even the vaccines.
    So why is the government not exploiting this properly?
    If you are faced with Covid why would you not try it? There are numerous Clinical trials that say positive things and this drug is OTC in most countries like buying Advil.
    Could it be because it’s inexpensive?
    Why is the media labeling this as a “horse” drug? Misleading. They don’t disclose the FDA approved over 30 years ago, the Nobel Prize 5 years ago, the WHO list of essential medicines, the billions of lives saved, the billions of doses consumed, that it is OTC in many countries.
    Why do they leave out those facts?

  32. Fog at 4AM. You’re posting hogwash from social media again. Ivermectin has no useful clinical effect as an antiviral. There is no graphene oxide in the mRNA vaccines. Please stop repeating misinformation from your clueless social media sites – that garbage could result in death for someone as gullible as you.

  33. ZERO- No, I’ve no medical PHD, yet many who do are doing work to fight this scourge in spite of corporate propaganda, and I choose to listen to them. Too scary for me? We had the cojones to move to the out-back of South America and are happier for it, because the US economy and social discord WAS becoming too scary for us.

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