Overcoming COVID’s Subtler Effects
Mike Apodaca, High Desert Branch
We’re all aware of the frightening effects of COVID-19. Sickness, hospitalization for some, and death for others. At this time over 640,000 have left us due to COVID. In most cases, they would not have otherwise died. Covid led to a societal shutdown, job loss, schools becoming virtual, and family members (like myself) stepping up to help kids do school online. A difficult season indeed.
I’m growing concerned with the less obvious effects of the pandemic—that of falling into depression and a state of the doldrums. In the children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth, Milo finds himself in the land of the Doldrums where he doesn’t care about anything and tries not to think. He essentially shuts down. We see a similar thing in The Lightning Thief when Percy Jackson and his crew find themselves in the Lotus Casino in Las Vegas where there’s no exit and all is play, loud music, and distractions. They are
unaware that their precious time disappears in this place.
The Bible tells us to guard our hearts. Good advice. When it comes to our personal lives, we have to be proactive and willing to do what it takes to not be affected by the general morass that has overcome so many.
Here’s my two cents on how to prevent depression and the COVID doldrums.
- Keep writing. Have a couple of writing projects that you are working on. Join a critique group or start your own. Working with others is powerful. It
helps us feel connected and gets us out of our own heads. It also gives us someone else to cheer for. I know I feel the success of my teammates is also mine. - Engage in the writing club. I’m most likely preaching to the choir. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already engaged to some degree. However, my encouragement is to become engaged even more. There are many needs in the HDCWC and programs you can become a part of. Join the
Speaker’s Bureau that Bob Isbill is putting together. Tell Mary Thompson that you’re available to help with the DCB Memoir project. Get prepared for our next book sale. Volunteer to run our social media sites. Our club is very active and things go so much better when everyone helps out. - Stay close to family and friends. I call my mom every couple of days. I text my son. I see my daughter and grandchildren every couple of days.
And, of course, my beautiful wife partners with me in life. There is a cliché that when things get tough the tough get tougher. When a virus separates us, it’s up to us to get closer, however possible. This is why we launched the Zoom meetings as well as the Act II meetings, to get us together even if it had to be virtually.
This is a time to fight for our peace of mind and for our lives. We must overcome the pull of depression and the doldrums. We do this by living our lives, guarding our hearts, and staying close to others. I will not allow my life to be one more casualty of this pandemic. I hope you will do the same
The CDC warns us to watch out for these signs
of depression:
· Feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration
· Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels
· Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
· Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
· Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
· Worsening of chronic health problems. Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
This essay originally appeared in the September 2021
Inkslinger, newsletter of the High Desert Branch.