Hello Sue,
Thanks for your post, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and ask for help. Many people are experiencing difficulties right now due to the current covid-19 situation and its ramifications. These are unprecedented times and the struggles you have stated are not uncommon in extremely challenging times. There are options that can give you additional support.
Often times the first step is to get assistance from a family doctor as they have a base knowledge of you, a counsellor or a crisis line. Just a reminder, this platform is not a crisis support service, but we do care about your safety.
You’ve mentioned how you’re not sure how to disclose your current struggles with anxiety and depression and you wonder how you may go about doing so with your family doctor. I wonder if you would be open to just laying your “cards on the table,” so to speak, and share what you’ve posted on this forum. You could give your doctor’s office a call and ask to make a telephone appointment. Hopefully during that appointment you could share what has been happening since March as well as the interventions that have helped you in the past, like exercise, speaking to friends and family as well as medications.
It can be very difficult to open up to a health care provider and you have been able to face these difficulties in the past, accessing treatment and work very hard to maintain your mental health. Your experience in doing so is vital in establishing a new care plan to address the difficulties you are currently experiencing.
All this being said, if you are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need more emotional support then stated here, please call the Distress Centre at 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645. If this is an emergency or an urgent matter, it’s important you get help right away, so please call 911 or go to your closest emergency room.
Non-crisis Additional support:
Managing stress and anxiety:
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.camh.covid19_managing_stress.
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/managing-your-stress-anxiety/id1504005917
Psychological Impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) from Canadian Psychological Association:
https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-psychological-impacts-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/
Online peer-to-peer support community for mental health from Big White Wall:
https://www.bigwhitewall.com/?lang=en-ca
Free skill-building program to manage low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stress or worry, Coaching via phone + online videos, Bounce Back Ontario managed by Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): https://bouncebackontario.ca/
