The Day the Earth Stood Still

As a little girl, I remember walking down the street to the Boulevard theater in Wichita, Kansas with my parents to see the movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still. It was a big deal – first walking to a movie but most of all because the movie was supposed to be scary! There was a line down the sidewalk and everyone was talking about it. My mom whispered to me that I could close my eyes anytime I wanted to but I could tell by the look on my dad’s face that I better just be brave. It was a movie about a flying saucer landing in the center of a town with a message to Earthlings.

As I remember it, all of the power went out and everything stopped still while people gathered to see what was going to happen next to mankind. The name of the movie and. well. also the message came to mind this morning when I realized that things are being shut down right now all over the world and now right here in Kansas. Something has landed all right but this time it’s a virus!

Is this the day the Earth stands still?

Of course I am talking about schools and businesses and communities coming to a standstill. The look on people’s faces seemed to change suddenly from the time I walked into my office in the morning until I left in the evening.  What happened? Hutchinson Community College closed down face-to-face classes and right away began moving students out of their dorm rooms. Some teams have been closed before the season ends. Many of us are doing most or some of our work at home. Children are closed up in their homes and apartments with their caregivers.

But how well are we adapting to this?

In the last two weeks, I have seen a major increase in my office of those suffering from moderate and severe anxiety, sleep cycle disruption including insomnia, mood swings, anger outbursts and expression of fear both real and imagined. The focus of these complaints may not be on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the surface but it is, in my opinion, fundamentally driving this wave of discomfort.

If you are already a person working or staying at home by your own choice, then you don’t need to read any further you’ve got this! But for the rest of us it may be harder.

Being shut down from our daily schedules and projects and trying to work from home may work for some but, according to Dr. Allen Frances, Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University, “only 40% can work from home for an extended amount of time.”

I would like to add “without a plan.”

So let’s make a plan:

After you settle in to your hibernation location and look around, you may ask….now what?

Let’s start with the things you need to watch out for during this;

  1. Boredom in general – Be aware of this and fight it!  (I’ll give you some ideas what to do about it later).
  2. Boredom eating – It’s not hard to gain weight when you are hanging out at home all of the time.
  3. Escape by sleeping – You know who you are!

Boredom

  • Individuals are more likely to drink or use drugs more out of boredom when there is nothing else to do. And the quantity has a tendency to be larger than their usual intake.
  • “Boredom is one of the main reasons people start abusing drugs, and the top reason addicts give for relapsing. People who are bored are more likely to experiment with and become addicted to illegal substances and alcohol.”

Boredom Eating

“When we boredom-eat, what we’re really doing is trying to wake ourselves up so we can feel excited again.”

Escape By Sleeping

This is okay for an afternoon nap but more than that it could be a map to depression. Generally in sleep discussions and treatment we are referring to trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. This is about the condition of hypersomnia or excessive sleeping sometimes used as an escape mechanism that potentially could lead to depression. Dr. Helen M. Farrell, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, cautions readers to not fall into “depression napping” as a means of escaping coping with stressors.

All of this has a tendency to build on a fear until it is irrational. I think that’s where we are right now – the questions bounce all over the place – so WHAT”S THE REAL STORY?  And seriously, does anyone know for sure? Waiting isn’t easy. Be careful out there!

Next, take a moment and then ask yourself some questions;

  1. Do I need to make changes and how good am I at adapting to change? (This is the big one!)
  2. “Am I being smart about this? Am I staying away from crowds?  Am I washing my hands?  Am going over-board or not getting serious enough?  What’s the balance?”

Then What?

Change something! Yes with all of the changes being pushed on us – this time – YOU make one. In other words, don’t be afraid to take charge of your own space and yourself. Then keep on changing things. You don’t like it?  Change it back but try it – you might like it!

Above all keep watch out for yourself and others and notify the doctor if you need to – don’t try to be tough. (This is huge!

Tips from Dr. O

I have been asking colleagues and friends and people,in public places in the last few days, what they plan to do while they are isolated and here are some of the things they said. I think you will find them to be interesting.

  1. Maybe it is as simple as calling an old friend.
  2. Video chatting is a good one. (Trust me – If I can figure it out – you can too!)
  3. Change your look – that’s right – do something different to yourself.
  4. Let go of stuff you haven’t used for a while.
  5. One young man made this statement: “Nature is never closed and taking walks is good for you.”
  6. Taking a road trip for a day and back without getting out of the car whenever it gets too close inside.
  7. Be with the family (no phones) and play board games.
  8. Finishing a project (this from a lot of people).
  9. Free climbing. (I hope the weather works for this.)
  10. (In? Out? Both? I guess it’s up to you.)
  11. Write a book about it.

These ideas were so refreshing to me. I don’t know what I was expecting but I can tell you this, I felt ready to charge ahead after writing their ideas down. They prove the strength of the human spirit – the drive – the hope and creativeness, don’t you think?

Interestingly, crisis is not all bad according to Anthropologist and cognitive scientist Samuel Paul Louis Veissière, Ph.D. He is a believer that natural disasters typically trigger a lot of, “solidarity, cooperation, care and spontaneous help between strangers.”

I’ll check back with you next time.  But Oh!  To finish on a positive note – that movie that I told you about at the beginning of this – The Day The Earth Stood Still?

Well the spaceman (Klaatu) did NOT come to destroy Earth; he came to SAVE Earth…from ourselves: “If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives.” The Day the Earth Stood Still has stood the test of time and its remake is far more than that! (and well worth seeing.)

I like it!

 

See you next time.

Dr. O

 

 

 

 

Sources

http://www.scientificamerican.com › article › review-day-the-earth-stood-still

Reel Life: The Day the Earth Stood Still – Scientific American

http://www.scientificamerican.com › article › review-day-the-earth-stood-still

http://www.crchealth.com

http://www.psychologytoday.com

“Ein Sleeping” by wakeupbrandon is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Valerie van Mulukom Experimental Psychologist & Cognitive Neuroscientist, Coventry University

http://www.metroparent.com

http://www.uplarn.com

Dr. Helen M. Farrell, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical in an article by Stephanie M. Bucklin for TODAY, Aug 11, 2017 updated Oct 8, 2019.

Spring Is On the Way!

Yay!  I am pretty sure that spring is going to come again this year. My little tulips and daffodils are sticking their heads up ( too soon, I know), out of the dirt in my garden. Megan says the same. Flowers are such good therapy! So is sunshine – such a boost. Speaking of which, do you get the blues when it’s cloudy and gray?  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may be the culprit. Or if you are a long-term, on-the-border depressive, gray days don’t help much, do they?

I have several things to say about spring and mood. And here they are:

  1. SAD light therapy lamps help; it’s true for those with SAD. But if you don’t have one just be aware of light. Every time the sun comes out from under the clouds, go outside or stand in a window and give yourself a big dose – but not too long so as not to burn.

Solution: Refuse to give into it – wear bright clothes on cloudy days, listen to happy music, whistle, talk out loud to yourself. In other words, fight back!

  1. As spring blows in there may be another problem – Allergies! In the spring, everything starts growing and guess what? They all shower the world with pollen, Okay, I know that you already knew this. They can cause runny eyes and stopped up noses. But did you know that they can also affect your mood?

If you find that you are more anxious or fatigued in the spring or fall, allergies might be the reason. That’s right – allergies!  Who knew?

  1. So let’s take a look at which plants are spreading that pollen the most. According to WebMD, flowers with the most pollen production like chamomile, chrysanthemums, daisies, goldenrod and ordinary sunflowers are among the worst. Flowering shrubs, grass and tree pollen are also in that category and those are the ones that are starting to come out of hibernation.
  2. But that’s not all – allergens can also cause disrupted sleep cycles. And when you are tired, you may also be grumpier than usual.  My point?  If your mood is related to allergies, then good news!  It will go away at some point. Plus there are loads of over-the-counter allergy medications on the market that might help.
  3. This time of year, I see an increase in clients suffering the blahs. It seems that everyone is waiting for spring and according to the calendar it is still a ways to go.  But why wait?  Here’s a few tips to help you jump ahead of spring but keep in mind that if you are having allergy issues, some of these will not work for you and you may just need to consult your doctor.

Tips from Dr. O

  1. Flowers can be a way to lift those spirits especially on a gray dreary day.  I love to stop by one of our local florists just to walk among the flowers in this cozy shop.  Why don’t you try it?  Absolutely Flowers here in Hutchinson is a paradise of good cheer and here is what is happening now.

How about it? Feeling better already? Keep in mind that these displays are made of silk flowers.

Flowers are the best therapy in my books!

Flowers & Plants
Every Color!
Fresh Flowers!

You may not have a local florist or if you do, you may not want to take the time to swing by just to smell the flowers.  But how about the grocery store? How many times a week are you stopping by there?

Dillons on 30th Street, Hutchinson, KS
  1. When I am at the grocery store, I will swing by the florist department and do the same – soak it in- and sometimes I will pick up the flowers in the clearance tub.
  2. On an open afternoon, it’s good to take a stroll through your local greenhouse and pick up something that’s in bloom or just smell the smell of spring.
Stutzmans Pleasantville, KS
  1. Here are pictures from my greenhouse.

My begonias are peeking outside waiting for spring.

  1. Greenery breathes while it grows in my greenhouse listening to music and being showered with 24-hour light. I love to just stand in there and soak it up.
  2. I am a big fan of flowers – fresh and silk flowers too. I spread them all over my home and office and they brighten up my environment. They are happiness agents.  And sometimes it just takes tuning in.
Cheerful window!

Yay! Spring is coming – once again! Sometimes just knowing it is on the way is enough and sometimes you just need to talk to someone. There are other reasons for feeling moody or tired or dull in the spring besides gray skies overhead and allergies. In that case, come on in to our cozy office and settle in. We are here for you.

Dr. O

 

And thanks to;  Absolutely Flowers, Dillons, and Stutuzmans Greenhouse for allowing these pictures to be taken.