/WCW-Blog-Bloggers/Authors/Katherinebuchholz Fri, 02 May 2025 22:46:29 -0400 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/entry/We-are-not-alone-in-our-struggles-mental-health-awareness-month /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/entry/We-are-not-alone-in-our-struggles-mental-health-awareness-month May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, it comes at a time when we have an increased focus on mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Media reports have focused on the increase of symptoms and the difficulties related to accessing care. As a chronic stressor, the COVID pandemic is a difficult one. It has limited our social contact, caused financial distress, taken away jobs, schools, and childcare, and created a collective and personal grief in the lives that we have lost. While these factors have and will contribute to the development of mental health disorders for some people, it also must be acknowledged that, for many people, the distress felt in response to these factors represents a normative reaction in a difficult time. In other words, it is normal to feel sad, lonely, unmotivated, and worried during a global pandemic, and those feelings do not necessarily indicate clinical depression...

]]> Women Change Worlds Thu, 13 May 2021 10:26:14 -0400 /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/Tips-for-preventing-depression-while-social-distancing /WCW-Blog-Women-Change-Worlds/Tips-for-preventing-depression-while-social-distancing The challenges of isolation and loneliness have become apparent over the past several months of social distancing. Not only are we physically separated from our friends and extended families, but we’re concerned about their health and wellbeing as well as our own. We may be juggling childcare, homeschooling, and our own work. Or we may be wondering how we’ll support ourselves through this. We may know those who are sick, or who are high-risk, or who are essential workers putting themselves at risk for our sake. We may have lost people close to us. And we may feel powerless to do anything. The situations that we find ourselves in can be overwhelming, and can contribute to low mood, irritability, and other potential depressive symptoms. If these symptoms persist and severely impact your day-to-day functioning, it can be a good time to check in with your doctor or a therapist. Many providers...

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