VOICE CALL. EDIE: THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN VERY HARD MENTALLY ON SO MANY WOMEN. WE’VE HEARD FROM MOTHERS WHO FELT OVEHERWED. AND WE’VE SEEN EVIDENCE OF HOW THE JOB MARKET AND CHILDCARE HAVE BEEN IMPACT.ED JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR ANGELA DRAKE. SHE’S A PSYCHIATRIST WITH U.C. DAVIS HEAL.TH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND IN TERMS OF ETH IMPACT OF THIS LAST YEAR ON PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH? >> I THINK YOU SEE A LOT OF CHANGES IN PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO INITIALLY WERE RESILIENT AND REAYLL RALLIED TO GET THROUGH THE STRESS, AS IT CO NTINUED ON FOR MONTHS AND INTO TWO YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE HIT A WALL. THEY ARE SUFFERING MORE AND WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKGIN FOR TREATMENT. EDIE: AS YOU POINTUT,HE T, THE IMPACT WAS DIFFERENT? WHAT ADVICE? >> THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE A PERFECT STORM. IT IS NOT THAT WERE A UNDER LONG-TERM STRESS IT IS WE ARE DISCONNECTED ANDSO ITED FROM OUR SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS. ONE OF THE THINGS I EMPHASIZE WITH FOLKS IS TO SELF MONITOR. BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT BE SEEING FRIENDS AS OFTEN OR FAMILY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE IN TOUCH WITH YOURWN O EMOTIONS. HOW YOU ARE DOING, ARE YOU NOTICING PROBLEMS WITH YOUR INABILITY? YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING AS WELL? YOU ARE LOSING YOUR TEMPER? AGAIN, THE BEST THING THAT I REALLY RECOMMEND FOR PEOPLE IS TO REACH OUT AND GET CONNECTED WITH SOMEONE IF THEY ARE NOTICING CHANGES. EDIE: LET US TALK ABOUT THERE BE. — THERAPY. WOMEN ARE LAST IN LINE FOR SELF-CARE AND FINDING THE TIME TO DRIVE TO AN APPOINTMENT AND WEIGH IN, IT CAN BE A BARRIER. YOU ARE NOW DOING MORE OF THESE APPOINTMENTS ORVE ZOOM AND TELEHEALTH. HOW’S THAT WORKING? >> WE REALLY RAPIDLY WENT TO TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS AT UC DAVIS, AS SOON AS WE CLOSED FOR THE PANDEMIC. WE HAVE HAD A CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WITH IT NOW, ALMOST TWO YEARS, I HAVE TO SAY IT HAS WORKED WELL. IT HAS WORKED WELL FOR OUR CLIENTS. BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PARK. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY OR DO THE THINGS WE OFTEN HAVE TO DO TO GET TO AN APPOINTMENT. THEY CAN SET UP THEIR COMPUTER IN THEIR LIVING ROOM AND I HAVE HAD PATIENTS WHO HAVE DONE SESSIONS FROM THEIR PHONE IN THEIR CAR. TH LVEEAEY WORK AND GO OUT TO THE CAR AND GO FOR HALF AN HOUR OR 45 MINUTES SO THEY CAN WORK IT INTO THEIR DAYN I A SEAMLESS WAY. IN SOME WAYS IT IS VERY COMFTIORNG BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THE PERSON IS THERE BUT THEY ARE NOT RIGHT THERE. IT GIVES PEOPLE DISTANCE. IT IS KIND OF SCARY TO GO INTO A THERAPIST OFFICE. EDIE: YOU HEAV THE FLEXIBILITY AND GET THE HELP THAT YOU NEE

‘People have really hit a wall’: UC Davis Health psychiatrist shares ‘self-monitoring’ mental health suggestions

Updated: 10:21 AM PDT Mar 29, 2022

UC Davis psychiatrist Dr. Angela Drake joined KCRA 3 as a part of the Project CommUNITY special for Women’s History Month to speak concerning the pandemic impacts that girls have faced.Discuss with us about what you’ve seen firsthand by way of the impact of this last 12 months on people’s mental health?Drake: “I feel you see a number of changes in people. Individuals who initially were resilient and really type of rallied to get through the stress, because it continued on for months and into two years, people have really hit a wall. They’re suffering more and we’re seeing a number of people searching for treatment at this point.”As you indicate the primary 12 months, it was like, ‘OK, we’re going to get through this.’ Right into a second 12 months, the impact was different. What advice do you’ve for individuals who have felt overwhelmed or isolated?Drake: “The pandemic has made an ideal storm. It’s not only that we’re under considerable long-term stress. Additionally it is that we’re disconnected and isolated from our social support networks. One in all the things I actually emphasize with folks is to self-monitor. Because it’s possible you’ll not be seeing friends as often or family, it’s really necessary to be in contact together with your own emotions. How you might be doing, are you noticing problems together with your irritability? You are usually not sleeping as well? You might be losing your temper? Again, one of the best thing that I actually recommend for people is to achieve out and get connected with someone in the event that they are noticing changes.”Let’s speak about therapy. Women are last in line for self-care and finding the time to drive to an appointment — it will possibly be a barrier. You are actually doing more of those appointments over Zoom and telehealth. How’s that working?Drake: “We actually rapidly went to telehealth appointments at UC Davis, as soon as we closed for the pandemic. We’ve had considerable experience with it now, almost two years. I even have to say it has worked rather well. It has worked well for our clients. Because they would not have to park. They would not have to drive on the freeway or do the things we frequently should do to get to an appointment. They will arrange their computer of their front room and I even have even had patients who’ve done sessions from their phones of their cars. They leave work and exit to the automobile and go for half an hour or 45 minutes so that they can work it into their day in a very seamless way. In some ways, it is rather comforting because you realize that the person is there but they are usually not right there. It gives people somewhat distance. It’s type of scary to go right into a therapist’s office.”

UC Davis psychiatrist Dr. Angela Drake joined KCRA 3 as a part of the Project CommUNITY special for Women’s History Month to speak concerning the pandemic impacts that girls have faced.

Discuss with us about what you’ve seen firsthand by way of the impact of this last 12 months on people’s mental health?

Drake: “I feel you see a number of changes in people. Individuals who initially were resilient and really type of rallied to get through the stress, because it continued on for months and into two years, people have really hit a wall. They’re suffering more and we’re seeing a number of people searching for treatment at this point.”

As you indicate the primary 12 months, it was like, ‘OK, we’re going to get through this.’ Right into a second 12 months, the impact was different. What advice do you’ve for individuals who have felt overwhelmed or isolated?

Drake: “The pandemic has made an ideal storm. It’s not only that we’re under considerable long-term stress. Additionally it is that we’re disconnected and isolated from our social support networks. One in all the things I actually emphasize with folks is to self-monitor. Because it’s possible you’ll not be seeing friends as often or family, it’s really necessary to be in contact together with your own emotions. How you might be doing, are you noticing problems together with your irritability? You are usually not sleeping as well? You might be losing your temper? Again, one of the best thing that I actually recommend for people is to achieve out and get connected with someone in the event that they are noticing changes.”

Let’s speak about therapy. Women are last in line for self-care and finding the time to drive to an appointment — it will possibly be a barrier. You are actually doing more of those appointments over Zoom and telehealth. How’s that working?

Drake: “We actually rapidly went to telehealth appointments at UC Davis, as soon as we closed for the pandemic. We’ve had considerable experience with it now, almost two years. I even have to say it has worked rather well. It has worked well for our clients. Because they would not have to park. They would not have to drive on the freeway or do the things we frequently should do to get to an appointment. They will arrange their computer of their front room and I even have even had patients who’ve done sessions from their phones of their cars. They leave work and exit to the automobile and go for half an hour or 45 minutes so that they can work it into their day in a very seamless way. In some ways, it is rather comforting because you realize that the person is there but they are usually not right there. It gives people somewhat distance. It’s type of scary to go right into a therapist’s office.”