TYLER, Texas — As people get more used to life during a pandemic, for some, the weight of the change is hard to bear alone.
“With anything that changes our environment, people usually experience a greater deal of anxiety,” Bobbie Burks explained. “Expectations aren’t being met and we have to do things differently.”
Burks, a licensed professional counselor with 4:13 Center for Change, said coronavirus has changed the collective environment as much as anything most people have seen.
“This is a global exaggeration of anything that’s going to mess up life,” Burks stated. “I mean, most of us remember 9/11. Some of us remember, you know, different things that have happened during our lives that cause the world to stop for a few moments.
“And it’s all about how you choose to see it. If you see it as a disaster, it will be a disaster. You will steer where you’re staring," Burks said. "But, if you see it as an adventure, as an opportunity, not saying that there aren’t negatives out there, but it’s all up to us, how we respond to it.”
Burks said the State of Texas has responded by increasing access to mental services in two ways.
First, Governor Greg Abbott waived regulations to make it easier for doctors and counselors to use video chats to talk to their patients and clients.
Burks said she had not been a fan of telehealth previously but changed her mind after using it often the last couple weeks.
“And I’m, actually, I’m enjoying it because people feel safer, have a measure of safety while addressing their mental health needs," Burks said. "Just checking in, having somebody to talk to that’s not a family member, that you don’t feel like your burdening them.”
Additionally, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced Tuesday that it launched a free helpline that Texans can call whenever they want, operated by the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD.
“No matter what you’re feeling, no matter what you’re thinking, there are caring people on the line that will be more than happy to help you work through whatever’s on your mind,” Burks stated.
Elliott Sprehe, a spokesperson for HHSC, said Wednesday that 22 qualified mental health professionals and seven master-level licensed practitioners from the Harris Center staff the phone lines. The operators are all trained in psychological first aid and trauma-informed care, and help is available in English and Spanish. Sprehe said more than 250 people called the helpline in its first 24 hours of operation.
Burks said people can help themselves stay happy and healthy while staying at home by getting out of the house, even if it is just to take a walk around the block. She also said staying connected—virtually—to friends, family, and churches helps maintain a sense of community that is easy to lose during isolation.
“We’re getting ready for how life is going to be when this is over, and life will never be the same,” Burks said. “ But we get to choose whether it’s going to help to make us a little bit better, as individuals and as a community, and as a nation, or whether it’s going to make us bitter and it’s going to set in as a depression, which is what we hope doesn’t happen.”
To reach the 24/7 mental health helpline, call 1-833-986-1919.