34 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • JULY 16, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Coping with serious mental
illness during challenging times
Jason was diagnosed with schizophrenia
in 2004 and now lives with schizoaff
ective disorder. As a way of coping
with his day-to-day symptoms during
COVID-19, he has developed a strong
daily routine and treatment plan. Here,
he shares his perspective.
Th e outbreak of coronavirus has rocked
my world, causing stress or worry beyond
what I might normally experience with
my severe mental health diagnosis. With
my mental illness, I already practice some
degree of self-isolation. For me, a hidden
benefi t of the social distancing we
are now required to practice is I don’t
have to change my routine drastically
because of this new normal for everyone
else. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia
in 2004 and currently live with schizoaffective
disorder. As a way of coping with
my day-to-day symptoms, I have worked
hard to establish a daily routine that gives
me purpose.
Continuing my routine has been an
important part of my coping during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Without a routine,
my days would go by slowly, and I would
lose my purpose.
Perhaps the most important part of my
routine is adhering to my treatment plan.
And for me, that involves going to my
doctor’s offi ce for a once-monthly injection.
Th e offi ce is usually a very busy
place, but on my most recent visit there
were only two other people in the waiting
room. For added security, they had someone
at the door, asking questions to make
sure anyone entering the building didn’t
have symptoms, and most people were
wearing masks for protection. My psychiatrist
informed me that we would begin
doing phone appointments for our sessions.
However, I still will be going for my
blood work and injection. Th is experience
let me know how serious the spread of the
coronavirus can be. Everyone is aff ected
by the changes that are taking place, and
there are ways to adapt my schedule to
accommodate what is going on.
With everything closed outside, there
is no real limit as to how long I can sleep
every day, but part of my routine is setting
a clock to wake me in the morning so
I can get up and get going.
Once I’m up, I follow an indoor workout
on DVD that provides diff erent experiences
each day. I’ve started this new
activity because the place where I take my
kickboxing classes is closed, along with
the fi tness center at my apartment complex.
Exercise and physical activity has
been an important part of my routine and
treatment journey. Watching the DVD
and participating along with the instructor
keeps me in good physical shape even
though I’m doing something diff erent.
According to the new rules of social
distancing for many in the country, we
should not go out except for essential services
such as buying groceries. Since there
are guidelines about being six feet apart
when we are in lines, I was called out
for being too close to another customer
on my last visit to the grocery store. Th e
cashier was correct, and I apologized for
not following the new rule - it’s hard to
get used to! I also noticed I was one of the
few people without a mask, so my mom
made one for me for next time. My family
and support team have always been
important to me, and I rely on them now
more than ever.
With today’s technological advances, it
is easy to stay in touch with family and
friends. I recently had a video chat with
some friends who were just checking up
on how I was doing. It was good to hear
from them. It is important for me to have
human contact with those outside my
apartment. It’s not enough to just say hello
to my neighbors from my balcony, I have
to feel more connected. I also continue to
talk to my parents every day by phone.
Since being forgetful is one of the symptoms
I deal with regularly and I can lose
track of the days, I write down a daily
itinerary. Th ere was a time in my treatment
journey when I put showering and
brushing my teeth on my daily itinerary,
but now my lists include things like groceries,
self-care, and cleaning my apartment.
It is important to me to practice
self-care when it comes to my appearance.
I also try to regularly spend time
cleaning my apartment, which helps me
stay organized.
Even though I have to distance myself
from some of the people who care for
me and there is a lot of uncertainty in the
world, I am managing to cope because of
my established routine, support network,
and treatment plan. I have everything I
need to live, and I can continue to adapt
as needed.
Every story is unique. If you are an adult
living with schizophrenia or schizoaff ective
disorder, talk to your doctor to fi gure
out a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Jason is a volunteer with the SHARE
Network, a Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
program made up of people who are dedicated
to inspiring others through their personal
health journeys and stories of caring.
— BPT
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