Trading classrooms for bedrooms, hallways for couches and quads for kitchen tables has jarred students across the country, along with the rest of their family members. In a time where people are focusing on the big picture by reading headlines and stocking up on groceries, the inward perspective is often ignored, forgoing mental health for the immediate physical health of ourselves and our loved ones.

The topic of mental health has always been somewhat taboo, and while the chaos of the coronavirus can overshadow mental wellbeing, continued conversation regarding psychological health is necessary now more than ever. According to a study conducted in March by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 45 percent of adults say that the virus has negatively affected their mental health. No matter their circumstances, people everywhere are struggling to connect with others and stay positive while in quarantine.

Besides physical health benefits, socialization can also be a positive force for mental health. Stanford researcher Dr. Emma Seppala found that people who are more socially connected experience less anxiety and depression in their lifetime. With mandated social isolation, many are experiencing a recurrence of mental health obstacles, while others are experiencing it for the first time.

Jeff Leiken, founder of Evolution Mentoring, a program for youth across the world, believes that teenagers specifically are facing unprecedented challenges.

“I think people right now are struggling with the fact that there’s not enough interesting, new [or] stimulating stuff going on in their life right now. I think they’re bored. I think they’re restless,” Leiken said. “I think that there’s only so much of passing the same memes around that [one] can do [because they are] used to a certain amount of social activity.”

The coronavirus has changed not only how we interact with others but also how we see ourselves. Lila Gamble, a junior at Sonoma Academy, has had trouble staying positive in these unusual circumstances.

“Normally, I would call myself a ray of sunshine, but it’s hard to be that way because it’s just so hard to maintain the optimism that I had before. I think that’s what’s making a lot of people really sad,” Gamble said. “It’s just hard to convince yourself that everything’s okay.”

Besides the lack of social interaction as a result of the shelter-in-place protocols, there are other resulting effects that can also take a toll on one’s routine. For instance, the cancellation of school and subsequent online learning is not as effective for some, and the inability to exercise at a gym or outside makes others feel restless, according to Leiken.

“There’s three things going on: I think people are not getting enough physical activity, and humans need physical activity…they’re not getting enough social stimulation…and they’re not learning enough right now,” Leiken said. “Humans are primarily driven by their brains. And then people spiral and what I’m finding when they spiral is either they just get depressed, or they start going towards deviant, more extreme forms of stimulus from the outside world.”

The restrictions causing mental health problems in these times are also what is keeping people from getting help. Dr. Mark Swoiskin, a local psychiatrist, understands the connection between the restrictions on activity and coping mechanisms.

“If somebody were just worried about their health [normally], they would have all these ways of coping with it,” Swoiskin said. “There’s so many things that are disrupted all at once so each of the things that would help somebody cope with any of the others are all being massively disrupted at the same time. There’s very little that isn’t disrupted.”

Tension at home

In high school, some teenagers feel confined and trapped in a time where they are supposed to be gaining independence. Others are grateful that they have the extra time with their families before a college send-off. While not always the case, the close proximity to one another and uncertainty of the future can sometimes cultivate a stressful environment at home.

According to Swoiskin, the possibility of increased tensions can be due to financial anxiety, parents losing their breaks in the day or the inability to socialize. Less extreme familial tensions can manifest into arguments, but for those with already strained family relationships, quarantine can make existing problems worse.

Anne, a junior who wishes to remain anonymous, had this experience in the first few weeks of the shelter-in-place when disagreements between her and her father got out of hand. Though their relationship has warmed during the quarantine, the experience was jarring.

“In the beginning, I got into some really terrible fights with my dad to the point that I felt my safety was compromised. I had to go away from home for a few hours to clear my head and get support from a friend, and it was just before the coronavirus really started to take effect,” Anne said. “And now, we’re regularly eating dinners together, having movie nights and being able to interact more humanly.”

This is not an isolated incident; when families are stuck inside together for extended periods of time, tensions can rise, regardless of how strong the family relationships are. According to a New York Times article, domestic abuse levels increase when families are forced to spend more time together, such as Christmas or summer break, and quarantine is no different. Law enforcement centers across the United States reported a 20 percent, 18 percent and 6 percent increase in domestic violence in Houston, Charlotte and Phoenix, respectively, according to NBC News.

Addiction

Social media feeds are filled with images of people using their time in social isolation to learn a new language or take up a new hobby. But for many, the drastic shift in routine paired with the lack of in-person interaction can exacerbate existing reliances on drugs and alcohol.

According to the research organization Nielsen, alcohol sales increased by 55 percent the week Governor Gavin Newsom announced the shelter-in-place. Additionally, dispensaries in eight out of the 11 states where recreational marijuana is legal have been marked as “essential,” with their average revenue increasing from between 52 percent to 130 percent, according to CNBC.

Albeit illegal for those under 21, drinking or smoking Marijuana recreationally can be common amongst certain teens. However, for those using it as a coping mechanism during a time of self-isolation, the effects can be detrimental. According to Anne, her reliance on alcohol and nicotine has intensified during the quarantine, as it numbed her anxiety.

“My coping mechanism has normally been alcohol or nicotine consumption, which last Friday led to me to get blackout [drunk] just because I was in a very dark place and didn’t want to deal with all the emotions. Alcohol just kind of numbed everything, which to me was my escape,” Anne said.

Although stress caused by the coronavirus outbreak can worsen a pre-existing addiction, there is a silver lining to substance abuse during social isolation; many of those in recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) have had an easier time in isolation due to skills they developed within AA.

Fay, whose last name will remain anonymous due to AA guidelines, has been in AA and sober for 12 and a half years. In the past, Fay has only been able to attend three to five meetings per week, but due to the shelter in place, she has been able to attend meetings daily via Zoom. Without the support she receives in AA, Fay felt that the quarantine might threaten her sobriety.

“If I were home and I had alcohol and I didn’t have recovery, I don’t know what would stop me from drinking. And so I feel so lucky to be in a home where nobody drinks alcohol, so I don’t even have to feel tempted by it,” Fay said.

To help herself remain in a solid mental state and improve her chances of staying sober, Fay chooses to focus on what she is grateful for rather than the bigger picture of quarantine, a skill she attributes to her work with AA.

“Being vulnerable is something we learn to do [in AA] and share where we’re at without blaming other people or feeling victimized. We count our blessings and we look for gratitude,” Fay said. “[We find] the silver lining so we can help keep our mental health in a positive place. The program of Alcoholics Anonymous is not so much about not drinking. It’s more of how to live life.”

Getting help from a distance

Before the shelter-in-place order, senior Chloe Roesler visited her therapist every Tuesday. She now speaks with her therapist over the phone to try and maintain a schedule. The lack of routine due to coronavirus has made it more difficult to stick to the schedule she used to have with her therapist.“I’ve definitely felt less motivation to call my therapist and do a session over the phone because it’s so different. It’s not one-on-one,” Roesler said. “It’s a little bit less personal, and it’s kind of overwhelming when you’re explaining events because it’s all over the phone.”