Never hesitate to reach out when anxiety strikes

Since March 23, when the coronavirus pandemic had heavily reached the New Orleans area, Counseling Solutions began using telehealth counseling via computers and phones to help clients who have experienced heightened anxiety and issues that have amplified now that they are stuck at home 24/7.
    

“People are staying at home together constantly and not having any outlets or places to go,” Taliancich said, “and the fear of not know what’s going on and how long it’s going to last has increased anxiety and made it worse and amped up the anxiety for people who already have these things,” Taliancich said.’
    

With this increased anxiety and people not having their regular outlets “to do some of things they usually do to take care of themselves,” Taliancich has recommended these tips for people to stay on track:
 

Take care of yourself. Figure out what can be done and what works. If a yoga class works, find a yoga class online. It might not be the same, but find activities that work, such as a walk. The point is to keep structure at home. It’s a lot harder to keep that structure when there is no alarm going off, he said, and if there is no place to go.

 

Keep some kind of schedule. It’s really difficult to remember what day it is when the days are all the same and you are not leaving the house.
 

Stay connected with the people living at home, doing things that keep you together. That might include having dinner together, playing games, going for walks or sharing other activities that keep you connected.
 

If you or a loved one is in quarantine, stay connected with others either by video phone calls or scheduling a happy hour with Zoom. Taliancich said he has two  Zooms scheduled a week – one with his side of the family and the other with his in-laws.
 

Treat yourself well. “It’s normal for people to not feel good right now,” Taliancich said. “One of the common things I’ve noticed across the board – the longer this goes on, people’s motivation is not the same. We are getting worn down. It’s hard to keep the same level of motivation. You can’t leave the house and, even if you do, there are not things to do. Just make sure that people understand if you are feeling anxious or a little depressed, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; it’s just what people are dealing with.”
    

Taliancich also recommends meditation apps to help calm people, to teach them how to catch a second breath, to center and better deal with what’s going on. He uses an app called Headspace that’s currently free for two weeks, but there are other apps that are free through a simple Google search.
    

Finally, Taliancich said to pay attention to how you are feeling in order to learn to catch things before they snowball.
    

“The best way to deal with this is to know when things are starting to feel worse,” he said. “Ask yourself questions like this: ‘Are you not sleeping as well?’ ‘Are you feeling less motivated?’ Catch it while it is happening, and it becomes easier to deal with.”
    

Hours to call for counseling health are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Someone will call back to schedule an appointment. (985) 785-2113.
    

Once the COVID-19 crisis ends and Counseling Solutions is able to open its locations, offices are at 1430 Claire Ave., Gretna; 1424 Dante St., New Orleans; 100 Melonie St., Suite F, Boutte; St. Luke the Evangelist Church, 910 Cross Gates Blvd., Slidell; Archdiocese of New Orleans’ North Shore Pastoral Center, 4465 Hwy. 190 E. Service Road, Covington; 799 Fairway Drive, LaPlace.
    

Those who have the ability to pay are doing so on an income-based sliding scale through insurance or checks. “But, we see everybody regardless if they can pay or not,” Taliancich said.
    

Christine Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@clarion herald.org.