ORLANDO, Fla. – With the wake of COVID-19 still lingering in our lives, the 2021 holidays may be difficult to navigate for family and friends who have experienced loss during the pandemic.
AdventHealth hosted a news briefing on Thursday to address how best to cope with the mental health battles you or loved ones may endure in the midst of all the holiday celebrations.
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Dr. Luis Allen, a psychiatrist and medical director for the Center for Behavioral Health at AdventHealth Orlando, and Chaplain Juleun Johnson, director of ministry and mission at AdventHealth, spearheaded the 9 a.m. discussion.
“In mental health, we tend to see that we have gone through three spikes during this pandemic. Mental health issues are always seen and tend to peak after (the medical spikes),” Allen said.
Allen added we should not wait until the decline of our mental health symptoms becomes more pronounced and apparent to seek help.
“I think a lot of people are waking up out of a COVID hibernation where we’ve been inundated with so many losses, sometimes you don’t know what to do, why you’re going through it,” Johnson continued.
He said the holidays often stir up memories of loved ones lost and it’s a good idea to honor those people and the memories attached to them.
“I suggest to people to write a letter to their loved one,” Johnson said.
He says grief is centered around catharsis, and letter writing, even to someone who can’t hear or receive the letter, can help people process loss during the holidays.
But families can capture moments of joy, even within loss.
“It’s a happy time of year, but it is very important to have that memory and celebration of loved ones we have lost,” Allen said. “Despite the grief of loss, you are allowed to have joy.”
He said we need to allow grieving individuals and ourselves the space to experience happiness during the holidays.
Navigating loss isn’t exclusive to death.
Fallouts among family and friends, dredged up by divisions in political perspectives and responses to the pandemic, are also impacting individuals at the height of the holidays.
“We have an opportunity to repair broken relationships and reset them during the holidays,” Johnson said. “Not everything is black and white. By embracing the gray through conversations with people who have differing views, we can break down barriers and grow closer.”
If you or a loved one are struggling, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, by calling 800-273-8255.