“疫情并发流行病”：孤独对我们心理健康的影响

By Madison Wong Global News

《环球新闻》记者麦迪逊.黄撰写

Warning: This article may be triggering for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.

警告:这篇文章可能会引起一些读者的不适。请自行审慎阅读。

Rebecca Adams was living by herself in London, U.K., when the pandemic first hit.

丽贝卡·亚当斯在疫情第一次爆发时独自住在英国伦敦。

“My mental health was impacted almost immediately,” she says. “I would cry … I felt just so alone.”

她说：“我的心理几乎在疫情爆发后立即就受到了影响，我会哭……我觉得很孤单。”

The broadcaster, originally from Australia, had started a new job at the beginning of the pandemic. After 10 months, she quit and found herself mostly lying around in bed.

这位来自澳大利亚的播音员在疫情爆发之初就开始了一份新工作。但是10个月后，她辞职了，最终发现自己的大部分时间都躺在床上。

“Even when you know you have so many people there for you, when you are in a bad place, you feel like you have no one,” she says.

她说:“即使你知道有那么多人在身边支持你，但当你身处困境时，你还是会觉得孤身一人。”

She was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and made time to go outside at least once a day for her mental health.

她后来被诊断患有焦虑症和抑郁症，为了心理健康，她每天至少要抽出时间出去一次。

Sometimes, talking to the cashier was her only human interaction for the day.

有时候，和收银员说话是她一天中唯一的人际交流。

Countless studies and experts have highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s mental health, whether they’re youth or adults. Loneliness in particular has changed how we socialize throughout the day and some experts say people may continue to struggle post-pandemic.

无数研究和专家都强调了新冠病毒大流行会如何影响人们的心理健康，无论是年轻人还是成年人，所有人都会受到一些影响。孤独感尤其改变了我们每天的社交方式。一些专家表示，人们可能会在疫情后也还得继续与这种孤独感作斗争。

The types of loneliness in a pandemic

疫情中孤独的类型
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According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), long before the pandemic, loneliness was considered a growing public health problem, even labelled an epidemic.

据加拿大心理健康协会称，早在病毒大流行之前，孤独就已经被认为是一个日益严重的公共健康问题了，它甚至被贴上了流行病的标签。

Rebecca Shields, the CEO of the organization’s York Region and South Simcoe chapter in Toronto, says episodic loneliness is something everyone experiences, whether it be going through a drastic move or trying to make new friends.

丽贝卡·希尔兹是该组织多伦多约克区和南西姆科分会的首席执行官。她说，无论是在经历剧烈的搬家还是在尝试结交新朋友时，每个人都经历过偶尔的孤独。

But when it comes to chronic loneliness, Shields says it is cumulative and can have a dramatic effect on people. She adds some research has revealed chronic loneliness has the same physical impacts on one’s body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

但说到慢性孤独，希尔兹说它是逐渐累积的，而且会对人们产生巨大的影响。她补充说，一些研究表明，长期孤独对身体的影响相当于每天抽15支烟。

“There’s no one way that people experience it, but you can see that their immune system is depleted, their physical health… the stress can cause sleeplessness,” she says.

她说:“人们经历这种压力的方式并不单一，但你可以看到的是，他们的免疫系统被耗尽，他们的身体健康下降……这种压力会导致失眠。”
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Shields says chronic loneliness can also impact eating patterns, metabolism and increase mental health risk factors.

希尔兹说，长期孤独还会影响饮食模式、新陈代谢，并增加心理健康风险因素。

“Chronic loneliness is a public health issue,” says Shields.

谢尔兹表示“慢性孤独是一个公共健康问题” 。

Shields says many Canadians experience chronic loneliness, including those from marginalized communities, people living alone, seniors, students and youth.

希尔兹还说，许多加拿大人都经历着长期的孤独，这包括那些来自边缘社区的人、独居的人、老年人、学生和年轻人等。

Populations that were already at more risk of experiencing loneliness include people living alone and seniors who may not have the same social connection as a couple with kids do, she says.

她说，独居的人和老年人更有可能经历更高的孤独的风险，这可能与他们没有和有孩子的夫妇一样的社会联系有关。

“The people who are most vulnerable already experience is exacerbated by things like the pandemic … If you’re already at risk, then even more at risk,” she says.

她说:“那些最易受到伤害的人已经因大流行等疾病而病情加重了……如果你已经处于危险之中，那么风险会更大。”

For students and youth, being around friends is important for overall social development, growth and belonging, Shields says.

希尔兹说，对于学生和年轻人来说，和朋友在一起对整体社会发展、成长和归属感都很重要。

Dr. Shimi Kang, a psychiatrist from Vancouver and author of The Tech Solution, says people often don’t recognize loneliness as a major medical issue.

《技术解决方案》一书的作者是来自温哥华的精神病学家希米.亢博士，他说，人们往往没有意识到孤独是一个主要的医学问题。

“Loneliness is lixed to the release of cortisol, which actually disrupts our immune system and weakens our immune system (and) leads to muscle wasting,” she says.

她说:“孤独与皮质醇的释放有关，皮质醇会破坏我们的免疫系统，削弱我们的免疫系统，导致肌肉萎缩。”

Kang always tells people social isolation is a form of human torture.

亢总是告诉人们，社会隔离是对人类的一种折磨。

“(It) predictably leads to anxiety, depression and eventually even psychosis and suicidal thoughts,” she says.

她说:“可以预见的是，社会隔离会导致焦虑、抑郁，最终甚至会导致精神病和自杀念头。”

There is a mental health curve that needs to be flattened, she adds.

她补充说，有一条心理健康曲线需要变平。

“Thankfully, the human brain is resilient. If we do those things you’ve all heard a million times: self-care routine; regular sleep, exercise; outdoor time in nature… all of those things are natural antidepressants, they’re brain boosters and they can help us through this pandemic and beyond.”

“谢天谢地，人类的大脑是有弹性的。如果我们做那些你们都听过无数遍的事情，比如自我照顾，
有规律的睡眠、运动，户外活动……所有这些都是天然的抗抑郁剂，它们是大脑的助推器，它们可以帮助我们度过这场流行病，甚至更久。”

But for some, reaching out for help is also needed. At the CMHA, Shields says the organization offers free, over-the-phone support for people with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress and worry. Additionally, family doctors can also connect people with the right support.

但对一些人来说，寻求帮助也是必要的。希尔兹说，在加拿大心理健康协会，该组织为轻度至中度抑郁、焦虑、压力和担忧的人提供免费的电话支持。此外，家庭医生也可以为人们提供正确的支持。
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“If you think you need support, you probably needed it two to three weeks ago. If you broke your arm, you’d reach out if you had pain. This is the same thing,” says Shields, adding that working with your health team is a part of ensuring you feel better.

“如果你认为自己需要帮助，你可能在两三个星期前就需要了。如果你摔断了胳膊，你感觉痛了就要向外界寻求帮助。这是一样的道理。”希尔兹还补充说，与你的健康团队合作是确保你感觉更好的一部分。

“All of us have to get through this and none of us can do it alone. We are social beings, we need connection, we need to support each other.”

“我们所有人都必须度过这个难关，没有人能独自完成。我们是社会动物，我们需要联系，我们需要互相支持。”

Approaching mental health in a post-pandemic future

在疫情后处理心理健康问题

While the future of the pandemic remains uncertain, many have wondered how the pandemic is going to impact the overall need for mental health services and care.

虽然疫情的未来仍不确定，但许多人想知道疫情将如何影响对精神卫生服务和护理的总体需求。
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How people manage during stressful times can impact their mental health, Shields says, adding that anxiety, depression and economic loss are all huge contributors.

希尔兹说，人们在压力时期的管理自己生活的方式会影响他们的心理健康。她也补充说焦虑、抑郁和经济损失都是会造成心理疾病。

“People who already had a mental health issue… are actually more impacted by the pandemic because they have less resources and ways of seeking care. And so I worry a lot more about the people who are already struggling,” she says.

她说: “那些已经有心理健康问题的人……实际上受疫情影响更大，因为他们寻求治疗的资源和方式更少了。所以我更担心那些已经在挣扎的人们。”

Most people with mild to moderate depression or anxiety with good treatment and care can recover within a year, Shield says.

希尔德说，大多数轻度到中度抑郁或焦虑的人，经过良好的治疗和护理，可以在一年内康复。

“People with pre-existing mental health conditions, vulnerable populations, young people, students, elderly. This has been so stressful for the last year and we have to be very concerned about their mental health,” says Kang.

亢说: “疫情之前就存在心理健康问题的人，弱势群体，年轻人，学生，老年人。去年让他们的压力很大，我们不得不非常担心他们的心理健康。”

Additionally, Kang adds that people on the higher end of the mental health curve have an opportunity to try and help others, even with as something as little as asking a neighbour if they need a hand, all to contribute to the recognition that we are in a “collective stress.”

此外，亢补充说，处于心理健康曲线较高水平的人有机会尝试帮助别人，即使是向邻居询问是否需要帮助这样的小事都有助于我们认识到自己正处于一个“困难时期”。

“When we have that mindset we can come out of this pandemic, I think even better than ever.”

“当我们有这种心态时，我们就能摆脱这场疫情的影响，我认为甚至可以比以往任何时候都好。”

The normalcy of things being taken away

东西被剥离的常态

Going from not having to think twice about making plans to multiple new COVID-19 protocols and lockdowns has highly influenced Rachel Wong’s mental health.

从不必再三考虑制定计划，到多种新的新冠病毒协议和封锁，这些变化对蕾切尔·王的心理健康产生了很大影响。

Wong, a recent graduate of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, says while she lives with her family, the loneliness and barriers between her and the outside world have affected her sense of well-being.

最近毕业于温哥华西蒙弗雷泽大学的王说，虽然她和家人住在一起，但她和外部世界之间和隔阂和孤独感影响了她的幸福感。

“There’s a part of me that feels like I always need to feel happy or talk to my parents or sisters,” she says, adding that the pandemic has created a space where she feels she can’t take time for herself.

她说:“我的一部分感觉是我总是需要感到高兴，或者需要与父母或姐妹们交谈。”她还补充说，疫情创造了一个空间，在这个空间里她觉得自己没有时间留给自己。

Wong didn’t realize how much time she’d spent outside her home until the pandemic hit.

直到疫情爆发，王才意识到自己在外面漂泊了多长时间。

“I would consider myself to be an introverted person. And I feel like this would have been every introvert’s dream come true,” she says. “(But) a balance needs to be struck.”

她说：“我认为自己是一个内向的人。我觉得不用出门可能使每个内向的人梦想成真了，(但)还是需要找到平衡。”

The normalcy of things like her university graduation were markers of her identity that she feels got stripped away.

一些以前的常态，比如她的大学毕业原本是她身份的标志，但是后来她觉得这个身份被剥夺了。

Now, Wong says she has questioned where her life is going and if the pandemic is ever going to end.

王说，现在她开始质疑自己的生活将何去何从，质疑这种流行病是否会结束。

“We deserve to be listened to and to get better… We don’t have to bear a lot of these kinds of feelings of loneliness or isolation alone.”

“我们值得被倾听，值得变得更好……我们不必独自承受这些孤独或隔绝于世的感觉。”

Finding ways to cope

找到应对的方法

Kang says something people often don’t realize is how stressful multitasking can be.

亢说，人们通常没有意识到多重任务亟待处理的压力有多大。

“The brain doesn’t know how to do two things at once. Our brain needs mindfulness, one thing at a time, so small interruptions with our attention,” she says.

她说：“大脑不知道如何同时做两件事。我们的大脑需要专注，一次只做一件事，所以我们注意力的干扰要小。”

Kang adds that whether we’re checking our phone, listening to music, watching the news or checking email notifications, it can add stress.

亢补充说，不管我们是在看手机、听音乐、看新闻还是查看邮件通知，都会增加压力。

“Even just a small habit of trying to avoid multitasking and doing things one at a time can be very helpful right now,” she says.

她说:“即使只是试着避免同时处理多项任务、一次只做一件事的小习惯，现在也会非常有帮助。”

Additionally, Kang adds that avoiding things like sitting for prolonged periods of time and monitoring mindless scrolling are important to find a healthy tech balance as there is also a correlation between loneliness and technology.

此外，亢补充说，避免长时间坐着，避免盲目滚动屏幕，这对找到健康的科技平衡都很重要，因为孤独感和科技也是有关联的。

“We need to see each other, we need to look at each other, we need to hear each other’s voices,” she says, adding that these micro-moments of connection release oxytocin, which is a neural hormone and powerful antidepressant.

“我们需要看到彼此，我们需要看着彼此，我们需要听到彼此的声音，”她这样说道，她还补充说，这些联系的微时刻会释放催产素，这是一种神经激素，也是强大的抗抑郁剂。

While Kang says there are benefits to tech devices, like being able to video call loved ones, there needs to be a balance.

亢说，虽然科技设备也有好处，比如可以用来与爱的人视频通话，但需要有一个平衡。

Adams says that for those that are struggling with mental health, there are people they can turn to.

亚当斯说，对于那些正在与心理健康作斗争的人来说，他们可以向别人求助。

“I don’t want people to go through what I’ve gone through, like, I’ve had some dark thoughts in my head,” she said.

“我不想让别人经历我经历过的事情，比如，我的脑海里有一些黑暗的想法，”她说。

“They’re not always alone… There are people you can call, whether it’s a counsellor on the phone or a doctor or a family friend.”

“他们并不总是孤独的……你可以给别人打电话，不管是咨询师、医生还是家庭朋友。”

People who are in a cycle of loneliness often find difficulty getting out of the clutter of their own thoughts, like, “Nobody wants to connect with me anyways,” Shields says.

希尔兹说，处于孤独循环中的人往往很难摆脱自己杂乱的想法，比如，“反正没有人想和我联系”。

“That’s when we have to recognize that somebody that we love or care about or knows is experiencing loneliness and reach out or encourage them to connect and help them through that,” she says.

她说:“这时，我们必须意识到，我们爱的、关心的或认识的人正在经历孤独，然后我们应该伸出手，鼓励他们联系自己，帮助他们度过这段时间。”

“Sometimes it’s something that we can do for them and sometimes they’re going to need some professional support.”

“有时我们可以为他们做一些事情，有时他们需要一些专业支持。”

According to the CMHA, ways to cope with loneliness include avoiding comparing yourself to others; giving yourself time, especially when dealing with big life changes or transitions; finding ways to take advantage of time alone, like pursuing a new hobby; and working on your own social connections.

根据加拿大精神卫生协会的说法，应对孤独的方法包括避免与他人比较; 给自己一些时间，尤其是在处理生活中的重大变化或转变的时候; 找到利用独处时间的方法，比如培养新的爱好; 以及建立自己的社会关系。

While studying chronic loneliness, Shields decided to explore the question of what could help someone who was feeling lonely and stuck in that continuous cycle.

在研究慢性孤独时，希尔兹决定探索一个问题: 什么可以帮助那些感到孤独并陷入持续循环的人。

She says she found the simple act of helping somebody else can help an individual feel better and connected.

她说，她发现帮助别人这个简单的行为可以帮助一个人感觉更好，并与他人建立联系。
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Shields adds that while helping others may be difficult during the pandemic, there are still lots of ways people can help others, like reaching out to people via Zoom or a phone call.

希尔兹补充说，虽然在疫情期间帮助他人可能很困难，但人们仍然可以通过很多方式帮助他人，比如通过Zoom或电话联系他人。

Or it can be something even simpler like shovelling a neighbour’s driveway.

或者它可以是更简单的事情，比如帮助铲邻居的车道。

“That connection of being able to give and receive is so important.”

“能够给予和接受的联系是非常重要的。”