Coping With Post Swine Flu Depression

H1N1 takes its toll on your physical health and can also damage your mental health. Even if you have never suffered from symptoms of depression previously, a bout with the flu can trigger feelings of anxiety and despair. Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. explains the prevalence of depression after H1N1. He says that if the body is sick, the mind quickly follows. Most individuals lead busy lives. Each day you wake up in the morning and have a mental to-do list that absolutely must be done. When you wake up sick and cannot get these tasks done, it can lead to extreme anxiety. 

While you are sick with H1N1, try and concentrate on recovery. Leave the daily tasks to someone else. If you are worried about uncompleted projects at work, have someone call your supervisor and explain the situation. Everyone falls ill occasionally. Concentrate on staying calm and recovering. Remember, once you get better you will have plenty of time to deal with your responsibilities. If you have been treated in the past for depression, call your mental health doctor and describe your symptoms. Your doctor might prescribe an anti-anxiety medication. Even if your doctor does not prescribe a medication, he or she can help you work through your feelings of post-swine flu depression.

Because of the high profile of H1N1, those who fall ill because of the virus often feel singled out and vulnerable. When they try to return to their daily lives, friends can unintentionally make their mental symptoms worse. Jokes about having the swine flu, even after the sufferer has recovered, can be damaging. They indicate to the flu sufferer that despite recovering from the symptoms of the disease, they have not recovered from the stigma. 

Because of the stigma of the swine flu, many individuals dread returning to work after being sick. The Mental Health Foundation has determined that returning to work after an illness can trigger depression symptoms. The foundation also stated that many employees feel anxiety about telling their employer their symptoms. If you have been ill with H1N1, try and ease back into your normal routine. 

Ask your supervisor if it would be possible for you to take your first day back as a half day. Talk to your Human Resources department instead of your direct supervisor if you are uncomfortable discussing your illness and depression systems with your boss. Your HR representative can help you and your supervisor develop a return to work schedule that will not cause undo stress or trigger your symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Some doctors, such as UBC Psychiatry Assistant Professor Cai Song, believe that depression is another pain symptom caused by a distressed immune system. Remember that your depression pain is real. If your depression symptoms persist long after you have recovered from H1N1, seek medical attention. You would not let your physical symptoms go untreated, so make sure that you take your mental health just as seriously.

Drawing upon our more than 30-year history of granting degrees in professional psychology, Argosy University has developed a curriculum that focuses on interpersonal skills and practical experience alongside academic learning. Because getting a degree is one thing. Succeeding, quite another.