The Coronavirus Pandemic has caused extreme social, economic, and political changes throughout the world. The concept of social distancing and isolation from one’s peers can take a toll on a psyche. Depression, fear, anxiety, and abuse are few of the many results quarantine and  COVID-19 precautions have created or intensified throughout these times of uncertainty. 

Anxiety, the most prevalent mental illnesses in the U.S., and one of the most commonly seen mental illnesses in teens, is a major concern among people as self-quarantining continues to be the number one suggested form of protection by the CDC. 

Over the past few weeks, it is clear that anxiety levels in many Durant students appeared to be significantly higher than that of pre-Corona. As E-Learning continued to be a challenge with several students and teachers, many students found that using technology as a means of learning new material proved to be a significant obstacle. 

One Durant Junior explains that she has dealt with severe migraines since she was young, and has battled keeping them under control for the past 10 years. Anxiety is one of several factors that feed into her migraines, and because of this, self-quarantining hasn’t been the easiest to work through. 

Just one week into E-Learning, she was struck with a complex migraine, and has continued to suffer once a week for the past 2 months. During these migraines, she experiences extreme debilitating vision changes, has trouble speaking, loses her ability to remain balanced, and is unable to carry out normal everyday activities. Since she began self-quarantining, these became a regular occurrence, and almost a weekly expectation.

“Over the past few months, the only options I’ve really had to discourage a migraine from coming on include doing eLearning work and studying for my AP exams, but staring at a computer for many hours each day is detrimental to the brain, especially since my eyes are sensitive. I’ve sent many apologies to my teachers for not being able to put in as much effort as I normally do. I’ve been very anxious to get back on the computer because I’m afraid I’m going to trigger another migraine and fall even further behind. In turn, this causes more stress, which is another trigger for migraines, so I have to weigh my options and implement a lot of positive changes to counteract the negatives,” the Junior explains.

The issue of students keeping up with their eLearning has been another problem, as many children have no one to help them navigate the web and maintain their grades. “I think one of the biggest challenges I have had to learn how to overcome is the lack of motivation. Going to school provided structure to my daily life, and now that I am home all of the time, I have never felt more unproductive”, says one Durant senior. 

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to put a strain on the world, the best thing to try to remember is to stay positive and to continue to practice social distancing, as well as taking other health and safety precautions.

If you are experiencing mental stress and need to talk with a counselor, don’t hesitate to reach out to a counselor at Durant via Esdby or email.