The health-care trifecta of Dr. Rahul Gupta, Dr. Lisa Kitt and Dr. Marius Welgemoed came together again on April 21 to talk about COVID-19-related emotions and resilience. Feelings of sadness and grief were teased out during this week’s edition of MedTalks Live, hosted by the Sechelt Hospital Foundation.
The “live” discussion was between Gupta and Kitt, with Welgemoed’s insight interspersed via pre-recorded video. Subject matter in the hour-long talk ranged from the fine line between “normal” and “clinical” feelings of depression; the idea of “opening up” to grief; wide-ranging feelings of loss, be it loss of routine, of a job, or even of a loved one; and as always, there was a mindfulness exercise led by Gupta (at about the 30-minute mark of the discussion).
The interactive Q&A discussion included this exchange, edited for clarity and brevity:
Q: Someone in my life died suddenly last year and I thought I had dealt with it and come to terms with his passing. How does grief work, and how long does it usually take? Any suggestions?
Dr. Gupta: It’s kind of with us for life on some level; these experiences change us. The new experiences that resonate with old griefs, they’re going to surface, and that doesn’t necessarily mean we didn’t heal fully. They are touching upon something where there was a wound.
Dr. Kitt: Grief and trauma, it’s not linear. It’s a cluster and it’s messy. We shouldn’t shame ourselves or judge ourselves by thinking “I thought the time limit [for grieving] was up.”
Dr. Gupta: I listen to a song that moves me; or play the guitar and feel into the emotion; or watch a movie connecting to that feeling [of grief]. It reduces the times when it’s really overwhelming, so I’m managing [my feelings] with a more regular routine.
Dr. Kitt: If we suppress [our emotions] we find people blow. Anything that invokes an emotional response in you helps unplug the nervous system and allows it to move.
The panel’s ongoing list of mental health resources are posted at www.sechelthospitalfoundation.org/live. As well, please visit that address to continue sending in your questions and suggestions for future talks using the online survey.
Watch the full April 21 talk, and all past talks at www.sechelthospitalfoundation.org/upcoming-medtalks. MedTalks LIVE streams online every Tuesday at 2 p.m. On April 28, the subject was COVID Frustration and Anger and on May 5 the topic is COVID Shame and Compassion.
– Submitted by Angelina Theilmann for the Sechelt Hospital Foundation
