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Covid Emotional Care Kit

During the pandemic, because schools have physically closed down, children and adolescents' routines have been greatly affected, and they no longer see their friends, teachers, and other important persons in their lives, they are at risk for depression, anxiety, stress, and adjustment disorder. As well, a lot of patients report feeling bored at home for long periods, and no longer have a regular sleeping or eating schedule.

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If your child has experienced any of these symptoms in the past 2 weeks, please reach out to our office and make an appointment:

  • decreased energy, chronic fatigue, or feeling sluggish frequently

  • difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or recalling

  • pain, aches, cramps, or gastrointestinal problems without any clear cause

  • changes in appetite or weight

  • difficulty sleeping, waking early, or oversleeping

  • loss of interest or no longer finding pleasure in activities or hobbies

  • persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness

  • feeling hopeless or pessimistic

  • anger, irritability, or restlessness

  • feeling guilty or experiencing feelings of worthlessness or helplessness

  • thoughts of death or suicide

  • suicide attempts (call 911 if you are concerned about your or your child's safety)

  • racing heart

  • grinding teeth, or muscle tension

  • restlessness, irritability, or feeling on edge

  • difficulty controlling worry or fear

  • dread or panic

Love

If you are a patient at our practice, you can submit two questionnaires to find out if you are at risk for depression or anxiety. Please send us an email to follow up on the results.

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If you haven't experienced any of the above, but are having a hard time with staying home most of the time, these are some things you can think about doing:

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  1. Stick to a routine - go to sleep at about the same time every day, and wake up around the same time every day

  2. Shut off all your devices about 1-2 hours before you go to bed, and start a "Relaxation Routine", eg, take a shower, read a book (not on a kindle or an iPad!), listen to soothing music, meditate

  3. Come up with a hobby - what have you always loved to do, but never had the time? Now is the time to pick that up; ideally it shouldn't involve a screen - and SHOULD involve you using your hands and an item. Humans evolved not to stare at a screen, but to use their hands and their minds to create something

  4. Come up with a creative way to engage with your social group. Dr Wu's son figured out how to start a private message server on Discord (yes, he plays lots of videos games) and even met a few new friends that way. Some ideas:

    • Weekly Friends Update​ on IG live or post Tik-Tok videos

    • Start a Pinterest (or whatever social media you use) group with your friends

    • Take up a hobby together and see what everyone else is doing

    • Put up photos of your friends in your room, so it's like they're hanging out with you

    • Write old-fashioned letters to each other, along with little presents you can send 

    • Come up with new ways and email us at amhealth@amaranthpeds.com!

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