How mental health has changed in the 5 years since the pandemic
How mental health has changed in the 5 years since the pandemic
WESH 2’s Sheldon Dutes and licensed marriage and family therapist, Cherlette McCullough, unpack the evolution of mental health awareness into a post-pandemic society
Updated: 10:33 AM EDT Mar 14, 2025
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THIS WEEK MARKS FIVE YEARS SINCE THE PANDEMIC. SHUTDOWNS AFFECTED EVERYONE ALL OVER THE WORLD. AND AFFECTED US COLLECTIVELY. AS INDIVIDUALS. WE’VE EXPERIENCED SO MANY MAJOR SHIFTS FROM SOCIETAL TRENDS. THE WAY THAT WE SEE OURSELVES. WE’VE GOT LICENSED THERAPIST CHARLOTTE MCCULLOUGH HERE TODAY TO HELP PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT MENTAL HEALTH LOOKS LIKE TODAY. I’M JUST GOING TO GET US STARTED. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TODAY COMPARED TO PREVIOUSLY? SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. AND BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE NORMALIZED TALKING ABOUT IT. AND NOW WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, BURNOUT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. BUT THERE’S STILL SOME LINGERING THINGS THERE. THAT COLLECTIVE TRAUMA SHELDON AROUND ISOLATION, THE GRIEF AND JUST THE BURNOUT. WELL, IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE, LIKE, WE GOT THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WENT BACK TO WORK, THEY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, DID ALL THE THINGS. BUT LIKE, WHAT WAYS COULD THIS HAVE MANIFESTED? IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN US OVER THE YEARS, AND WE MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT. ABSOLUTELY. SO THAT GRIEF AND THAT UNCERTAINTY THAT WE EXPERIENCE THERE, THERE’S A LOT OF THAT STILL AND A LOT OF US TODAY BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED. OKAY, ABSOLUTELY. HOW CAN WE KIND OF BE AWARE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING INSIDE OF US AND LIKE, KIND OF WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHECK IN WITH OURSELVES? SO AND I THINK THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. THERE’S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC AROUND SELF-CARE, AROUND ACCESS TO THERAPY, AROUND REALLY TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES EMOTIONALLY. SO NOW DOING THOSE SELF CHECK INS AROUND WHAT AM I FEELING WHEN I GET UP IN THE MORNING, WHEN I’M AT WORK, WHEN I GO INTO THE WORKPLACE, WHEN I AM SICK, WHEN I’M AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK, HOW AM I REALLY DEALING WITH THAT? OKAY, I GUESS FOR ME, FOR THE LONGEST WHILE, LIKE I, YOU KNOW, SPEAK FOR SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE TOO, YOU DON’T REALIZE THAT LIKE SOMETHING THAT IS JUST KIND OF YOUR BASELINE KIND OF PART OF IT. YOU’RE LIKE, NO, THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS NOT OKAY TO BE THIS, LIKE WORKED UP OR THIS ANXIOUS, HYPERVIGILANT ABOUT SOMETHING. YEAH. SO LIKE, I GUESS WHEN DOES SOMETHING CROSS OVER INTO BEING JUST LIKE, OKAY, LIKE I AM SAD ABOUT THIS OR THIS IS DEPRESSION OR I’M STRESSED OUT ABOUT THIS, BUT LIKE, THIS IS ANXIETY. LIKE, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN SOMETHING BEING KIND OF JUST LIKE A SHORT TERM THING OR SOMETHING? THAT’S TO GET HELP? YES. RIGHT. SO ANXIETY ISN’T ALL BAD, RIGHT? IT’S WHEN IT LINGERS AND WHEN IT BECOMES DEBILITATING, WHEN YOU CAN’T GET UP AND WORK, WHEN YOU CAN’T CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, WHEN YOU CAN’T DO YOUR MOTHERLY DUTY, FATHERLY DUTIES, WHEN YOU CAN’T DO YOUR DUTIES AS A BUSINESS OWNER, THAT’S WHEN YOU KNOW IT’S TIME TO GET HELP. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION, DEPRESSION IS NOT JUST A LOW DAY OR SADNESS BECAUSE THAT’S A REGULAR EMOTION. BUT IF YOU ARE NOTICING THAT YOU ARE HAVING HOPELESSNESS, HOPELESSNESS OVER TWO WEEKS, IF THE SADNESS IS LASTING BEYOND TWO WEEKS AND YOU’RE HAVING THESE DARK THOUGHTS AND YOU JUST CAN’T DO YOUR REGULAR HYGIENE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT’S WHEN YOU KNOW IT’S TIME TO GET HELP. SO FOR A SHORT ANSWER, IF THE SADNESS IS OVER TWO WEEKS, IT’S TIME TO REACH OUT FOR HELP. OKAY, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW OUR CHANGE IN OUR SELF-AWARENESS HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS. SO IF SOME PEOPLE ARE DOING THE WORK ON THEMSELVES, THEY ARE INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES OR THEIR FRIENDS OR THEIR COWORKERS WHO ARE MAYBE NOT DOING THAT WORK, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF NAVIGATING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS? ABSOLUTELY. SO WHEN YOU WANT TO HELP SOMEONE OR YOU NOTICE OR YOU DISCERN THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON WITH SOMEONE OR THEY’RE JUST OFF, OR YOU JUST NOTICE THEY’RE NOT SHOWING UP AS THEIR BEST SELVES, HOW WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT HOW WOULD YOU LIKE FOR SOMEONE TO APPROACH YOU AROUND SOMETHING LIKE THAT? SO BEING MINDFUL, BEING RESPECTFUL AND APPROACH THEM. AND WHEN YOU APPROACH THEM, HAVE A RESOURCE THAT YOU CAN GIVE THEM, OKAY. BUT THEN ALSO JUST FOR LIKE INTERACTIONS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST REGULAR FOLKS, LIKE YOU’RE DOING THE WORK, THEY’RE NOT DOING THE WORK, BUT THEY’RE STILL CAUSING ALL THIS STRESS. RIGHT? BUT MENTIONING THAT TO THEM, JUST LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT YOU SEE AND HOW THEY’RE BEHAVING AND HOW IT’S AFFECTING YOU. BUT DOING THAT IN A PRIVATE SPACE. I THINK CONVERSATIONS, HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THOSE THINGS ARE VERY POWERFUL. OKAY. FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT IS THE BEST FIRST STEP THAT SOMEONE CAN TAKE RIGHT NOW IF THEY’RE FEELING ANY TYPE OF WAY? SO ONE ACKNOWLEDGING IT LIKE WE’RE DOING HERE. AND IF YOU DO ACKNOWLEDGE IT, REACH OUT FOR HELP. IF YOU DON’T HAVE INSURANCE, THERE’S A NUMBER OF PLACES THAT YOU CAN GO AND YOU USUALLY HAVE THAT ON YOUR WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND GET THOSE RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN GET HELP. OKAY. YES. VERY HELPFUL. WE APPRECIATE IT. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BEEN FIVE YEARS ALREADY. FIVE YEARS. ALL THIS. AND YES, YOU’RE RIGHT, LIKE IT DOES SHOW UP IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT W
How mental health has changed in the 5 years since the pandemic
WESH 2’s Sheldon Dutes and licensed marriage and family therapist, Cherlette McCullough, unpack the evolution of mental health awareness into a post-pandemic society
Updated: 10:33 AM EDT Mar 14, 2025
WESH 2’s Sheldon Dutes and licensed marriage and family therapist, Cherlette McCullough, unpack the evolution of mental health awareness into a post-pandemic society.People in a crisis can anonymously call or text, 988, or chat with trained professionals on the nationwide suicide prevention lifeline. If you or a loved one is in an immediate emergency, please call 911 to contact your local authorities.>> Click here to learn more about McCullough’s services
WESH 2’s Sheldon Dutes and licensed marriage and family therapist, Cherlette McCullough, unpack the evolution of mental health awareness into a post-pandemic society.
People in a crisis can anonymously call or text, 988, or chat with trained professionals on the nationwide suicide prevention lifeline.
If you or a loved one is in an immediate emergency, please call 911 to contact your local authorities.
>> Click here to learn more about McCullough’s services
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