Q & A with Counselor Eddie Sharpe on How to Cope with Mental Stress of Coronavirus

Eddie Sharpe Jr. is a licensed professional counselor. 

As the nation observes Mental Health Awareness Month, the Birmingham Public Library talked to Eddie Sharpe Jr., a licensed professional counselor in Birmingham, to share tips for the community on how to cope with the mental stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharpe and Latoria Greenhill are co-founders of Restoring Hopes LLC, which focuses on providing low cost community mental health services in schools and homes of Jefferson and Shelby counties.

Sharpe is also a collaborator with Brother Let’s Talk, a Birmingham organization dedicated to "reducing the stigma and addressing the stress" as it pertains to black men's mental health. Brother Let's Talk hosts monthly Barbershop Talks addressing mental health in men.

BPL: Why is it important for people to take the issue of coronavirus seriously when it comes to our mental health?

 Sharpe: Covid-19 has been a very trying time for everyone. The coronavirus pandemic has changed society as we know it, and the stress that comes with uncertainty creates a pathway for mental health issues to surface. While May is Mental Health Awareness Month, July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, so this is a good time to talk about these issues.

BPL: What are some things people can do to keep their mental health in check?

Sharpe: • Check in on friends and loved ones. Coronavirus has, more than anything, impacted many of our abilities to engage in the relationships we've had with our friends and families. It's easy to get caught up in the moment of our own struggles, but as we social distance, having a universal experience with people we care about gives us relief when we feel that our own individual struggles may be getting heavy. We don't always recognize how much we lean on the world around us until we don't have it to lean on.

 • Write, write, write! Coronavirus has led us to unwillingly use some of the shelf space in our brains to store new anxieties. We've also had to shuffle around our old depressions, as well as put some new uncertainties in that same space. When negativity starts to overwhelm the limited space we have in our brains, it creates mental discord and turns into mental health issues.

The alternate space that we can use to store those things more effectively are journals. Don't worry if you're not a physical writer, you can also type it out on your favorite computer or app or voice record it. The essence is to use another medium to store some of what you are struggling with so that it doesn't take up the emotional space that you need.

• Find a self-care focal point. Self-care is doing something for yourself that brings you peace in the middle of uncertainty. It may be that bubble bath where you read a chapter or two. It may be that DIY (do it yourself) project that you delve into. It may be that positive engagement with your family. During a time like this, it can be easy to lose focus on that thing we use to help bring balance to our frustrations. Self-care is doing it on purpose and with the intention of blocking everything else out while you are.

BPL: Anything else to add?

Sharpe: In the event that you are deeply overwhelmed, there are also signs that you may need to seek further counseling:

• There are new (or resurfacing) feelings of anxiety and depression that aren't manageable no matter how hard you try.

 • Your body begins to show signs of physical fatigue, overwhelming stress, and the inability to regulate your emotions. 

 • The lack of motivation to do much begins to take over your way of thinking due to isolation. 

The best thing we can do for ourselves in this moment is keep a check on our mental health and be aware of the signs that we may need to schedule time with a mental health therapist. Stay safe!