LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — We've talked about how therapists have seen an uptick in clients since the pandemic began, but we have not focused on what this increase in demand is doing personally to the mental health experts themselves.
Susan Reed, the Community Services Director with Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas, said recently they've had to take some of the coping skills they encourage their clients to use and apply them to their own lives.
"I think that's hard for people that are in healthcare and in mental health, just in general, because their spirit is to just get out there and keep working and keep pushing through," she said.
Since the start of the pandemic almost a year ago, Reed said the calls coming into their office hasn't let up.
"A couple of my therapists, they are booked from the minute they get in the office until the end of the day," she said.
According to Reed, that back-to-back schedule means many of their therapists are working through lunch and staying late to meet their clients' needs.
"It's not just doing the sessions that can be taxing. It's also all of the paperwork that's involved and keeping up with documenting of everything that happened during their day," she said.
When there's not enough time at work, Reed said they are bringing those extra to-do's home with them.
As a supervisor, Reed began encouraging her staff to take an afternoon and focus on their personal well-being.
"Their own mental health right now is very important and if they don't take some time for themselves, then they are not going to be able to continue to work at this pace," she said.
What weights on many of these selfless, compassionate workers, according to Reed, is not just the overload of work, but the heightened worry for their clients.
"It's not that you're hearing the same thing, it's that you are seeing the severity levels increase and so that brings up more concern," she said.
With little belief an end is in sight for this mental health crisis, Reed said despite the challenges and burnout, they'll continue to rise to the occasion.
"We did this kind of work because we wanted to help, so I do feel like we do have a sense of, I want to be there, I want to support them," she said.
Reed also added that there is a positive side to this increase in demand, people are realizing they need help and taking steps to improve their mental health.