How I’ve Been “Getting Better” In Quarantine
I haven’t written an article in months.
--
Technically, I haven’t written an article since April. I’ve had plenty of ideas, sure, but nothing so strong that it would coerce me into getting out of bed at the start of this whole thing.
At the beginning of our mass isolation, I was sucked into a quarantine-induced depression that led to me failing the two classes I was taking, further isolating myself beyond belief, and dyeing my hair twice, consequently killing it to the point where I decided to shave it all off.
I was a bit of a mess, so Medium was the last thing on my mind.
But that didn’t stop me from writing.
Lucky for me, I use writing as a coping mechanism most of the time, and I was definitely in the headspace where I would be needing this particular coping skill.
I finished a Camp NaNoWriMo novel in April, and continued my work on it throughout the summer. I wrote short stories, flash fiction, and made a long list of article ideas if I ever decided to hop back on the Medium train.
I’ve known for a while now that writing is my best coping skill.
I’ve used it to process trauma, communicate with friends and family in unique ways, and change my life, ultimately for the better.
To say it bluntly and make this a bit more angst-filled, writing has essentially saved my life.
So how have I used it to “get better” in quarantine?
First, let’s talk about what I mean when I say that I’ve used my time and my writing to “get better.”
In terms of mental health, most people I know refer to depressive episodes as “things getting bad” or “things getting bad again.” I also do this, as I think it’s a simple and to the point way of expressing how things are working out.
Things were getting bad again for me in quarantine. Which makes sense, as my circle had gotten significantly smaller, where I might see one or two people every other day. It didn’t help that I was also living on my own for most of the summer, though it did give me a lot of time to do what I love the most. (I’m sure…
