'People are not doing well': Psychologist says anger over 'prolonged' COVID-19 pandemic common
Even with the majority of COVID-19 restrictions lifted across Canada, many may still feel frustration about the pandemic, leading to pent-up tension.
CTV Morning Live spoke with Dr. Monica Vermani, a clinical psychologist, Tuesday about the mental health impacts the pandemic has had and how that tension could lead to anger.
Vermani explained the pandemic created a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty with rapid and constant changes in work structure, plans and socialization.
"The first year we tried our best to do Zoom calls, to socialize and to try to make the best of it and try to bring healthy habits in," Vermani said.
"But over the prolonged exposure of the pandemic and the lockdowns and the consequences of that, it's learned to take a lot of the things we enjoy away."
That's prompted feelings of frustration, Vermani explained.
"When you're in pain you spill onto others," she said. "So when we speak about anger, it's irritability, frustration, not knowing what to do next, confusion, feeling overwhelmed and a lot of self doubt."
When anger's turned onto others it can manifest as snippiness, or a lack of patience, but it can also be more serious, like aggression.
Vermani said it's important to look beyond a person's anger and have compassion for what's happening beneath the surface.
"I think what we're seeing out there is people are not doing well, plain and simple," she said. "A lot of things that are deeper about our insecurities, our own issues, are actually what anger's about. So it's about pausing and reflecting."
For those experiencing feelings of anger, Vermani recommended keeping up with self care by eating well, getting exercise, socializing and trying to find moments of joy.
"Once you bring in little things that make you healthy, then the spillage over there is also health," she said. "The ripple effect is what we want to try to work on."
Dr. Monica Vermani's comments were part of a five-minute interview on CTV Morning Live. Watch the full interview in the video player above.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.