COVIDsomnia: Why The Pandemic is Messing With People's Sleep

“COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the global economy, public health systems and upended industries from tourism to summer camps. Now, doctors from around the world say they’re seeing an influx in patients with disrupted sleep patterns linked to financial anxiety, fears of the virus or a lack of daily routine.” -- CTV News

While it may come as a surprise to some that despite many of the COVID-related restrictions loosening, many people are still suffering from anxiety and insomnia, I can say first-hand that I continue to see these symptoms amongst my own patients. Financial insecurity related to job-loss or a downturn in self-owned business is particularly prevalent.

We talked about these issues & provided some practical coping strategies from other experts in webisodes two and three of our Lockdown Learning Series earlier this summer. These are available for free on-demand viewing at www.drblakepearson.org/events. I invite you to have a watch and please let us know if we can offer any additional support.

Read the full CTV article here.

Common Signs of Distress - Remember the Five M's

To say we're facing challenging times, may be an understatement; however, now more than ever, it's important to stay mentally and physically strong.

Last week we shared our Five M’s to help you cope with any COVID-19 related anxiety you may be experiencing.

As we head into another week of physical distancing, it’s also important to recognize the warning signs of distress in yourself and your loved ones.

Heightened levels of stress are extremely normal in times of turmoil and the Five M’s can help you keep anxiety levels at bay. However, if distress impacts your daily life for several days or weeks, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor, counsellor or local CMHA branch.

We're all in this together. Stay home & stay safe…and if you need to talk to someone, know that there are people out there to help.

Coping with COVID-19 related Anxiety - Remember the Five M's!

As the Primary Care Lead for the Erie St. Clair LHIN’s Mental Health, Addiction and Opioid Reduction Strategy, mental health is an area that is very near and dear to me. With the outbreak of COVID-19, we have seen an increase in anxiety-related calls to my practice. Fear and anxiety about the disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions, so over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing some additional resources here, to help our community stay both mentally and physically healthy during this unprecedented time.

Whether you’re already struggling with anxiety, sleeplessness or loneliness due to being in self-isolation – or just want to take some pro-active steps to keep anxiety at bay – we’ve compiled a few recommendations to help you stay mentally and physically strong.

If distress impacts your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a doctor, counsellor or contact your local Canadian Mental Health Association branch at: cmha.ca/find-your-cmha.

To help our patients access the care they need during this time, I’m also providing access to virtual care services to help ease the burden on the healthcare system. Our team is standing by to help: 519-339-9233.

Coping with COVID-19 related Anxiety – Remember the Five M’s!

1. Maintain human connections: Call your family, FaceTime a friend, start a weekly virtual meet-up with your friends. E-mail pictures and videos. Laugh, smile and connect.

2. Move your body: Exercise releases endorphins which reduce stress. Even a little bit of movement will help. If you can get outside for some vitamin D, even better - but be sure to keep a minimum 6-foot distance from anyone else!

3. Mindfulness & self-care: Self-care is critically important at this time as stress can be made worse if we aren't taking care of ourselves. Engage in activities that you enjoy or haven't had time to do. Learn something new like meditation - there are loads of great apps out there (Headspace, Calm, Stop, Breathe, Think) and meditation can control stress, decrease anxiety and improve cardiovascular health.

4. Minimize news: Seek information from reliable sources only and limit checking the latest news to short, defined periods of time. Turn-off the push notifications on your phone to avoid being peppered with updates 24/7 which can induce anxiety.

5. Maximize healthy eating: Nutrition is medicine - by eating a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding processed foods you can boost your immune system, improve energy and reduce anxiety.

New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy expands medical marijuana program: NBC

A renaissance is coming to New Jersey’s long embattled medical marijuana program. 

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced a long list of reforms this morning, including lowering fees for patients and caregivers, adding five approved medical conditions and proposing legislation to increase monthly product limit for patients.

Patients receiving hospice care would be eligible for an unlimited supply of cannabis. Effective immediately, patients suffering from anxiety, migraines, Tourette’s syndrome, chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders, and chronic visceral pain will be eligible for the medical cannabis program.

Murphy added that he would like to eventually see opioid addiction added to the growing list of approved conditions. He called cannabis “an offensive weapon” to the growing crisis.

Full article 

Five most common uses for medical cannabis in 65+ demographic: Strainprint

Seniors are among one of the largest existing and growing demographics of medical cannabis users, evidenced by international trends as well as supported by the data collected from the Strainprint app, a mobile application that helps medical cannabis users track their intake and learn which strains and dosages work best for them. Strainprint also provides doctors and clinics with observational data to improve industry treatment knowledge. Based on their current data, here are the top five conditions for which people aged 65 and over are using medical cannabis. Full article.

Sarnia doctor partners with Trillium Villa to assess benefits of medical marijuana in nursing homes: Lambton Shield

Dr. Blake Pearson partners with Trillium Villa on a new, trailblazing collaboration to determine whether medicinal marijuana can improve quality of life for residents of Sarnia's long-term care community who are living with conditions such as chronic pain, movement disorders and anxiety. Read here.

Medical marijuana therapy program to help seniors: Blackburn News Canada

Dr. Blake Pearson says, “In my clinic daily, I see the benefits of THC and CBD, and in a continuing care facility we see patients suffering from chronic pain, sleep disorders, and dementia-related anxiety. I think it’s a natural fit to try it out and hopefully reduce some of the polypharmacy going on in those types of settings." Full article.