A clandestine party prevented by the police in Rouen, a rally interrupted at the Buttes-Chaumont park, in Paris last weekend … the desire to distract young people is there unfortunately, it is not not compatible with the sanitary measures in place.

According to psychiatrist Aurélia Schneider, going out and partying are inseparable from the lives of young people. “Young people go out, especially in Paris. It’s their way of life. During the health crisis, it is a question of not going out at all! Yet it is their life to go out, ”explains the psychiatrist.

Read also: Faced with the health crisis, the mental health of young people is deteriorating

When confinement rhymes with discouragement

The mental health of the French has generally deteriorated throughout the health crisis. Since October 2020, requests for consultation with a city psychologist have increased by 27% according to a study by Doctolib. “It’s absolutely huge,” comments Dr Schneider.

At the start of the crisis, the main cause of the unrest was the threat of COVID, it then shifted to containment and the isolation that results from it.

“My patients really took the hit from January. The will to get out of it has turned a bit into ‘what’s the point’, ‘we can’t see the end of it’. I observe a discouragement with regard to the issue of confinement, the absence of social security, ”notes Dr A.Schneider.

The risks ahead

For Aurélia Schneider, adolescents are those who have suffered the most from successive confinements. “Pediatric emergencies were saturated with tweens and teens having suicidal attacks,” she sighs. “It never happens. “

These effects will not stop after the Covid. For the psychiatrist, it will be necessary to manage the post-confinement: “There will be concerns about finding society, transport, others. There can be fear of covid, but also social anxiety, or even other reasons. ”

What symptoms should alert?

If you start to feel profoundly unwell, the psychiatrist recommends that you take stock of your symptoms first. “We must recognize that we are abnormally angry, anxious, tense, that we have pain, dark thoughts, sleep disorders, weight gains or losses, that we consume too much tobacco, coffee, ‘alcohol… You have to make your own assessment, honestly, without lying to yourself. “

Fatigue is a particularly common sign, she says. “Containment is tiring. Stress and anxiety consume energy. And if we ruminate and sleep less well, obviously we are tired. “

How to react ?

Once you’ve assessed your symptoms, Dr. Schneider recommends seeing a doctor to determine if you need follow-up or medication help. “You have to take care of yourself when you’re sick, let’s get back to good habits,” she recommends.

The psychiatrist insists on the importance of a good framework and a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a regular sleep and eating pattern, taking breaks if you telecommute, getting out of screens, washing and dressing every day are essential, she says.

Exercising, going out, taking time for yourself, must be part of this daily framework. “The WHO recommends doing thirty minutes of brisk walking every day, that represents 6,000 to 10,000 steps. It is not long! ”