story courtesy TEP | photo courtesy Heather Walls
The Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) is sharing stories of LGBTQ people in Tennessee who work in the health field during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their fourth Tennessee LGBTQ story from the front lines of health care during the COVID-19 pandemic comes from Heather Walls (pictured above).
My name is Heather Walls and I am the nursing administrative coordinator at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital. My experience with COVID has been a bit different than other healthcare workers on the frontline. I am not in an ICU with multiple patients on vents, nor am I in an emergency room that is experiencing a huge influx of COVID positive patients. I am on the other side of things. I deal with the mental and emotional burdens that this illness has caused/is causing.
This recent pandemic and resulting economic downturn have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. We are in a period of uncertainty. The world is not the same as it was months ago. Rules and procedures change daily. Many have lost loved ones, homes, jobs and just their overall sense of security. It is important, now more than ever, that we pay attention to mental health in these trying times. Check on your loved ones. Be there for one another. And if you need help, reach out. We will get through this, as we have everything else. Stay safe everyone!
We are very grateful to Heather for sharing her story. If you are feeling isolated or struggling and need someone to speak with, you can call 855-CRISIS-1 (855-274-7471). This is a free service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you are an LGBTQ person working in the health field and want to tell your story of working during the pandemic please send it our way at volunteer@tnep.org.
