Has the COVID-19 pandemic wrecked your mental health? You’re definitely not alone.
As a doctor and a Holistic Wellness Coach, I’ve seen a surge of clients this pandemic. And although the road to healing isn’t easy, I can tell you that it’s possible and truly life-changing.
I’ll share with you the 5 ways that the pandemic has impacted mental health, as well as effective methods to recover.
Keep reading to find out:
Disorders that arise from fear.
Mental struggles of survivors.
Steps you can take to get better.
If telehealth is the answer for you.
And so much more…
How the covid-19 affected mental health
The COVID-19 pandemic impacts mental health resulting in anxiety, stress, depression, discrimination, and guilt. It also causes attention and concentration deficit, increase in self-harm, lack of sleep, rise in loneliness, a surge in substance abuse, lowered self-esteem, and loss of appetite.
5 ways COVID-19 impacted mental health
The pandemic has traumatized our daily lives.
It dictated the following:
What activities we’re allowed to do
Where we can go
Employment opportunities
Distance from our loved ones
And so much more.
No doubt the financial constraints, isolation, limitations on travel, household dynamics, etc. will leave short-term and long-term effects in our minds.
But, there’s hope.
What we need to do is to be aware of what we’re experiencing so that we can get the proper help we need.
And so, here are 5 psychological marks of COVID-19:
#1 Anxiety
Excessive worry is no joke.
On an individual level, this is already alarming. Now, what we have is panic on a global scale.
4 out of 10 adults suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This data is from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
It greatly affects the mothers, the unemployed, communities of color, and essential workers (government, food, delivery, etc.).
It can also lead to the following:
Lack of sleep
Loss of appetite
Rise in loneliness
Lowered self-esteem
Increase in self-harm
Rise in substance misuse
Attention and concentration deficit
We’re also experiencing so much uncertainty. We don’t know when it’ll end so that things will return to normal.
#2 Stress
The pandemic stresses all of us.
Individuals experiencing job loss are under a lot of pressure to find work. Mothers who work at home are getting burned out from too many responsibilities.
Even if you’re simply staying at home, you can still be in danger.
You’re vulnerable if someone brings home the virus. Plus, when tensions grow between family members, there’s no escape.
In fact, domestic violence is on the rise.
Because of factors like fewer responders, crowded shelters, etc. women have nowhere else to go. All over the world, there’s a 25% increase in domestic violence.
#3 Depression
This situation is unfair for most people.
It feels hopeless and overwhelming. What’s more, is that you can’t physically be with your friends or family for support.
This leads to depression.
Even some offices dedicated to mental health are closed. It seems like you’re alone in your battle.
#4 Stigma
Survivors of the virus aren’t exempted.
The discrimination that follows upon discharge is still rampant. People stay away from them.
They also suffer from survivor guilt.
Add this with health issues after COVID-19 recovery and the chance of misdiagnosis, they have a lot on their plate.
#5 Grief
The last item on this list is the heaviest.
In worst-case scenarios, people perish from COVID-19. This doesn’t only affect individuals and families emotionally, but they also struggle from the financial aspect that follows.
This part is the most daunting of all. It’s going to take time for it to heal.
That’s why it’s important to seek all the help available.