This is a question that I get asked frequently. Clearly, COVID forced us all to become introverts even if our natural tendencies are to be out and about. Children were forced to attend school in front of a screen, employees who thrived on interacting with each other now had to sit in front of their computer at home all day and our essential workers had to still put themselves on the frontline everyday. The news...oh, how I dislike the news...kept us in a place of fear and the mindset that we didn't have control over anything. We were told to stand six feet apart and wear a mask if we absolutely had to leave the house. We were made to feel guilty and wrong if we didn't obey the messages that we heard from the media. One day, any mask would protect us, the next day it was only the KN95 and later we were told that masks weren't really protecting us anyway. When the vaccine became available, we got so many mixed messages about which one to get, if and when we needed a booster and if there were any long term affects associated with it. And now, we are just beginning to come out of this isolation and quarantine. So...how has COVID affected our mental health? Many people of all ages are, and have been, struggling with anxiety and/or depression. Some of it is linked to feeling and being so alone for a long period of time and others are having issues reintegrating into society. I have clients in their teens and early twenties who have missed out on so much. Graduations, proms, Homecomings, sports, extracurricular activities...all canceled. Virtual education was challenging for many and the inability to socialize was devastating. Teachers did the best they could and they struggled as well. This pandemic was something that took us so far out of our comfort zone that we just had to get by day by day. If you find yourself having a tough time or your thoughts just seem to be obsessive and negative, please reach out to a professional for help. You are certainly not the only one going through whatever you're struggling with and therapists can help you get back on track. Mental health IS health and is not different from physical health. That is a fact and our brain needs just as much love as the rest of our body.
Yorumlar