The COVID-19 pandemic is gearing up for the second round when people are still dealing with the aftereffects of the Coronavirus quarantine.
COVID-19 has stopped the world in its tracks. The respective governments around the world issued stay-at-home orders that entail avoiding physical touch, social gatherings, or simply helping someone in need, which goes against our innate, natural tendency to be social creatures.
No one knows how much more disruption this virus will cause in people’s lives as there are speculations about the second wave of COVID-19. Health experts predict a wave of mental illness during this period of time due to the isolation, fear, and anxiety caused by this pandemic that has gripped the world during months of social distancing and a rise in cases worldwide. On so many levels, this crisis has already begun, making mental health awareness critical and applying a more holistic approach to gain mental stability amid such chaos.
COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mental Health Wave
The COVID-19 pandemic has created various challenges in the path of mental health care and well-being. Individuals, families, and communities worldwide struggle with financial insecurity, accessing mental health, and increased substance use care, resulting in an elevated level of overall stress and anxiety. Aside from this, the pandemic can also make it difficult to access existing treatment and recovery for mental illness and other related disorders. All of this collectively leads up to a possible “second wave” of various emotional and cognitive symptoms such as frustration, loss of focus, and decreased stress tolerance.
The first wave was taken as an infectious disease wave, whereas the second wave is going to be a mental health wave. Social distancing, quarantining, and the daily struggle and pressure to cope up with uncertainty brings in terms of job loss, financial instability, and increased household roles, putting our mental health at risk. As we live through this crisis, there will be an explosion on the mental health side.
This uncertainty does not only enrage symptoms of those diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Post traumatic stress disorder, and Acute Stress Disorder but it can even trigger anxiety and depression in those who never experienced these symptoms.
What Can You Do to Help?
Although some relaxations are made in the COVID-19 restrictions, it still feels different from the world as before COVID-19.
One positive outcome that has emerged from this crisis is the increased focus on the mental health community and the power of diversity and communication. People are coming together to address mental health, the value of human life, and racial sensitivity during these troubled times. The best way is to work together and address these concerns on a personal level and reach out to your friends and family.
It is essential to come forward and seek help. Thankfully, people are taking proactive measures to share their feelings and struggles through various social media platforms and accessing teletherapy services. We need to be supportive and uplift people around us and work unitedly within the community.
With so many struggling, there seems to be a high demand for these services, which follows a holistic approach that focuses more on individual empowerment. It is critical to understand and target the underlying thought process, emotions to heal appropriately.
Parting Thoughts
As the healthcare industry tries its best to bring COVID-19 under control with vaccines and treatments, the mental health issues stemming from COVID-19 will be a more significant threat. As more and more people have an emotional crisis or fears surrounding safety and illness, the demand for mental health services and healthcare will also increase.
If you and your family feel the need to access your mental health, reach me here online via the contact page, on the Instagram Richardlistens page, or you could call to discuss your specific needs. My services are person-centered and I have been providing services to people from different fields that includes, doctors, nurses, lawyers, athletes, individuals, families, and more. Let me help you triumph through this challenge!