COVID-19 and its effects on mental health.
Everyone is freaking out about the COVID-19 outbreak, but no one (hardly anyone) is speaking up about COVID’s impact on mental health. While popular news outlets and experts worldwide are telling us which symptoms to watch out for, how to protect ourselves and help prevent the spread of the virus, along with daily COVID counts; not many are discussing the utter panic that the pandemic has evoked on the population at large.
What does this mean for the 46.6 million adults in America who are already suffering from mental health issues? Major events, such as the coronavirus outbreak has immense emotional effects on our psyche, which can trigger stress and overwhelm leading to more serious conditions such as: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), to name a few. The CDC urges, “People with preexisting mental health conditions” to “continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms.”
If you are experiencing heightened mental health symptoms during this time, here are a few steps that you can take:
Limit news exposure.
Remember to breathe.
Take time to care for yourself (eat balanced meals, get plenty of sleep, avoid drugs and alcohol, take time to unwind).
Talk to a mental healthcare professional. If you are in the Baltimore area and currently enrolled in Medicaid, contact us for assistance.
Call 911 immediately if you or someone you care about are in need of immediate help.