PsyCom.com – COVID-19 is taking a particularly hard toll on those struggling with mental health conditions like anxiety, OCD, and substance abuse. Here’s what the experts say can help you cope or care for loved ones who could be affected.
Social distancing, shelter-in-place orders, restaurant closures—the world we currently live in has become a very strange and turbulent place. Coronavirus has transformed everything we thought we knew about our daily lives, our government, and our health into a kind of bizarro world where FaceTime dating and panic-buying toilet paper are the new norm. It’s taking a toll on even the most optimistic of us as we try to stay positive amidst what feels like bleaker and bleaker news each day. Now, imagine how this already unsettling situation feels for the over 45 million Americans with mental illness.
Those suffering from anxiety, depression, PTS, substance abuse, and other forms of chronic mental illness are some of the most vulnerable right now in terms of loneliness, isolation, and potential for self-destructive behavior due to a lack of consistent support and a disrupted routine.
In an effort to help those with mental illness (and their friends and loved ones who may be concerned about the impacts COVID-19 may be having on them), we spoke to the experts on the specific challenges those with the most common conditions face, as well as what actions they can practice and networks they can access to remain healthy and safe.
Read the rest of the article at https://www.psycom.net/coronavirus-mental-health
