The COVID19 pandemic is currently sweeping the world and causing a range of physical symptoms, including a continuous cough, fever, and respiratory symptoms that can become quite serious for patients who have underlying health conditions. However, it’s not just physical symptoms that COVID19 can lead to. Even in the people who have been lucky enough to avoid catching the virus, there’s another pandemic in the form of mental health problems, which have been caused as a result of lockdowns and job losses.
The coronavirus pandemic has significantly changed life for many people, leading to unprecedented stress, anxiety, and depression that nobody was prepared for. And for those people who were already struggling with mental health issues, the pandemic has made it more difficult than ever to access support. So, how exactly has mental health been affected by COVID19?
Loneliness:
One of the biggest problems caused by a pandemic is that of loneliness. With many countries going into national lockdown as COVID19 began to take hold around the world, people were separated from their friends and families, and for those who lived alone, it became extremely lonely. While many people did their best to stay in touch with others through video calling, text messaging, and social media, being stuck indoors with no contact with other people or social activities to take part in has taken a toll. People who were already lonely may have had even less interaction with others throughout the pandemic, which has had a serious impact on their mental health.
Anxiety:
Throughout the COVID19 pandemic, most of the world has been in a permanent state of anxiety about the virus. The fact that it’s a brand-new virus that the world still knows very little about has been very stressful for some, particularly people already suffering from underlying health conditions who have little to no information on how the virus may impact them. In addition, worries about inadvertently catching the virus and passing it on to a vulnerable family member without realising is a very real fear since some people have been asymptomatic with COVID19. Anxiety about when things are going to finally get back to normal has caused a serious amount of collective stress and worry around the world, and for those people who were already suffering from an anxiety disorder, it can easily become debilitating.
Job Losses:
Unexpectedly finding yourself without a job through no fault of your own can be one of the most stressful experiences during the pandemic, and for many people working in customer-facing industries, this fear became a reality. While office workers were mainly able to continue working from the safety of their own homes, those who worked in certain retail jobs or the restaurant and hospitality industry were left without a means of making an income. Along with the stress and worries brought about by the pandemic itself, those who found themselves suddenly unemployed had even more to deal with, so it’s unsurprising that for many people in this situation, their mental health took a turn for the worse.
Relationship Troubles:
People were joking about the fact that divorce lawyers are going to be in high demand after lockdown, but there’s actually some truth to it. For some couples, spending 24 hours a day together, seven days a week while working from home, homeschooling kids, and dealing with the stresses of living through a pandemic at the same time just became far too much. For relationships that were already rocky, the stresses and strains of the pandemic plus the difficulties in accessing good relationship therapists due to social distancing rules may have simply been the final nail in the coffin.
Losing Loved Ones:
While COVID19 can be quite mildly symptomatic, it can also be a very serious disease for many people, particularly the older generation and those who have underlying respiratory health conditions. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have sadly lost their lives to this disease and as a result, this has added grief to the issues that their loved ones are facing. Many people are going to be suffering for a long time as a result of the experience of losing a loved one to COVID19 and then being unable to say goodbye with social distancing restrictions applied to funerals. For those who do not live with their families, simple things like being able to give other family members a hug when we lose somebody we love, which we usually take for granted, were no longer possible.
Depression:
With all of the above going on, it’s no surprise that COVID19 has sent a lot of people spiralling into a deep depression. Losing motivation to do the things that you love isn’t difficult when doing a lot of things that you might be used to is now against the law. At the beginning of the pandemic when lockdowns were stricter, rules were imposed in many countries regarding the amount of time that people were allowed to go outside at any one time. It’s no surprise that this lack of fresh air, lack of ability to take part in enjoyable activities, and being at home isolated from family and friends has caused the depression rates to soar.
Physical Problems:
Mental health issues aren’t just in your head. In fact, conditions like depression, anxiety, and chronic stress can begin to manifest themselves in the body and lead to problems such as headaches, back and muscle pains, fevers, rashes, and even erectile dysfunction. If your mental health has suffered as a result of the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding this pandemic, you may have noticed aches and pains or other physical problems that you have never experienced before, and this could be having an effect on your ability to work or even maintain your relationships. ED, for example, can have a serious impact on your sex life and your relationship with your partner, which can lead to even more mental health struggles. If you need assistance to overcome these issues, you can learn more at this site. ED treatments from Manual are designed to help you get over your bedroom problems and restore your confidence.
Access to Support:
While mental health support has not been completely stopped due to COVID19, accessing it has become more difficult for many people. Many people are worried about going to the doctor’s office in fear of putting themselves in a precarious position to catch COVID19, and others feel guilty about putting extra strain on the healthcare system by getting attention for a non-COVID related problem. If this sounds like you, don’t feel like you can’t see your doctor simply because you don’t have COVID. Medical professionals are worried that people are neglecting other aspects of their health as a result of the pandemic and are encouraging patients to contact them no matter what their needs may be. If you are worried about visiting the doctor in person you may be able to get a telephone or video call appointment. In addition, many therapists are offering online, phone, or video sessions to both new and existing clients to help them through these troubling times.
While the symptoms of COVID19 are all physical, the pandemic is causing a troubling increase in mental health concerns. Have you been affected?
