Escaping Mental Health Issues Post Pandemic

When the Coronavirus hit, there was panic and anxiety all over the world. The fear of death, the end of the world, was just an air of fear crippling in every part of the world. Things did not get better when there was a countrywide lockdown in most countries. Staying at home probably alone was not going to work for people's mental health.
People's stress levels were picking up, but with time, people learned to contain the fear. Adopted to a new way of living. What was dubbed the new normal, and that it became? 
Nevertheless, with the coming of the vaccine, things are changing now. There has been containment of the virus as people are learning how to protect themselves and each other. Things are getting back to shape, schools are reopening, restaurants are back to business, gatherings are now allowed if the WHO guidelines are followed. With all these things coming back, I may fear what I want to name as post-pandemic disorder or trauma. The pandemic may be going down, but what about the psychological disorder epidemic?
Remember that many people lost their jobs during the crisis. They either had to depend on savings, friends, family and even, in some situations, the government. Now that things are opening up, where do these people turn to? We all know that job searching is not the easiest of the tasks. It comes with frustrations, pain, a broken heart, and a lot of stress, and these factors can quickly strain one's mental health.
In addition,, others lost their friends and their families to covid, do they continue living as if everything is alright. If in a lockdown they did not seek help, shall they continue to live that way? It is not okay if they have not mourned or dealt with the loss and the pain.
A study done by the University of Huston shows that some of the things that people went through during the pandemic may not just go away. They may stay and affect one mental health for years and years even after covid 19 is long gone. If one does not address the mental health issue, it may cause damage even to their loved ones
A study by Zvolensky in Behavior research and therapy states that; if the issues that one went through during the pandemic are not dealt with, then that person is bound to get themselves into drugs. Be an addict or, even worse, suffer from chronic illnesses.
The research was done on people going through the covid 19 stress. It was seen that those who had not used drugs before the pandemic turned to it. Those that were already using substances had amplified usage.

Conclusion,
The best way to avoid post-pandemic stress disorder is to address the issues that you went through in that season. See a therapist, talk to someone, whatever way you can to process the problem. Do it and save yourself and your loved ones.

Author

Satu H. Woodland, PMHCNS-BC, APRN Satu Woodland is owner and clinician of Hope Mental Health, an integrative mental health practice located at Bown Crossing in Boise, Idaho. She sees children, adolescents, and adults.  Ms. Woodland with her background in nursing, prefers a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that addresses the mind and body together. While Ms. Woodland provides medication management services in all her patients, she believes in long-lasting solutions that include a number of psychotherapies, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention therapy, attention to lifestyle, evidenced based alternative psychiatric care and spirituality. If you’d like to gain control over your mental health issues, call Hope Mental Health at 208-918-0958, or use the online scheduling tool to set up an initial consultation.