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Post-Covid Mental Health and Substance Abuse Help

Alongside the physical and economic effects, the coronavirus is pushing America into a mental health crisis. 

 

With the abrupt change to daily life, many people have found themselves in prolonged situations of economic stress, residential uncertainty, and are facing a world that has more questions than answers. These often compound pre-existing mental health and substance use conditions as well as other daily stress catalysts that existed prior to Covid-19.

Help For Depression, Anxiety & Mental Health Concerns After COVID-19

The question now becomes: what spectrum of mental health issues are most impacted by Covid-19 and  quarantine, and how can we address them? Among the exacerbated issues are depression, substance use, and general access to care. 

 

While there have been mid-term concerns with mental health issues and treatment during Covid-19, the good thing is that there are also more resources than ever for help and treatment. 

 

While many families are re-organizing their priorities, delaying some plans and adjusting their life schedules, it is important to remember that health and happiness is always the chief concern. Do not delay or cancel doctor appointments, counseling sessions, therapies or other health priorities. If a loved one is displaying symptoms of mental health issues or is struggling with handling current events, it is vital that these issues are acknowledged and professional assistance is sought.

Mental Health Needs Post Covid-19

As the world was learning about the danger and far-reaching ramifications of a pandemic early in the year, it foreshadowed issues that would trend upward in the coming months. 

 

Businesses began to shutter, meaning job loss and financial burden for an entire economy. As this effect took place, it caused a crisis in the ability to pay rent, mortgages, and loans. Granted, the government stepped in with stimulus, and these moves are widely recognized as stop-gaps for what is a damaged fiscal environment.   

 

With the money and  livelihoods of families now being affected worldwide, this now places a burden on entire households. When couples feel uncertain about their future financially, they fight at a much higher percentage. When the safety and future of children become involved, the stress becomes exponential.

 

The result of  all this added stress is a  more fragile mental health state, especially for those with pre-existing conditions. When combined with a quarantine that promotes lack of exercise and an influx of junk food and alcohol consumption, everyone is in a more exposed and vulnerable condition. 

 

Those struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues still need immediate help, even in these strange times. Therefore, we recommend getting immediate help for your loved ones via addiction treatment, counseling, mental health diagnosis and therapies. If you are struggling to find resources for your loved one’s treatment, Family First Intervention’s family services can help you to find options that are still viable for treatment of substance abuse and dual diagnosis during COVID-19.

Post-Covid Mental Health Issues

MENTAL STRESSORS & ANXIETIES THAT WILL WORSEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES

While we addressed the current state of Covid-19 and how the past year has created systematic stress, there is still an uncertain future to consider.

 

The world will have different job markets, housing situations, and social dynamics than when we entered into quarantine. People will be forced to relocate their homes and work, and certain industries might not even exist. 

 

To add to the financial concern, there is going to be paranoia about a second wave or different iteration of the virus. These are valid concerns to have, though they do nothing to make anxiety or depression easier to cope with. When combined with the sedentary nature of quarantine and the easy accessibility of alcohol and other substances, there can be long-trending patterns of abuse that form.

 

In short, the life stressors that have been brought on by COVID aren’t stopping, and there is a multitude of additional stressors that are coming in the months and years following the COVID-19 Pandemic.  It is important to deal with the stress and its effects on existing mental health concerns now, before the issues compound and transform.

Post-Covid Depression

CONCERNS THAT WILL WORSEN DEPRESSION & MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

Fake News, Media Obsession and Mental Health Post COVID-19

Paranoia is going to manifest or be exacerbated by a world full of valid concerns. Combatting it can be tricky, as so much of the news is necessary to follow for our physical health and well-being. Finding news sources that do not put spin on their stories or only relay critical information is one way to escape excess paranoia.

Family Member Believes COVID-19 is The End of the World

As with any major world event, many will claim that the world might be ending because of COVID-19. Those that focus obsessively on biblical, end-times ideas, and even the futility of current event issues are only going to put added stress on their mental state – even if their beliefs are plausible or true. It is the dwelling on the ideas that causes such a negative effect, not the ideas themselves.

COVID-19 and Panic Attacks

During COVID-19 and its subsequent social effects, many people are reporting having anxiety and panic attacks that have never experienced these symptoms before. Anxiety, panic, and panic and anxiety attacks are the main symptoms of numerous serious mental health issues including: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and panic disorders. Panic attacks , as well as generalized anxiety, are also symptoms of drug and alcohol addiction and withdrawal. If a loved one has developed anxiety and panic attacks recently, it is important to screen for any underlying mental health or substance issues.

COVID-19, Agoraphobia, and Substance Abuse

Finally, with a pandemic in our midst and the real-world fallout just beginning to accumulate, Agoraphobia is at risk of becoming more prevalent. This is an anxiety disorder regarding extreme fear of specific places or leaving a comfortable environment. It doesn’t always mean a fear of leaving home, and yet with Covid-19 creating a world that has seemingly fewer safe spaces by the day, it is understandable to see agoraphobia on the rise.

For any of these conditions, it is important to talk to a counselor, interventionist or therapist about your worries and to practice consistently healthy habits when you can create a baseline for your health.

The Need for Post-Covid Substance Abuse Help

While COVID-19 has contributed to new substance abuse issues, it has also pushed existing substance abuse cases further into serious addictions.

 

It is quite likely that if someone had been abusing without intervention prior to the pandemic, that condition has gotten significantly worse. With fewer day-to-day check-ins (such as a physical job site or as much social interaction), people are at risk of slipping into an even more dangerous pattern currently.

 

If you think that someone’s sobriety is in danger -whether for the first time or a relapse- it is important to work with an interventionist.  Our intervention specialists can help go over strategy for a family intervention, as well as long-term planning to help mitigate relapse and future substance abuse issues.

Is Your Loved One Struggling with Mental Health Issues, Alcohol/Drug Use, and COVID is Worsening the Situation?

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Mike Loverde

As a Certified Intervention Professional (CIP), member of NAATP, NAADAC, and accredited by the Pennsylvania Certification Board, Mike Loverde knows first-hand what it’s like to live life with addiction. By overcoming it, he had a calling to work with others who struggle with drug and alcohol addictions—the people who use and the families who feel helpless watching them decay.

With thousands of interventions across the United States done and many more to come, Loverde continues to own the intervention space, since 2005, by working with medical doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists and others who need expert assistance for their patients who need intervention. To further his impact on behavioral health and maximize intervention effectiveness, Loverde is near completion of a Masters in Addiction Studies (MHS) accreditation, as well as a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC), and is committed to attaining the designation of a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

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Family First Intervention?

Addicts and alcoholics have taught their families everything they know about their addiction and how to handle it. We understand that a single person addicted to drugs or alcohol is easier to help than 5 or more family members who are addicted to their loved one through codependency. We understand the dynamics of a complex family system that has been hijacked by their loved one through emotional manipulation.

Families tend to focus their efforts on talking their loved ones into treatment or waiting for them to go on their own. We help educate the family on how they have made the addiction more comfortable and in a way that does not help the addicted person get well. We can only change what we have control over, and that is our own behavior.

Our drug and alcohol intervention programs provide families the professional assistance needed to make the best decisions about their loved ones. Our counselors work to ensure that your loved one and your family system have the best possible chance of long-term success.

Call now to speak with a professional interventionist who understands what you are going through: (877) 728-1122