Facts Why Pandemic Patients Need Counseling

The mental health help that you need is out there. And this mental health help was available and offered in the midst of the pandemic.

Let me tell you a story about the pandemic – the public health crisis that shook everyone, from the World Health Organization to doctors, and normal people. It was the biggest cause of my stress, anxiety, grief, and feelings of hopelessness. Do you want to know more? Continue reading below. We might have had similar experiences and mental health challenges during the global covid 19 pandemic.

Overcoming The Mental Health Challenges During The Pandemic

I am a licensed mental health counselor, and when the covid 19 pandemic happened, I naturally had to stop offering advice. A few nurses and other mental health professionals at the university hospital that I grew close to told me that some of my regular patients were sad because I wasn’t able to go to the office. I kept on thinking about how I could provide counseling and treatment during the pandemic without going to the office, putting my health at risk, and contracting the virus myself. I knew that my clients were under a lot of stress, fear, concern, depression, and anxiety, and the challenges that the global pandemic brought about were inevitable. They had no access to in-person office sessions in therapy services and most of them had difficulty coping with the emotional and mental health challenges that they faced.

Then, one day, I thought of strategies. I realized I could utilize an online therapy platform or virtual help for patients who required treatment and counseling during the covid 19 pandemic. This was so that one way or another they could maintain the services that they had before the pandemic. It was like my own private practice, in a way, but I didn’t have to be in the office. Its success could play a crucial role in helping them maintain strong client/counselor relationships as well as the individual’s social interactions as well. They can get the care they need without us having to go to the office.

Counseling Services For Mental And Emotional Wellness In The Midst Of Covid

Since I had contact persons at the office (the hospital), I asked them to talk to some of the patients and family members and ask them if they wanted to join group sessions for counseling during covid, the global pandemic. This virtual platform was one way to support them in these trying times. They could still avail themselves of professional counseling services following resources and continue treatment if necessary. Or they might just want to learn more about strategies to avoid the virus, how to maintain emotional and mental wellness, or simply wish someone to assist them in improving their coping skill progress.

The sessions were done during their stay or after getting discharged. Many clients answered positively – be it students or parents – so I began allocating two hours of my day to talk to these clients via Skype. The topics were never set in stone, considering my clients had different worries every day. Sometimes, we would chat about how the pandemic altered their lives and how it affected their physical health; other times, I would help them realize that there’s a way out of their own vulnerabilities – their stress, anxiety, and other negative personal feelings. I would also provide them with strategies and helpful information following resources about the warning signs and symptoms involved with the disease, how you develop it, how to monitor it in the future, how to manage stress and do appropriate self-care, and most importantly how to maintain optimal mental health wellness. Following resources and with my counselor education, we focused on strategies, cultivating a safe space, and other things, without having to be in the office.

Getting Help Through Counseling – Plays A Crucial Role In Mental Health

The thing that bothered me the most was the reaction of my friends who were not in the mental health help practice – it added to my stress! While my licensed professional counselor colleagues, clinicians, and the medical staff at the hospital were commending me for my helpful contribution to the community, my friends were calling me the modern martyr. “Why are you even risking your personal life and your own health over something that you cannot make money from? Does counseling them satisfy you? Perhaps you’d like to do other activities that are more worthwhile. This is the pandemic! You are just wasting your time and your precious health. Leave this private practice of yours,” they often said.

Benefits Of Online Counseling Support Amidst A Public Health Crisis

I could sense that the reason behind it was that I always declined to meet my friends since I always had online group sessions from the employee assistance program to focus on after my actual working hours. I had no in-person office sessions but I still had responsibilities toward my clients in helping them lessen their stress, anxiety, and other concerns. However, even without that private practice, I would still say no. Gathering at such events at a crucial time seemed to defeat the purpose of social distancing and lockdowns, after all. Following resources and strategies for staying safe was essential.

In case you are also wondering why patients need counseling, allow me to spell it out for you.

Providing Assistance To My Clients

Clients experience emotional challenges due to discrimination from other community members during this public health crisis. I have already given my friends’ reactions as an example of that above. And if I were one of the teachers in college and they were my students, I would willingly sanction them with disciplinary actions and even undergo school mental health help services with school counselors. On other occasions, some of my clients have been called names or blamed for contracting covid 19. I know I play a crucial role in alleviating their feelings of insecurity and loneliness. I assist them the best way I can by providing them with the following resources and strategies for their health and wellness. I guide them toward emotional healing.

I know the importance of this professional counseling practice to their emotional and mental health. Sometimes, they can also call state lines for mental care or try following resources from the American Counseling Association.

Instead of making the patients feel better despite the pandemic, though, such harsh words and language only feed their anxiety, and eventually, more stress may develop. This results in a longer recovery time for them, given that they need to nurse their health and wellness and their broken heart. Indeed, online help sessions are needed during these troubled times. Treatment, particularly counseling and health-related interventions, may become essential for individuals and families dealing with extreme anxiety and stress, especially during a pandemic. Experienced counselors can provide valuable support during these challenging times.

Recovering From The Pandemic

People are quick to assume that they are okay as soon as they test negative for COVID. However, the reality is that they may still feel weak after weeks of being ill. The stress and anxiety are most probably still present, and the recovered person may still be coping with the residual symptoms of the disease. And the truth is that professional advice on coming to terms with their feelings through counseling sessions is tremendously helpful for them.

The key idea here is that you should never jump to a conclusion regarding a COVID-19 client. A person may seem fine on the outside, but he may still be reeling from everything that has happened to him. And more often than not, that’s when he will need your support the most.

Having COVID-19 And Going Through Mental Health Challenges Can Be Traumatizing

Dealing With The Situation Is A Must To Manage Stress

Yes, testing positive for COVID-19 can be traumatizing for many reasons. For one, the swab test is quite painful. Then, you need to stay in an isolated room for weeks, not just days with no access to or contact with other people.

During a crisis, individuals experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety and depression may feel closer to despair than ever. It’s important to recognize the reality of this situation and seek support through mental health services, including school counseling, private practice therapy, and organizations like the American Counseling Association and counseling associations. Additionally, managing exposure to distressing content on social media can contribute to overall well-being during such challenging times. The crisis IS real.

Even when the pandemic ordeal is over, you may develop stress, anxiety, and paranoia afterward, considering you may keep on worrying about catching the virus again. For parents, this is devastating for their students as well. Hence, when you need a licensed mental health counselor to assist you during anxiety or panic attacks, it’s time to start learning some techniques and coping mechanisms through counseling.

Final Thoughts And Takeaway

Life will undoubtedly get better when you get mental health help for COVID. Still, it will not hurt to get in touch with a COVID counselor as you try to process everything and return to society and practice counseling.

FAQs

1. How Do You Take Care Of Your Physical And Mental Health While In The Coronavirus Pandemic?

2. What Can I Do To Cope With The Effects Of Quarantine?

3. Why Is Therapy Important Nowadays?

4. What Are Some Ways To Cope With Coronavirus?

5. What Is The Impact Of Therapy In The Midst Of The Pandemic?

6. What Is Coronavirus Doing To People’s Mental Health?

7. Why Is Talking To A Therapist Important In Improving The Quality Of Life?

8. What is most important in mental health help like therapy, etc?
9. How can counseling improve mental health?
10. What is the importance of community counseling?
11. What is counseling and what is its importance?
12. What is its importance in the lives of the youth today?
13. What is community guidance and counseling?
14. How to cope with stress during this pandemic essay?
15. How has COVID affected mental health in students?