COVID-19 Anxiety Becoming Unmanageable? What to Do
For starters, don’t underestimate the power of telehealth.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have you feeling unsettled from the upheaval of your normal life, lonely from the social distancing, scared for the health of you and your loved ones, or anxious about the future in general. If you’re feeling extra stressed, you’re certainly not alone.
“People are most likely experiencing more anxiety than they're used to during this pandemic. It is incredibly important if you feel that your anxiety is unmanageable to reach out for help,” says Susan Samuels, MD, psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.
You may have coping mechanisms that are helping you get through this unprecedented pandemic, but it’s okay if you don’t: This is not a normal stressor, and you shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed if you are having trouble coping.
If the anxiety is feeling overwhelming or unmanageable, here are some ways to get help—without even leaving the safety of your home:
1. Try telehealth
Telehealth isn’t new, but thanks to the coronavirus, it is finally being embraced for the incredible tool that it is. Telehealth, or telemedicine, is a way to get remote care from your doctor, and it may include video conferencing, email or online messaging, or health apps and devices for tracking health measurements.
“Telepsychiatry is really, really common, and can be really helpful when you can't make it into the doctor's office,” says Dr. Samuels. “You might actually be able to get some individualized help that can target your specific anxiety symptoms.”
If you’re not sure where to start, Dr. Samuels recommends checking the website for your local hospital or clinic. “Many of them on their websites will give directions on how to reach out to them so that you can schedule an appointment, or perhaps even in that moment, find somebody that can help you,” she says.
2. Call a hotline
You may find yourself in a more urgent situation in which you need immediate help, such as if you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
“There are always hotlines that are available for you to call to reach out for help on an urgent basis, and those still are working and still exist and are still really, really effective,” says Dr. Samuels.
Mental health hotlines include the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Help (800-985-5990), the NAMI Helpline (800-950-6264), and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255). All three of these are available 24/7, even (and especially) during holidays and pandemics.
If you notice a loved one having a hard time coping with the stress of COVID-19, these tips may help:
Dr. Samuels is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an assistant attending psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
1
00:00:01.067 --> 00:00:04.299
People are most likely experiencing more anxiety
2
00:00:04.300 --> 00:00:06.699
than they're used to during this pandemic.
3
00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:10.099
It is incredibly important if you feel that your anxiety is unmanageable
4
00:00:10.100 --> 00:00:11.332
to reach out for help.
5
00:00:11.333 --> 00:00:13.999
Telepsychiatry is really, really common,
6
00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:16.432
and can be really helpful when you can't make it
7
00:00:16.433 --> 00:00:18.932
into the doctor's office, but you might actually be able
8
00:00:18.933 --> 00:00:21.866
to get some individualized help that can target
9
00:00:21.867 --> 00:00:24.399
your specific anxiety symptoms.
10
00:00:24.400 --> 00:00:27.999
Look at your local hospital or clinic.
11
00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.699
Many of them on their websites will give directions
12
00:00:30.700 --> 00:00:33.566
on how to reach out to them so that you can schedule
13
00:00:33.567 --> 00:00:36.266
an appointment or perhaps even in that moment,
14
00:00:36.267 --> 00:00:38.366
find somebody that can help you.
15
00:00:38.367 --> 00:00:42.032
There are always hotlines that are available for you to call
16
00:00:42.033 --> 00:00:44.366
to reach out for help on an urgent basis,
17
00:00:44.367 --> 00:00:47.332
and those still are working and still exist
18
00:00:47.333 --> 00:00:49.832
and are still really, really effective.
19
00:00:49.833 --> 00:00:52.467
(upbeat music)
Generalized anxiety disorder. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, 2019. (Accessed on May 4, 2020 at https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/generalized-anxiety-disorder.)
Stress and coping. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020. (Accessed on May 4, 2020 at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html.)
Telehealth. Washington, DC: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Accessed on May 4, 2020 at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000919.htm.)