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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused different consequences for many, and some of these consequences were unintended and are effecting people negatively. If you are experiencing symptoms related to living through the pandemic that are concerning you, this article is for you.
Is the Pandemic Causing PTSD Symptoms?
The pandemic and subsequent lockdown have caused many to experience things that were unexpected. In fact, there is evidence to support that the pandemic is causing and has caused PTSD symptoms for many, all across the world. PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is usually brought on when a person experiences a scary event. Symptoms including having nightmares about the event, reliving it, and remembering it, even when you don’t want to.
For many, the pandemic has been terrifying. They have seen their worlds change, lost jobs, lost loved ones, and may not have been able to get things they really needed. Essentially, the world might have seemed like it was turned upside down, which may have caused sudden shock and worry.
Treatment Options
The good news is that PTSD is a treatable condition, so if you are experiencing symptoms related to it, there is help out there for you. You can work with a therapist to get the support you need. This includes working with a counselor face-to-face or looking into online therapy options. There are a few therapy apps that you can download, which offer therapy from the privacy of your home. This may be exactly the type of therapy you can benefit from, especially if you are still uneasy when it comes to leaving your house.
Besides that, there are other ways in which PTSD can be treated. These ways are usually used in conjunction with therapy. One is PTSD group therapy, which places multiple people experiencing PTSD together in the same room to talk about what they are going through. This allows you to have multiple point of views from people that have lived through the same things you have. This may offer guidance that is difficult to get another way. You can find out more about this option by reading this BetterHelp.com article on it.
Medication may also be something that is necessary. Certain PTSD symptoms could require medicines so they can be lessened or become unnoticeable. It is important to talk to your therapist about these treatment options and decide what you are comfortable with, so you can get the proper support.
Other Things to Try
Something else that the pandemic may have taught you is that you have to be proactive about your physical health. This is why you should make it a point to address your physical health and make positive changes. Moreover, improving your physical health may be able to lessen certain PTSD symptoms. Here are a few things you might need to address.
- You need to get plenty of sleep each night, around 7 hours. Give yourself a bedtime if necessary.
- Eat balanced meals and the proper number of calories. Eating too much or too little can cause issues in a few different ways, such as making you feel sluggish or tired often. When you can’t eat right all the time, talk to your doctor about supplements or multivitamins that they recommend, to ensure that you are getting the essential vitamins in your diet.
- It is important to exercise at least 3 times a week, but it doesn’t have to be for hours at a time. You can start with a half hour and work your way up from there. Even this short amount of time each week can make a difference in your overall health.
Conclusion
It is possible that the pandemic is causing you to experience PTSD symptoms or symptoms of another type of mental health condition. Of course, there is help out there for you, so you can lessen these symptoms and start to feel like yourself again. Reach out to a counselor when you notice a change in how you feel, and you are ready to do something about it.