According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress during a pandemic may cause:
- Fear and worry about your own health, the health of your loved ones, your financial situation, your job, or loss of support services you rely on.
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
- Worsening of chronic health problems.
- Worsening of mental health conditions.
- Increased use of tobacco, and/or alcohol and other substances.
These pandemic days are impacting adults, teens and young children differently. However, there are things you can do to care for yourself and help your loved ones take care of their mental health during this difficult time.
If you or someone you care about feels overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression or anxiety, or like you want to harm yourself or others call 911.
You can also contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text MHFA to 741741 to talk to a Crisis Text Line counselor.