How Practitioners Can Help Patients Deal with COVID-19-Driven Anxiety

Head outside your home right now and you’ll likely see empty streets, vacant tables at restaurants, and deserted shelves at grocery stores. Conferences, sporting and theatrical events are being canceled; schools largely suspended. Turn on the TV and you’ll be met with news about a race to create a COVID-19 vaccine and treatment, which doesn’t currently exist. You’ll hear about overwhelmed hospitals and a strain on our current healthcare system. For the general public, especially for people who regularly suffer from anxiety, this new normal can be highly overwhelming.

The reality is that many individuals are finding themselves feeling scared, confused, angry, and generally unsettled by today’s current events. All of these feelings are completely natural during this historic and highly chaotic time. However, as more people become quarantined or simply isolated from their daily routines, getting mental health treatment becomes even more valuable. Fortunately, thanks to telehealth, even when normal life events get disrupted, mental healthcare can remain consistent.

I recently shared my thoughts on how mental health professionals can help patients cope with COVID-19 with the Behavioral Healthcare Executive. Click here to read the full article for my tips to help patients through this difficult time.