Everyone deals with stress and hard times differently. How you respond to these situations can depend on a number of things. Those who are already struggling with mental health, or self harm could have an even more difficult time coping.
During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, poor mental health and self harm rates are at an all time high.
This virus can infect anyone. Troubling those who are already health compromised. Many have experienced job loss, or are now struggling financially. Leaving confusion and an unknown future can have a detrimental impact on the population and further strain their mental health.
Bringing awareness to mental health issues and self harming during COVID-19 is important. At New Roads Behavioral Health, we look for long-term solutions to help people cope with stress and everyday life. Straying them away from unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as self harm.
During COVID-19 it’s more important than ever to monitor your loved ones’ mental health and seek out professionals who can help.
Who’s Most at Risk?
Though the virus is capable of infecting almost anyone, there are people who are at higher risk of responding strongly to the emotional stress.
Some of those factors putting people at higher stress include:
- People with pre-existing health, or mental health conditions.
- Children and teens.
- Health care providers and first responders.
- Essential workers in the food industry.
- People with substance abuse disorders.
- Those who have lost their jobs, or experience other financial turmoil.
- People who are socially isolated.
- Racial and ethnic minority groups.
At New Roads Behavioral Health, we help you or your loved ones implement healthy ways of dealing with life stress. During this pandemic, it’s more important than ever for you to have healthy behaviors in place.
Coping with Covid-19
During times of extreme social distancing, it’s important to keep from becoming too isolated, or lonely. Monitoring and taking care of your mental health includes maintaining social connections with friends and family during COVID.
It’s important for those struggling with depression, or self harm, to reach out to friends and family, or seek professional help.
The key to coping with the stress of COVID-19, is to find healthy coping mechanisms.
Many factors can inflict stress on individuals during COVID-19. Knowing what to do in these situations, especially if you’re at high risk to respond strongly to stress, makes you less vulnerable in an emergency.
Stress and Mental Health
Our state of mental health can usually determine how we react to stressful situations.
Those with pre-existing mental health conditions, or substance abuse disorders are more vulnerable to struggling during COVID-19.
Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, or many others put you at risk for reacting poorly to the stress from the pandemic. Its impact on your personal life influences your ability to cope with outside stressors and affects your day-to-day function.
Feelings of isolation, loneliness, financial/life stress, or others threaten those with mental health conditions. During the pandemic these feelings are more likely to trigger their negative thoughts and behaviors.
Those struggling with anxiety and depression, tend to find unhealthy coping mechanisms when dealing with life stress. Sometimes leading to self harm and risk of suicide.
Many of those who engage in cutting or other self-injurious behavior have poor coping skills. Recognizing and mending these behaviors could save their life.
Recognizing Self Harm
Family or friends closely related to those with mental health issues may have noticed an increased severity of self harm. An emerging concern for those with mental health disorders, especially during COVID-19.
Because of COVID-19 related stress and behaviors, there has become an increased risk in self harm and suicide across the globe. With the extended amount of time spent at home with your family/friends, you may be more viable to notice their behaviors.
Any person engaging in self harming behaviors needs help immediately.
Recognizing signs of self harm, or items that your loved ones could use to harm themselves will help protect them.
Non-suicidal injury, or self harm, is the act of deliberately harming yourself. Though cutting is one of the most common forms of self harm, there are other signs you as a closely related person should look out for.
Not limited to, but including:
- Burns
- Scarring
- Bruising
- Wearing Long Sleeves/Pants
- Emotional Instability
- Statements of Hopelessness/Worthlessness
How Can You Help?
If you’re worried about someone around you and them handling the stress of COVID-19, you’re not alone. Even during this pandemic, suicide and self harm awareness resources are available to support you.
The best thing you can do is talk to those struggling. Ask them how they’re feeling and assure them when incidents related to the virus arise. If they’re struggling to cope with isolation during lockdown, provide comfort and companionship.
Set limits at home on the amount of information discussed about the virus. It’s important to balance what they need to hear and what may just further increase their stress, or anxiety.
Make sure they know life during COVID-19 is in fact difficult to cope with and they’re not alone. Assuring them no judgement and reminding them you love them no matter the circumstances.
When you’ve done your best to create a safe and helpful home environment, but your child is still struggling, it may be time to seek out professional help.
Residential Treatment Programs
If your loved one is engaging in self harming behaviors and you have tried everything to help, it may be time to look into residential treatment programs. Keeping them safe and providing them with the around the clock treatment they need.
When looking into live-in treatment programs, research is needed. If someone has serious addiction problems or psychological issues, take special care to ensure that the program is equipped to deal with them.
New Roads Behavioral Health offers multiple residential treatment programs for those struggling with mental health disorders, or substance abuse. We’ve created programs that help them gain the necessary skills to become productive, happy and successful. Helping them learn healthy coping mechanisms and changing their life.
How New Roads Helps
Determined to help those struggling, especially during the difficult time that is COVID-19. At New Roads Behavioral Health, we won’t give up on you.
“Adults challenged with substance abuse, mental health, personality disorders and other psychological and behavioral problems can experience a great deal of pain as they try to face each day. Our motivation comes from hope that everyone can have a happy, healthy and successful life with a little help from those who care.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health and self harm during this time of uncertainty, our residential treatment program may be right for you. Teaching healthy coping mechanisms and tools anyone can apply to real world situations after treatment.
If you believe you, or someone close to you, could benefit from our program, send a message to New Roads online and get the help you need.
Or for more free information on our program, contact us, or visit our website today!