COLUMBIA, S.C. — More and more people are reaching out to mental health professionals to tackle anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health announced, during Thursday's AccelerateSC meeting, that they have seen an increase in new patients through their telehealth platform.
Ashley Young, licensed counselor with Palmetto Counseling Associates, says she too has seen and increase in patients dealing with the unknowns of the pandemic.
"It is normal to feel this way," says Young. "It's normal to feel a lot of angst about what the future will hold, but encouraging people to re-frame their thoughts into the present."
She says that she has told her clients to write down their thoughts during this time.
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"I think it's helpful for people to document how they are feeling, so they can utilize it in the future if they feel uncertain," says Young. "This is such a huge uncertain time, so if I go back into my journal and see how I got through this, that may be helpful for me in the future."
She has a few tips for anyone dealing with anxiety or depression:
- Take a break from social media/news
- Practice good hygiene
- Practice self care
- Meditate
- Write down your worries
- Communicate with family and friends
- Create new routines
- Talk out your feelings
"It's helpful to talk about it," says Young. "Even if you are home by yourself, it's still good to just say hey I'm feeling a little down today. That is still healing it's comforting and we thrive off connection."
There are also resources available for people who may not be able to afford care.
"I found that a lot of my clients did not know that their counseling services were provided through their employers because it was not always provided," says Young. "Psychology Today is also a good resource. You can look at how they take fees. You can look for the sliding fee scale. That is based off of your income."
The SC Department of Mental Health will soon have a one-stop hotline for people in need at this time.
However, until that number is ready, they suggest people utilize their Crisis Text Line by texting "HOME" to 74174.
Here are other numbers that can help anyone struggling mentally during the pandemic:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-8255
- SCDMH 24/7 Community Crisis Response and Intervention Team (CCRI) - 1-833-364-CCRI(2274)
- SCDMH Deaf Services 1-800-647-2066 V-TTY
- South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) – 1-800-662-HELP(4357)