As a clinician, I have seen the COVID-19 pandemic from a unique perspective. While we have all struggled with the pandemic, I can’t help but view the situation through a lens of trauma. Across the globe, this pandemic has led to sleepless nights, stress and an increased feeling of anxiety. This added stress has impacted everyone, regardless of nationality or previous mental health struggles. This pandemic does not discriminate and it can feel like this looming cloud over our heads. Some professionals are even equating the pandemic with a global source of trauma and in turn post traumatic stress disorder.

In a world with COVID, do you feel that you are more irritable? Do you find yourself avoiding certain situations out of fear? Or maybe you have noticed a shift in your mood since the start of the pandemic. These could be signs of a trauma response to COVID-19. It’s normal for our anxieties to be higher given the state of the world, but it may be a cause of trauma for many. Symptoms to monitor include:

increased anxiety or depression
a disturbance in sleep
feeling more isolated
hypervigilance

Whether you have personally contracted COVID-19 or not, studies have shown that dealing with this physical threat and reality of the disease is causing us to face increased amounts of mental health concerns. So what could you do to help? Reach out to friends and family that may be having a difficult time with the pandemic. If you or a loved one is facing symptoms of PTSD related to COVID, reach out to your primary care physician or therapist. No one should have to face these troubling times alone.. We here at Niyyah are here to help - if you don’t have a therapist click over to connect with one of our clinicians today to find the relief you need.

This blog post was written by Connor Cohen. Connor is an LMSW (under supervision of Linda Hamza, LCSW-S) and is currently accepting clients. If you are struggling with COVID related PTSD, click here to book a session with Connor today.