The diagnosis of stress disorders has been rife for years, commonly caused by trauma and excessive, continuous exposure to stressors. It’s in fact found that 1 in 4 people will encounter symptoms of chronic stress, anxiety or further conditions in their lifetime. However, now in the midst of the Covid pandemic, stress levels, linked to PTSD and mental health diagnoses have vastly increased, directing concern at the effects of long-Covid.
Take this post covid stress disorder quiz to see if you may be experiencing this condition.
Post-Covid stress disorder is a real, highly impactful combination of symptoms and feelings, brought on by the engulfing trauma caused by the disruption, crisis, and sadness experienced during the pandemic. Defined as an unprecedented and traumatic event, Covid will be a memorable pandemic for the lasting impacts that it will carry, especially on mental health.
Traumatic events are found to induce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and chronic stress, down to their disaster-like consequences. We’ve witnessed physical, psychological, and economic shifts throughout Covid, all contributing to the heightened diagnoses of post-covid stress disorder.
As diagnoses are fairly new, and as we continue to manoeuvre after this huge life change, stress disorders will persistently impact more and more people, requiring greater awareness. Here’s some insight into the realism of post-covid stress disorder, its signs and symptoms and means of treatments and therapies to work through both the pandemic and diagnoses.
For mental health support and treatment, contact our team at Asana Lodge. We are here to guide, alleviate stress and promote recovery from stress disorders and drug or alcohol addiction.
Get In TouchAre you suffering from post-covid stress disorder and need dual diagnosis help? If so, Asana Lodge is a leading UK based expert in Addiction and Mental Health Treatments. Find out how we can help by getting in touch with our friendly team today.
Covid caused a whirlwind period for us all, one way or another. For the majority, suffering, adaptation and paused realities were experienced as a result of the isolating impacts of Covid.
Such isolation, delay and change reflects psychological trauma, from the grief of losing a loved one and the worry of battling Covid personally, to the financial implications of lockdowns. Due to the trauma and unknown of the pandemic, it’s understandable why feelings of anxiety, stress, depression, and hopelessness remained high once the pandemic ended.
Those feelings reflect post-covid stress disorder, an amalgamation of mental health issues, from PTSD to anxiety and panic. It is in fact a real stress disorder, caused by the pressure, shift and trauma of Covid.
A stressful situation can induce trauma, which is the key cause of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Once faced with an uncontrollable event or feeling, fear and distress will be attached to a situation, all depending on the response of a person. Memories and emotions can be flooded with stress, resulting in an ongoing battle of a stress disorder.
This is also the effects of post-covid stress disorder, materialising in different ways for every individual, down to personal responses and experiences throughout the pandemic. Yet the overarching consensus is that such stress disorders are concerns of long-covid, heightening the need for mental health support and treatment.
Down to the active experience and the internal attack of covid, long-term effects on the brain are found. Not only are those effects impacting current mental health states but are also concerns for long-covid risks.
Those who have tested positive for covid have been found to experience changes in their cognitive functionality and stability. While causations are different, whether that’s linked to first-hand trauma or due to the virus itself, post-covid stress disorder is a clear diagnosis.
It’s found that on average, 1 in every 5 people who have encountered a positive diagnosis of covid are now battling mental health symptoms, such as depression and PTSD. Long-term effects on the brain also include symptoms such as brain fog, memory loss, irritability, confusion, anxiety and notes of feeling under the weather mentally.
Unfortunately, the damage has already been done when considering the dealings of early covid. However, there are ways to alleviate the long-term signs of covid, which we’ve shared below, focusing on stress management and recovery for stress disorders.
Signs of post-covid stress disorder will be linked to the pandemic, one way or another. Yet, as we’ve all been affected, personal responses will be different, along with the risks of developing mental health issues.
Symptoms of post covid stress disorder include:
As covid has impacted us all differently, our experiences and outcomes will of course vary. Yet if you’re feeling a consistent sense of panic or anxiety, linked to the events over the pandemic, a diagnosis of post-covid stress disorder may be the result of this, and you may require dual diagnosis treatment.
Stress disorders can be very difficult to live with, usually taking their toll on physical and psychological health, on relationships, on personal worth and on everyday choices and activities. In the event of post-covid mental health symptoms, sourcing treatments and therapies of the appropriate nature will be recommended, as with PTSD, symptoms will instead continue without management.
Below are some mental health treatments, therapies, and tips that we advocate at Asana Lodge, suitable to work through post-covid stress disorder and addiction. Depending on your history and symptoms, a personal programme will be available through our private drug and alcohol rehab clinic, also specialising in mental health recovery.
Self-care: Taking care of ourselves, from the inside out is very important. Self-care is a way in which you can work to reduce symptoms of heightened stress while aiming for balance. This is ideal across mental health conditions, including stress disorders.
Cognitive behavioural therapy: Helping to offer perspective and rational processing, CBT will work to understand emotional responses, with the aim to adapt their impacts. Understanding your trigger through covid will help to reduce your anxiety or compulsion, linked to your stress levels.
Stress management: Stress management is an effective tool to take forward, to manoeuvre through future stressful situations. This will especially be useful through post-covid reality, due to the unknown nature of the pandemic.
Family therapy: Covid has torn families apart, caused significant loss and placed substantial stress on support networks. Family therapy can help to spread the load, can offer understanding and perspective, and can also build a stronger unity.
Exposure therapy: Depending on your trigger and symptoms, exposure therapy may be recommended to reduce your stress response. For example, if covid has increased your stress around social situations, inducing social anxiety, slowly exposing yourself to your triggers, with professional backing will soon reduce your emotional connection.
Utilising positive coping strategies: Making use of positive coping strategies, workable for you personally will be encouraged to manage your mental health symptoms. This can be anything from exercise, to mindfulness, to gaining a sense of normality and to partaking in a new hobby.
The pandemic heightened lasting stress rates for many individuals, in an unprecedented way. Due to this, it’s understandable if you are struggling mentally as a result. For support through this time, learn about our therapies here at Asana Lodge, to help you through post-covid stress disorder symptoms.
Mental health symptoms, linked to the aftermath of COVID include anxiety, depression, irritability, memory loss, heightened stress, PTSD, and confusion. All are reasonably difficult to process, supporting the need for greater awareness and support.
It most definitely is, due to the internal and external pressures caused by COVID. While causations and triggers will be different for every individual, a diagnosis is real, reflecting symptoms of PTSD.
Like other mental health conditions, management is key when looking to recover from post-COVID anxiety and stress disorders. Treatments and therapies are available to digest, suppress and manage symptoms, along with self-care tips and wellbeing recommendations. COVID has and will continue to impact our lives. Take control over your personal response by working through post-COVID stress disorder symptoms through our rehabilitation services here at Asana Lodge.
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