Mental Health & Isolation: How we can address mental health during the coronavirus pandemic

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Mohammed Mirza Beig

The year 2020 started off in panic. There was talk of a possible 3rd World War, then there was an outbreak of coronavirus in China.

I never thought it’d reach America, but I was wrong. In fact, the United States is one of the nations most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our economy is in free fall, people are in isolation waiting for government aid; all while cases of Covid-19 rise.

Despite this, there’s another casualty of this pandemic – our mental health. There’s no doubt that uncertainty breeds paranoia, especially in adolescents. I personally started to feel different after my local government issued a stay in home order. I felt trapped, anxious, I even started feeling depressed.  In fact, I didn’t even want to eat after the first two weeks of being stuck at home; this is when I realized that everyone must be feeling the same way.

And I decided to contact my friends to check in on them, and as I suspected they all felt the same way. And it shouldn’t have come as a surprise either, the American Psychological Association found that increased isolation does have a negative impact of one’s mental & physical health.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Gandhi

Depression is one of the most common symptoms of prolonged isolation, this stems from a variety of emotions that make us feel uncertain during times of isolation.

But what can we do? We can’t go out or interact like we used to, so what’s next?

And that’s when I realized that I couldn’t let this pandemic get the best of me. I started exercising twice a day, making music, studying, and had virtual parties with my friends.

And that’s how I decided to protect my mental health during isolation, keep busy and positive. And I encourage that everyone does the same, it's vital that people keep hope in their minds.

I also believe this is something that governments should address; we can’t ignore the fact that isolation during this pandemic will cause a variety of mental heath problems. We can’t let people lose hope!

I think it's of vital importance that governments address this issue, and start broadcasting content that promotes hope, something that would help ease the anxiety and paranoia of the people.

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