JANUARY 2022
REACH NEWSLETTER THE EFFECTS OF COVID 2 YEARS LATER HOW OUR MENTAL HEALTH SUSTAINABILITY IS IMPORTANT IN THESE TIMES by Kristal Whitaker As we start off the new year with hopes of a world free from Covid19, we can’t help but to pay attention to cases rising daily. Coming up on the start of year three, we are still battling with a deadly virus that is not only affecting the financial circumstances of our lives, but also the mental and physical well being of people all over. According to statista.com, “over 762 thousand new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States on January 21, 2022. Between January 20, 2020 and January 21, 2022 there have been around 68 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 with around 852 thousand deaths in the U.S. as reported by the World Health Organization”. Day by day as we see and hear about increasing cases, many of us
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try to imagine a day and life prior to or without Covid. Trying to forget
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the pandemic for even a little while may sound like a fantasy for most.
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The pandemic has been around far longer than anyone expected and
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is not going to disappear overnight. Our human nature makes it easy
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for us to forget things when they are not being talked about or are not
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as noticeable as they once were. What may not be talked about as much is something far more than what we could even expect. We hear about the symptoms Covid causes and physical effects it may have, but we rarely pay notice to how others' mental health may play a part in all this. Many people face day to day challenges caused by the virus that can be stressful and overwhelming. Although being stressed and overwhelmed may seem minor when discussing a
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deadly virus, over time these stressful factors can turn into something
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greater. Serious mental health problems can occur with ongoing and
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recurring stress levels, including anxiety, depression, and various personality disorders. We have been trying to make the best of this situation but mentally, some are completely over it. My advice to you is to keep pushing, keep fighting, and keep hope. Check on your loved ones and lend a helping hand where you can, we all could use some words of encouragement. If you are struggling mentally and need someone to talk to or need guidance, REACH Council will always be a resource for our community. Stay strong and do not give up! Resources - (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1102816/coronavirus-covid19cases-number-us-americans-by-day/)
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