You hear a lot of people talking these days about what the “new normal” is going to be once things start to open up once again and once the worst of this pandemic is behind us. Yet on several of the discussion boards I’ve looked at recently, there is a talk about how this issue could raise awareness for mental health struggles and open doors to therapy for so many more people.
On the one hand, the increased anxiety experienced by almost everyone over this pandemic creates common ground to build an understanding of what those with anxiety disorders go through every day, pandemic or no. And understanding is a crucial first step towards ending the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
And thanks to a loosening of restrictions for telehealth, it is becoming easy for so many to access therapy. Now that individuals have that access, there are data that can be used to jump-start the advocacy for permanent access to telehealth.
We can’t change the fact that this pandemic struck. We can’t change the fact that life is going to look a little different for some time to come. Yet while we are busy trying to make sure that we stay healthy during these troubling times, we can also focus on our long term health, including our mental health. And maybe that can be a silver lining for these troubling times.
So until next time, stay healthy, mentally and physically, and thanks as always for reading.
The Dark Tales Project 