Mental Health in Pandemic Times
- Shreya Sampathkumar
- Dec 1, 2020
- 2 min read

In my opinion, this pandemic has been a real-eye opener in terms of mental health. Mental health is a rapidly-evolving aspect of healthcare right now, especially since the all of us have been stuck indoors in what seems to be forever. It feels like everyone has understood the value of mental health and the reality of this issue. More people reach out for help and talk about things they go through and this amazes me to see how much support it garners, compared to a few years ago. Pets have been a source of great comfort and solace, even more so when it comes to individuals that live by themselves. The time spent in quarantine and lockdown has observably led to an increase in introspection. Many of my loved ones have narrated their experiences and how they've begun confronting their problems. However, the prospect of having to face perceived or real threats gives those with already existing mental health issues fear, anxiety and worry. There are also endless prospective causes of worry such as fear of unemployment, economic recessions, and long term global impact. These seem like things that are out of an individual's control and thus, one should refrain from worrying about them and instead make backup plans for the future, however, to those with crippled with mental disorders can be more affected that future prospects than usual and the pandemic has increased sensitivity and understanding pertaining to these kinds of issues. The existence of different thresholds of mental capacity in terms of emotional capability has also been legitimised. People have begun to treat mental health the way it ought to be, just the same as any other physical illness. Families have understood the value of looking as their members not just as their loved ones, but individuals with a life beyond the one they live at home, and that is a realisation that was long due. It has helped people understand how different mental disorders work, and how they are very real. Personally speaking, I have taken up an active interest in mental health issues, relating to emotional first aid. I signed up for a week-long course on how one ought to deal with emotional trauma and saying that it opened my eyes is a gross understatement, because it genuinely lets you become a more sensitive, empathetic individual, and you begin to realise that most of the world's problems are directly and indirectly centred on mental health and the magnitude of its importance and how much it has been neglected just washes over you. This has definitely made me a more open-minded, compassionate and emotionally-aware being and I hope everyone reading this article decides to take up the initiative to break the not-so-evident-but-surely-present stigma surrounding mental health.
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