Numerous mental health specialists are warning that when the most critical stage of the coronavirus ends, it will arrive another epidemic: that of mental disorders
Many of the anticipated consequences of quarantine and associated social and physical distancing measures are themselves Key risk factors for mental health problems These include alcohol abuse, technological addictions, and depression stemming from loneliness and relationship breakdowns.
We are social beings by nature and we need physical and emotional contact to be able to function normally.
The psychological impact of these times of pandemic and confinement
In addition to the social stress caused by isolation, a massive survey carried out in the United Kingdom among the population during confinement revealed the cause of this new mental health epidemic: the tremendous uncertainty we will have to face
The survey showed the enormous impact of widespread concerns arising from massive job loss and economic hardship on well-being, associated with anxiety, depression and social unrest.
It is a priority that the population can prepare itself internally to face the challenges that are to come and psychology is a science that can provide numerous personal resources for this.
To do? Keys to develop in online therapy
I present to you 3 resources that, from my experience, are keys and that can be developed in an online psychotherapy process
Developing self-control and relaxation skills is vital to prevent stress and face crisis situations with greater clarity. These capabilities can be developed through mindfulness exercises and autogenic relaxation
2. Emotional intelligence and social skills
The key to combating social isolation is to develop adequate emotion management. On many occasions, instead of learning to resolve their relational conflicts and adequately manage their emotions, people decide to alleviate the discomfort with drugs or psychotropic drugs for anxiety, causing these emotional problems to worsen.
3. Self-knowledge
If we want to make good decisions for our future and be able to adapt to new changes, We must invest in knowing better our own functioning The mental state we are in today is the result of the decisions and habits we have repeated in the past.
Does online psychotherapy really work?
It is possible that we believe that paying for a psychotherapy process is not a priority at this time and we decide to save that money for other expenses considered essential: food, clothing, entertainment.
However, we miss that If we do not invest in our well-being we cannot enjoy any of the other things that we value so much in our visa: possessions, relationships and pleasant experiences.
In mental health and medicine in general there is a maxim that unfortunately is often forgotten. Investing in prevention is infinitely less expensive and more effective than investing in treatment Waiting for the problem to worsen until it explodes in our faces is not a smart solution.
Usually, psychotherapy processes are usually carried out in person in the psychologist’s office. However, before this confinement, my experience in psychotherapy processes through digital platforms (Zoom, Skype) was already consolidated
At first there is a period of adaptation, and if the client is not very used to interacting through a screen it may seem a little strange. However, after a few sessions the situation usually normalizes and it practically feels as if we were physically present: that is the magic of the psychotherapeutic relationship
During confinement, I have continued to treat patients in online sessions who had never used the computer or telephone for something similar before and the results have been very favorable.
Conclusion
Humans have a characteristic capacity for adaptation, one of our hallmarks. It is the attitudes of resistance to change that usually stop us and leave us paralyzed In any case, the digital era of teleworking and screens is being imposed on us from the outside and very soon we will have it completely normalized in our lives.
If you want more information about how to start an online psychotherapy process or resolve any questions about it, you can consult with a professional psychologist through the Directory of Psychologists.
