How to Combat Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic
"Give Yourself Some Grace": 4 Expert-Approved Ways to Deal With Pandemic Depression
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"Several factors are contributing to the major increase we are seeing in depressive symptoms," said Nzinga Harrison, MD, psychiatrist and chief medical officer at Eleanor Health.
Take all of these factors together, throw in a relentlessly negative news cycle, and you get a perfect storm for mental health. And not only can these factors cause depressive symptoms; they can also make that depression even harder to deal with, due to the reduced access to our healthy routines and social circles. It can also cause you to lean on less healthy forms of coping, Dr. Harrison said, like increased alcohol use.
So what can you do to deal with symptoms of depression during a pandemic? Our experts offered four key tips.