Long COVID and Mental Health

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Long COVID and Mental Health Challenges.

The lasting effects of Long COVID can significantly impact both your physical and mental health. Prioritising your mental health is key to helping  manage the health challenges associated with Long COVID. The impact of Long COVID on mental well-being is often underestimated, yet many individuals affected by the condition have shared their struggles with mental health since contracting the illness.

Reports indicate that Long COVID can cause or worsen depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and even symptoms resembling PTSD. Addressing both the physical and mental aspects of Long COVID is essential for moving forward. Counselling that focuses on these challenges can significantly enhance the quality of life for those grappling with Long COVID, empowering individuals to improve their quality of life.

Counselling for Long COVID-related Issues.

How can counselling help you with the mental health challenges associated with Long COVID? At Leone Centre, we offer an integrative and relational approach to therapy. This integrative approach offers supportive and personalised strategies for dealing with the challenges of living with the mental health challenges present in those with Long COVID.

Our therapists can work with you to understand and manage the effects of Long COVID, helping you adjust to these challenges and their impact on your life.

What is Long COVID?

Those who have had COVID-19 and show persistent symptoms for over 4 weeks from the date of official recovery (12 weeks) are then diagnosed with Long COVID. Most people with COVID-19 recover within a few days or weeks of their first symptoms and fully recover within 12 weeks.

Common physical symptoms of Long COVID are:

  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Problems with Memory and Concentration (‘Brain Fog’)
  • Heart Palpitations
  • Dizziness
  • Joint Pains and Muscle Aches

Long COVID has also been reported to cause or exacerbate a variety of mental health difficulties.

What Mental Health Challenges Are Associated with Long COVID?

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Social Anxiety
  • Higher Risk of PTSD
  • Cognitive and Sleeping Disturbances (Insomnia, Hypersomnia)
  • Cognitive Impairment (Attention & Memory Deficits)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

The Impact of Long Covid on Relationships, Family, and Professional Life.

The impact of Long COVID on survivors can be challenging, however, it can also affect the lives of loved ones and professionally. Families and partners of those struggling with Long COVID have reported feelings of worry, frustration, sadness, issues with sleep and sex life, disruptions in managing family time and activities and an increase in family expenses. Professionally, those with Long COVID may be unable to work because of their symptoms, which can cause feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, stress due to issues with finances and a fear of losing their partners, friends or closeness with family members.

Benefits of Counselling for Issues Caused by Long COVID.

At Leone Centre, our Therapy and Counselling services have assisted many clients in understanding, addressing, and overcoming the challenging impact of depression, anxiety, PTSD and Disordered Sleeping. Your Leone Centre therapist is dedicated to supporting you through these challenges by:

  1. Exploring the underlying causes and symptoms of your Long COVID mental health challenges.
  2. Sharing methods to stop negative automatic thoughts that impede your personal fulfilment and progress.
  3. Engaging in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to effectively manage symptoms.
  4. Developing practical tools and strategies to prevent feelings of overwhelm.
  5. Discovering and nurturing your potential, facilitating a more fulfilling and joyful life experience.
  6. Manage PTSD characteristics through self-care practices and CBT, EMDR and Trauma-focused Talking Therapy.

Self Care Practices for Long COVID

Living with Long COVID can feel like a delicate balancing act, particularly when energy levels and mental focus fluctuate daily. Self care practices can offer structure and guidance, helping you to feel more in control of your daily life.

At Leone Centre, we encourage an approach that values pacing and prioritisation. For example, the Spoon Theory can be a helpful way to understand and manage your energy. Imagine that you start each day with a limited number of spoons, each representing a unit of energy. Every activity, from showering to making a meal to socialising, requires you to “spend” spoons. By visualising energy as a finite resource, you can plan your day in a way that respects your physical and emotional needs. This might include:

  • Allocating energy for essential activities.
  • Allowing space for rest.
  • Being mindful of how much is left in your “reserve.”

We can also explore practical ways to organise your day that align with your personal rhythms and capacity. Taking time to pause, breathe, and reflect during moments of rest can also enhance your sense of well-being. These methods are not about restricting you, but about helping you find a sustainable rhythm that feels manageable and empowering

Real-Life Challenges and Insights

For many individuals, Long COVID brings periods of overexertion, often followed by days of exhaustion. This cycle can create frustration, disappointment, and feelings of limitation. At Leone Centre, we understand these challenges and can help you reflect on patterns that may not serve you well.

By working together, we can explore new ways of approaching your day-to-day life that align with your current capabilities. This might involve stepping back to consider what is most important to you and learning to approach tasks in smaller, manageable steps. Recognising and acknowledging your efforts in each moment can help you to feel more grounded as you rebuild confidence in your abilities

Family and Relationship Support

Long COVID doesn’t just affect the person experiencing it—it often has a ripple effect on families and close relationships. Partners and loved ones may feel worried or uncertain about how to help, and tensions can arise as everyone adjusts to changes in routines and roles4.

Therapy at Leone Centre offers a space where you and your loved ones can address these shifts together. By sharing feelings openly in a supportive environment, you can find new ways to communicate and build understanding. Whether it’s through individual therapy or sessions with partners or family members, we can help create a sense of connection and shared purpose as you navigate these changes together.

Understanding and Rebuilding Emotional Well-Being

The emotional impact of Long COVID can include feelings of sadness, anxiety, or a sense of disconnection. You may find yourself feeling stuck or overwhelmed by changes in your health and circumstances. These feelings are not uncommon, and acknowledging them can be an important first step toward moving forward5.

At Leone Centre, our work together can include exploring how these feelings have affected your sense of self. Whether it’s by unpacking unhelpful thought patterns or learning new ways to respond to emotional challenges, therapy can help you to reconnect with what feels meaningful in your life.

Support for Trauma and PTSD

For some, Long COVID may bring experiences of trauma, particularly for those who have been hospitalised or who faced significant health challenges. Relatives and loved ones can also carry the weight of distressing memories, whether from witnessing a difficult illness or feeling helpless during moments of uncertainty.

Therapy can provide a space to process these experiences and explore ways of lessening their emotional impact. Through approaches that focus on understanding and gently reframing these events, you can begin to rediscover a sense of calm and safety.

Encouraging Small Steps Toward Well-Being

Recovery is often not a straight line, and it’s natural to have moments where progress feels slow. Therapy can support you in creating a sense of steadiness through these ups and downs. Together, we can look at what helps you feel steady and supported as you find your way through this period of change. Every small step matters, and even the smallest moments of care for yourself can build a foundation for a greater sense of ease and fulfilment.

Reach out to Leone Centre today book an initial session.

Sources: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1138389/full https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/06/21/hhs-issues-advisory-mental-health-symptoms-and-conditions-related-long-covid.html https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2522218-long-covid-places-huge-burden-on-survivors-families,-new-research-suggests https://solvecfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Loving-Someone-with-MECFS-or-Long-Covid.pdf https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/long-term-effects-of-covid-19-long-covid/ 

FAQs

What is the Spoon Theory, and how can it help me manage Long COVID? The Spoon Theory is a way to understand and manage your energy when you have Long COVID. It encourages you to view your energy as a finite resource, represented by a limited number of spoons. Each activity, from showering to making a meal, requires you to “spend” spoons. By planning your day around this concept, you can prioritise essential tasks, allow time for rest, and avoid overexertion, which can lead to exhaustion.
How can therapy at Leone Centre help families affected by Long COVID? Therapy at Leone Centre offers a supportive environment where families can address the challenges and changes brought on by Long COVID. By sharing feelings openly, family members can learn to communicate well and rebuild understanding. Therapy can help families navigate shifts in roles and routines, create a sense of shared purpose, and find new ways to connect and support one another.
Can therapy help address the emotional impact of Long COVID, such as trauma? Yes, therapy can be beneficial for addressing the emotional impact of Long COVID, including trauma. For some individuals, Long COVID can lead to feelings of sadness, anxiety, or disconnection. Therapy provides a space to explore these feelings, unpack unhelpful thought patterns, and develop new ways to respond to emotional challenges. In cases of trauma related to hospitalization or significant health challenges, therapy can help process these experiences and lessen their emotional impact.
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