Covid-19 has been increasing the amount of depression, distress and anxiety people experience daily.
Our Savannah Gaido explains.
Your mental health and covid-19 could be related.
Counselors say the affects are far reaching...with many people suffering from distress, anxiety, and depression.
As our savannah gaido finds out these challenges can lead to mental health struggles and even thoughts of suicide.
She joins us live in the studio with more... mental health professionals say they are seeing an increase in people who are considering suicide.
That's why its important to know what to do if you or someone you know is struggling// and one phone call could potentially save a life.// this year has not been kind.
Especially to people who may suffer from depression.
Some families are facing illness, job loss and some people are still dealing with isolation.
"so now you are dealing with all this pain and suffering and you don't know how to help it and you are breaking down.
Its okay to reach out for help, even the doctors and nurses need help because they are dealing with this pandemic head on.
We all need help and its ok."
Executive director for contact helpline, katrina sunivelle says in the spring, volunteers there were averaging maybe 7 to 8 calls a day.
Now that is doubled "in june, we had 50 calls and may we had 28 calls, in one week we had 19 calls" "they see our number and they want somewhere to call and talk to someone because they are experiencing things they have never experienced before during this pandemic."
But sunivelle says the call increase can actually be seen as a positive.
She says people who need help are asking for it.
"well the suicides have increased, and that is unfortunate, but our calls have increased.
When you hear our calls have increased, thats a good thing for us.
That means more people are calling, that means they are reaching out for help and that means we are doing the work."
And sunivelle says that can make all the difference in the world.
Tag september is national suicide prevention month.
The national hotline number is 1-800-273-8255
2020 has thrown out a lot of curveballs, and as suicide awareness month comes to a close, doctors want to remind you to check on..
Doug Peterson lost his teenage son Page to suicide.
