We have all been through a very difficult two years and many people are finding it hard to get back to their previous life. People have spent many hours on their own due to the lockdown and it can be very difficult to go back out into the world. Things have changed and we have all changed too. Our perspectives on how society works have been shaken and nothing seems the same anymore.
In reality, we should all be congratulated on getting through these difficult times for which we had no preparation. It was tough but we are still standing.
I am a Person-Centred counsellor and during the therapy sessions with my clients, I offer a holistic approach to their wellbeing alongside the talking therapy. I provide information that could be useful and also develop their knowledge of psychoeducation to help them understand their situation. This might be in the form of a radio or TV programme, a book, or a magazine or newspaper article which is pertinent to their issues or a point of interest that they have mentioned. All of these can help to consolidate their self-awareness and developing self-confidence in solving their dilemmas.
Self-care is very important and It is recognised that good physical health is really critical in order to maintain good mental health. Without adequate food, sleep and exercise we are not able to recover our equilibrium, all of these systems work together to keep us well. It is always worth thinking about vitamin supplements because being low in vitamin D and B12 have been shown to lower mood and energy levels which can feel like depression.
For women who may be menopausal, it has been found that doctors sometimes prescribe anti-depressants when the woman is actually low on essential hormones and therefore HRT may be what is needed. It is worth looking at the writings of Professor John Stud and Dr Louise Newsome for more information.
Many people have suffered from the after-effects of COVID and there is a very helpful book, The Long Covid from the specialists at the Post-Covid Clinic in Oxford. This is a very useful guide to reassure sufferers that they are on a normal trajectory for recovery which is graphically illustrated in this cartoon. P116