We live lives when the world around us is changing rapidly. Technology rises, we travel and move, but while the outside world seems to be spinning, our thoughts and feelings are affected. The careful daily examination of our feelings is important for enhancing our mental health. But some scenarios like Covid, moving to a new country, or just the stress of life itself make it too difficult to bear with it alone. Seeking help regarding your mental health might be one of the best decisions you'll ever make, and it might lead you on to your new life path.
Rising anxiety around the world
Since 2020, Covid has become the biggest nightmare for all the countries in the world. Swimming through the fear of infection, surfing on the “waves” and trying not to drown in resentment towards the governmental decisions was a reality for almost every person in the world. According to OECD, from March 2020 till now, anxiety and depression have doubled in some countries. While Covid did pose a danger to many vulnerable groups, it also threatened the mental wellbeing of all of the age groups. Though these challenging times, when every person had to bargain with their own personal freedom, many felt desperate, sad, afraid, angry and unsure about the future to come. Alarmingly these numbers are high among children and adolescents, where 1 in 4 young people experienced severe anxiety symptoms. According to The State of the World's Children 2021, UNICEF is demanding that governments take action in order to promote mental health among adolescents and children. This should include investment in mental health initiatives for children, parenting programmes, and breaking the stigma of mental illnesses in order to understand that it is an occurring phenomenon that can affect everyone.
Mental health opportunities
While the mental health of citizens all over the world deteriorated due to the imposed lockdowns and personal difficulties, there is no visible action made by specific countries to take into consideration the depression caused by Covid. Europe, a leading continent when it comes to affordable healthcare, is divided by the rules in the countries. While most countries offer some kind of reimbursement of any psychologic and psychiatric care, covered by their state insurance, some concentrate only on serious visible issues requiring psychiatric therapy.
Places like Germany offer many options to find a suitable psychotherapist. However, for an expat to get health insurance coverage for therapy, they would have to search for various state practitioners, and this list is unluckily shorter for English-speaking psychologists. Additionally, many psychologists don't accept new clients or have few months of waiting time. So those searching for an affordable psychotherapist will have to check with more options or opt for private companies which have more extensive coverage for psychotherapists.
A similar scenario is in countries like Italy, Belgium and Netherlands. The price for a psychotherapy session in Italy ranges between €40 and €80. Many psychotherapists in Italy offer one free meeting to evaluate if you are a right fit with your psychologist. Additionally, there are some organisations, such as Psicoterapia Aperta, which connect you to the most affordable psychotherapist in your region.
Although Belgium is among the countries with the best living standard in Europe, it has a high rate of young adults who face anxiety and depression due to the pandemic. Therefore, the country is working on its master health plan, which will make clinical psychologists and psychiatrists very affordable with options of taking even a group session.
The Netherlands offers possibilities for reimbursement by the national health insurance for some psychologists, and some clinics offer free counselling during the times of Covid.
Getting therapy in the US is a complicated topic as almost 1 in 5 Americans suffer from some kind of mental health condition. Due to the high costs, many psychiatrists need to organise their rates in accordance with the insurance agreement. However, the mental health network is often very limited, which leaves many patients in a difficult situation. For those seeking mental health services, some of the places to look are the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective and The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. Some places like The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers free advice and online services like Betterhelp and Talkspace are a cheaper option and a possibility for online therapy.
There are many international SOS mental health and suicide prevention phone lines:
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National Suicide Prevention, Number: 1 800 273 TALK (8255) for USA
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Lifeline Australia, Number: 13 11 14 for Australia
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Rat auf Draht Number: 147 for Austria
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Centrum Ter Preventie Van Zelfdoding, Number: 1813 for Belgium
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Telefonseelsorge, Number: 0800 111 0 111 for Germany
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Telefono Azzurro, Number: 19696 for Italy
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Suicide Help Greece, Number: 1018 for Greece
In the search, websites like It's Complicated, and Goodtherapy might be of help. Additionally, you can check if your company offers collaboration with some therapists.
Actions to overcome the tough times
While everyone perceives the difficulties of the pandemic in their own way, some universal actions can help in alleviating the anxiety:
- Meaningful connections with your family, pets and loved ones
- Good nutrition, healthy habits, supplementation and physical activities
- Meditation, surrounding yourself with greenery, plants and dedication to a hobby
- Avoiding social media for at least a certain period of time
- Avoiding entering the loop of negative information shared on the news
- Reaching out when feeling distressed
Sometimes pressure makes diamonds, and while many people go through tough times, overcoming them makes strong people ready to take their new adventures head-on.
