The COVID-19 crisis is marked by turmoil, grief, and anxiety for many people. Having others to rely on during this time can mean a world of difference in how you’re coping. But what if you’re alone? (Or truly feel yourself to be alone?)
There’s no one-size-fits-all advice for dealing with social isolation and related problems. Your age, health, job, and living arrangement are among the factors affecting what will work for you and what won’t. But I’m going to offer some potentially useful links here. If you have some suggestions of your own, please share.
The following links apply to people in the U.S., where I live. If you’re outside of the U.S., you can use these for ideas when looking for analogous services in your country.
- A suicide prevention hotline.
- Stuck at Home (Together), a project for greater connectedness that I found through Connect2Affect.
- For substance abuse: Resources from NAADAC, SAMHSA, and Drugabuse.gov.
- General mental health: The NAMI helpline and COVID-19 resource guide. Also, some stress and mental health coping resources from the CDC.
- For domestic violence and child abuse help: Resources from Futures Without Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Childhelp Hotline, and PreventChildAbuse.org (which has a link to emergency contacts as well).
- Unemployment: A USA Today article from early April explaining certain benefits, and small business loan guidance from SBA.gov. Obtaining benefits is a major struggle. Responses are uneven and often frustrating and unhelpful. I’m hoping that these processes soon become smoother and much better coordinated.
- CNN recently published a large list of resources that could help you (with sections for people in different industries and living situations), and organizations where you can also offer assistance in whatever way you’re able to. Helping others can weaken feelings of isolation and helplessness.
Bright Across the Lifespan 