Anxious about the pandemic? Here’s how you can get help without leaving home
On Monday, Schaller, who is based in Michigan, said she texted with about a dozen people over the course of three hours — all of them reached out about the coronavirus outbreak. Some expressed concerns about being “stuck at home” with parents they aren’t close to; others discussed how to tackle their anxiety related to being isolated all day.
While Crisis Text Line is intended for people in crisis, and not as a replacement for therapy or friendship, there are a handful of other services, including therapy apps such as Talkspace, self-care apps like Shine and meditation apps including Headspace, that are also taking note of the rise in anxieties around finances, the health of loved ones and isolation caused by coronavirus.
Crisis Text Line counselors, who are all volunteers, work remotely to offer free text message support for anyone in need. And it’s accessible around the clock. Counselors have “always been at home on the couch, in their jammies,” CEO Nancy Lublin, who founded Crisis Text Line in 2013, told CNN Business.
Lublin said that while the service most often has people under the age of 18 texting in, it’s now experiencing an increase in the number of adults seeking support. The organization has especially seen outreach from people who are concerned about paying bills and feel responsible for the well-being of older parents, she added.
The non-profit is also “watching for” an uptick in outreach from people experiencing child abuse or domestic violence as they find themselves stuck inside households with abusers, Lublin said.
The site, which is in partnership with nonprofit Mental Health America, features audio meditations, articles about isolation, financial fears and xenophobia, as well as an “Ask An Expert” section. Some recent examples: “I’m not worried about getting sick, but worried about giving it to others. Should I self-quarantine?” and “My wedding is planned for April. How can I better sit with the uncertainty?”
“We’re here in this complete state of unprecedented anxiety,” said Shine co-founder and co-CEO Marah Lidey. “Nothing will really be the same for awhile.”
Lidey said she’s encouraged by the number of people recognizing they need help to get through this time.
“Community is important; connection is important,”she said. “But [so is] getting to the right resources.”