How Long Haul COVID Takes a Toll on Your Mental Health

Covid-19，最初被视为急性呼吸疾病，是一种症状的病毒，可以在患者中徘徊 - 在出现症状后，一些仍然遇到了一年的挑战。长科迪德和科科德后的条件是指患者在感染后四周超过四周的健康问题。这些挥之不去的症状的压力可以对心理健康产生真正的疾病，这不应该被忽视。万博手机客户端

Persistent physical symptoms for most long-haul Covid patients include difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and fever. Some experience multi-organ effects which impact the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, and brain. Additionally, autoimmune conditions and new allergies can emerge.Some patients experience strokes, changes in motor function, perception, and seizures.

患者经常遇到多种症状，并且可能难以调整或完全恢复。由于数据仍然是长途经验的影响，患者对长期预测的理解几乎没有理解，可能缺乏对其健康的适当治疗或答案。

Neurological Symptoms Intersect with Mental Health

81％的长套管体验大脑雾 - 一个非医疗描述，以便在精神上缓慢，朦胧或间隔开出来。额外的神经症状包括头晕，疲劳，麻木，刺痛，疼痛，味道和嗅觉能力的变化，视觉变化，耳鸣和认知障碍。Insomnia, depression, and anxiety—considered both mental health concerns and neurological symptoms—are also reported.

Dr. Philip Fizur, Clinical Health Psychologist at Cooper Hospital, says that fatigue, pain, and other neurological symptoms can lead to and perpetuate depression. But he underlines that it's hard to tell in individual patients if mental health symptoms emerge due to neurological reasons or if it's because dealing with Covid symptoms is a stressor. Each person's symptoms could have different causes.

No matter the cause, it's important to treat the symptoms. He says that mental health professionals work closely with medical teams to find solutions, and various interventions—including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy—can improve poor sleep, depression, and other mental health concerns so medical teams explore other possible causes and can more clearly target the symptoms with neurological origins.

他强调了神经系统和心理健康的人们担心的担忧通常会面临与“无形”残疾的障碍，朝着别人致力于别人，好万博手机客户端像他们没有残疾，但生活在仍然衰弱的症状。这导致心理健康问题将继续万博手机客户端丧失丧失 - 如抑郁，焦虑，甚至PTSD - 因为人们恢复或适应他们的新经验。

Adapting to Health Changes

Symptoms didn't emerge for Janine Hays, 42, until weeks after her husband, Brian, started to recover from Covid-caused double pneumonia. She says, "One morning, I'm in the bathroom and my feet start burning like they're on fire and look completely red." Allergy symptoms emerged and progressively got worse as she struggled to eat almost anything without a reaction.

Her doctor gave her allergy medication and an epi-pen—which she's needed to use twice to combat anaphylaxis. Brian became her caretaker and medical advocate as her allergies and neurological symptoms worsened. She says, "I could barely get around the house anymore so I was just in bed for two months. I completely decompensated." Throughout 2021, she's been relearning how to talk, walk, eat, and use the bathroom.

Pixie Kirsch Nirenberg是一名彩虹玫瑰疗法在费城的治疗师。他们解释了神经系统症状会影响功能能力和身体限制。这可能难以调整到。

They say, "It might take people struggling with neurological symptoms significantly more energy to go about their day. They might find that their jobs or other activities are more difficult, and that they have to compensate in ways that are still new to them. That immediately increases people's stress and decreases the energy they have for other pieces of their lives."

Pixie says that learning new ways to do tasks that used to be much easier for someone often leads to self-judgment as people compare themselves to others or their own previous abilities. When people lack patience and compassion for themselves, overall stress increases. This underlines the need for a support network to find help with tasks that long-haulers can't pursue independently.

丧失代理，流动性和身体功能可能导致一些人感觉他们失去了自己的自我意识。例如，限制曾经爱过或用作应对策略的运动或活动的能力的身体限制迫使他们依赖于其他，有时不太健康，治疗方法。

Some might be in denial about long-term prognoses or struggle to find new hobbies. Pixie reminds people whose health and mobility is changing to practice self-care by moving in ways that feel comfortable and joyful, taking breaks whenever it's necessary.

Friends and allies shouldn't assume that people living with long-haul Covid will be able to participate in the same activities they enjoyed before the pandemic--but they shouldn't avoid extending an invitation either. The best way to be supportive to someone with long-term symptoms or slow recovery is to ask what the person needs.

Ask long-haulers what activities feel comfortable, what times of day are best to avoid triggering symptoms, and if other accommodations are necessary. Pixie says, "Remind them that they are just as valuable and valued as they were before and that if they want to talk about it, you're there to listen without judgment and there to help."

Coping with Feelings about Symptoms

Dr. Fizur explains that many are frustrated with a lack of answers about symptoms and pronoses. Pixie explains that people might journey through the stages of grief: sadness, anger, bargaining, denial, and acceptance. These stages don't aren't a linear progression. Emotions could feel disorganized, bounce around, or occur all at once.

They say it's normal to feel confused, sad, or even ashamed as health changes because ableism is so pervasive in society. Internalized ableism might manifest in feelings of worthlessness which is difficult to combat, but Pixie highlights that people can learn to feel empowered in their bodies in time and with the right support.

Patti Spacio, a registered nurse, was exposed to Covid while working with a hospice patient. Within a week, Spacio struggled to breathe and was eventually diagnosed with double pneumonia. Seven months later, she’s still using supplemented oxygen overnight and has had pulmonary and cardiac procedures related to pressure placed on her heart and lungs. Still, she sometimes feels that she shouldn't talk about her experiences in Covid support groups because others are navigating their own hardships.

Spacio says that finding community at post-Covid recovery clinics has been helpful for processing feelings. She says that the other patients she meets in rehab have similar prognoses and experiences, so she feels a sense of camaraderie.

Accessing Adequate Care for Physical and Mental Health Symptoms

Worker's compensation insurance covered certain rehabilitation efforts for Spacio, but she’s needed to advocate for and manage additional aspects of her care on her own. Those who don’t have insurance sometimes lack the resources they need to see specialists, monitor symptoms, and seek rehabilitative treatment. Many can’t cover costs for copays, testing, and medications. Lacking access to resources or navigating the health system without support is also a mental health burden.

Spacio developed anxiety, but the medications she was offered are known to depress breathing. “I could only take it during the daytime if I absolutely needed it and then keep an eye on my breathing. That causes anxiety in itself so I didn’t take it.”

她被认为向她的公司员工援助计划（EAP）达成了局面。EAPS通常是机密咨询和心理支持的免费或低成本选项，但作为承包商或兼职职位工作的人可能无法访问它。

Even seeking a diagnosis can be a challenge. Joseph Cuccio, 37, experienced respiratory and systemic symptoms, but he also encountered neurological challenges including confusion, disorganized thoughts, vertigo, extreme fatigue, and even loss of consciousness. “It was like a tilt-a-whirl I was never able to get off of. Everything was spinning from November through February.” He was tested for drug and alcohol intoxication and treated as though he was faking symptoms.

52号Barbara Gardenhire-Mills表示，医生专注于她的年龄和体重，为她的健康历史，活动水平和能力做出假设。“他所看到的只是一个抱怨痛苦的黑人女人......他告诉我回家拿一个Xanax。”她觉得她不得不努力证明病毒导致她目前的症状。Pixie解释说，颜色的人和那些作为Femme的人经历了更高的医学专业人员的虐待率。

小精灵说:“这影响一些人不能多hers." Someone with good insurance will have multiple options covered under a health plan and is more likely to feel empowered enough to seek care elsewhere. Those with fewer covered providers or no insurance, limited time off from work, or fewer funds to pay for out-of-pocket expenses are less able to seek a second opinion.

Long-haulers should pursue care in the ways that feel right for them. For many, that will be a hybrid model. Medical providers from most disciplines and various kinds of mental help providers offer telemedicine, house calls, and the more conventional, office-based visits.

促进无障碍

Pixie explains that being living with disabilities in a society that doesn't foster accessibility is always a mental strain. Long-haulers might need to plan new routes or ask about elevators and other accommodations in medical facilities or workplaces. Facing the barriers that other disabled people have continually lived with can be a shock.

Pixie says, "A lot of people don't know how to ask for help, how to receive it, or even that asking for help is okay." Even though it's sometimes hard to seek support, it's an important first step.

Many people don't realize that resources are available at work or school. Pixie highlights that the美国残疾人法案保护人们有身心健康需求，可以要求任何住宿。万博手机客户端雇主和组织领导人应重新考虑强加施加不必要的限制的政策，以便更肯定和支持各种需求和残疾人。

Fizur博士提醒人们识别触发器和监测症状，寻求积极地处理症状的住宿，并尽可能消除触发器。委派任务或根据需要将其分成较小的块。头脑风暴创意解决方案尊重您的局限性，最能利用您最强大的技能。

Dr. Fizur reminds allies that disabled people should lead efforts to enact systemic change, "Let them educate you." People living with pre-pandemic disabilities might have resources and tips for navigating the needs of long-haulers, and they also have a clearer understanding of the ways cultural norms need to shift. Their pre-pandemic experiences highlight that change was necessary long before Covid-19.