The COVID-19 pandemic brought suffering, pain, and death in its wake, but it also brought depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health issues. In the effort to mitigate the virus transmissions and decrease the amount of hospitalizations and deaths that occurred, people were told to stay at home and isolate themselves. This has been very bad for mental health. While some toiled in their sorrow, others were finally motivated to do something about it. Since the pandemic began, we’ve seen a huge rise in people going to therapy and online therapy has been the method of choice.
The Demand for Therapy Rose During the Pandemic
While the numbers of people who have entered therapy during the pandemic is almost impossible to determine for obvious reasons—many people want to keep it to themselves for example—the impact is measurable. Other data, numbers, and statistics can be used to determine just how much people have begun to seek assistance for their trauma, unhappiness, chemical imbalances, and more. For example, the company known as Vibrant Emotional Health said that their Disaster Distress Hotline saw an increase in calls that reached 338 percent.
The rise in demand is clear. The American Psychological Association polled 1,800 psychologists and 74 percent of them said that they were seeing more patients with anxiety disorders compared to before the pandemic. 60 percent said that they were seeing more patients with depressive disorders and nearly 30 percent said they were seeing more patients overall. The demand is so high that therapists are struggling to meet it.
Online Therapy is More Accessible than Traditional Therapy
One of the reasons that the numbers of people who are going to therapy have increased is because online therapy has become much more accessible. Online therapists are widely available on many platforms. You can see private therapists through a conference software or use a service that connects the patient with a therapist that fits them.
There are many different options and methods to utilize. Private messaging, phone chats, video sessions, and more can be provided by an online therapy service. These companies provide the means to see a therapist wherever you are. You don’t have to be in the same city or state as your therapist. The limitations have decreased and people everywhere are feeling more secure to see a therapist because they never have to leave their house. They don’t have to wait in a waiting room and can be completely confident with the fact that they are even seeing a therapist at all. Therapy has never been easier.
The “Stigma” Around Therapy is Going Away
For generations, therapy was stigmatized. People thought that you had something wrong for you to go to therapy. That was never the case but now people are accepting this truth. There is less stigma. Now, people of all ages are going to therapy for the first time. Older people who have needed therapy for years are now just getting the assistance that they need. With therapy services much more widely available, accessible, and accepted, people of all ages are getting therapy. It is a great way for younger and older people to stay healthy and happy.
Will the Trend Continue?
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is getting under control in some parts of the country, only time will tell if people will continue going to therapy. While some of the woes were created by the isolation, restrictions, and heartbreak that the virus has caused, other issues were simply revealed. One thing is clear, we have a mental health crisis in the United States and people of all kinds need to get the help that they require. Just because we are getting a handle on the pandemic doesn’t mean that people are cured of their problems, depression, anxiety, addictions, and other mental health disorders.
Since the pandemic began, many people have begun therapy for the first time. It is a sign that the times are tough but it also shows that people are willing to do what’s necessary to get better and have a nice life. Many people have had trouble finding a therapist during this time. As others leave therapy and these people get treated, it will lead to a lot of changes that can improve their personal lives and the society as a whole.