6) Ensuring Best Writing Practices

@SoulfullyAButterfly

“Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Let’s get the conversation going

“During June 24–30, 2020, U.S. adults reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation.” – states a CDC article.

During that same time period it was estimated that 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use.

The usual statistic for mental health issues among adults used to be around 20%.

This clearly shows a huge increase and it needs to be addressed and attended to.

COVID-19 is not the only pandemic, in a way, mental illness is becoming a global phenomenon and it desperately needs more media attention in order to get the conversation going.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm#suggestedcitation

https://www.nami.org/mhstats#:~:text=20.6%25%20of%20U.S.%20adults%20experienced,represents%201%20in%2020%20adults.

@SoulfullyAButterfly

Question: Write a paragraph for the article topic “Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic” - as this is only a paragraph and NOT the complete article, state a brief heading which will inform the reader whether your paragraph is about a general introduction or something more specific. Ensure your paragraph contains facts. Please note that you are to mention your sources too, as well as a link to at least one source within the paragraph.

Answer:

Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

How does loneliness affect our mental health?

Loneliness is marked by feelings of isolation despite wanting social connections. It is often perceived as an involuntary separation, rejection, or abandonment by other people.

Short-term feelings of solitude shouldn't harm our mental health however, the longer the pandemic continues, the intensity of such feelings keeps on increasing along with duration.

According to a national survey by Cigna, loneliness levels have reached an all-time high, with nearly half of 20,000 U.S. adults reporting they sometimes or always feel alone. Forty percent of survey participants also reported they sometimes or always feel that their relationships are not meaningful and that they feel isolated.

Such numbers are alarming because long-term loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress. The impact of long-term loneliness on mental health can be extremely hard to manage.

According to a meta-analysis co-authored by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or having alcohol use disorder. She’s also found that loneliness and social isolation are twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity.

Some other negative impacts of loneliness are:

1. Alcohol and drug misuse

2. Altered brain function

3. Alzheimer's disease progression

4. Antisocial behavior

5. Poor decision-making

Hence, it is important to be able to recognize signs that you are feeling lonely. It is also important to remember that being alone isn't the same as being lonely and being lonely doesn't mean you are alone. We all are with you, along with other people who can help.

Source: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation

A Brief Introduction to Feeling Alone During the Pandemic

If you're feeling alone during the Covid-19 pandemic, know that you're not the only one! According to this study conducted by Harvard, 36% of all American people feel "serious loneliness", and it is expectable that these numbers also apply to other regions of the world.

There are many examples as to why this happens: for example, students have online classes now, and millions of employees are working remotely. The situations are endless, and most certainly your experiences during the pandemics are different from everybody else's.

If you ever catch yourself wondering where is everybody, get in touch with your loved ones! A simple phone call or a text message can make a big difference - for both of you. It is crucial to adapt the way we connect with people and be creative with safe ways of keeping in touch.

As always, the 7 Cups Community is here for you. Remember, you are not alone!

@SoulfullyAButterfly

For many people, it's hard to admit to feeling lonely. As a culture, we tend to believe the worst thing about ourselves is our loneliness. But as I learned from my own experience, feeling lonely is something we all feel at some point in our lives.

It's tough to accept this about ourselves. We don't want to be vulnerable or admit weakness.

We're afraid and we're ashamed because we believe that loneliness must mean we're unlovable and no one could possibly like us, value us, or want to spend time with us.

Usually, we isolate ourselves and put on a brave face because we think we can take it on alone.

But that doesn't work…

I experienced severe isolation for months at a time before I realized that I was sick and it wasn't my fault. In fact, isolation is actually a symptom of mental health conditions, not a cause of them. When you feel alone, it's only natural to try to avoid being by yourself.

"Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

The Global Lock Down.

It was way back in December 2019 in a small town of Wuhan, China when the unknown cause of pneumonia started (https://promedmail.org/promed-post/?id=6864153%20#COVID19).

When this so called unknown cases unable to find a diagnosis and shows symptoms were acute respiratory distress syndrome and the normal white blood cells reduces onset of early stages. Despite of having 3 to 5 days of antibiotics the medical condition did not improved. Eventually, this unknown virus that slowly kills our respiratory spread all over the world and named CoVid 19. One by one the Prime Ministers, Presidents, Royalties declared shut down of airports, sea boarders, even local businesses were closed and everybody in the world stayed in the four corners of our own home facing the battle of the unknown.

At the first few weeks, we can manage to be at home, later on weeks became months, and here we are more than a year of being requested to stay home. A lot of loved ones were lost, a close friend of ours stuck in a country they do not know anyone. Health workers such as our nurses, doctors, medical technologist, radiologists and more were exhausted, drained and sacrificed their own personal time to be with the patients fighting the CoVid-19.

And here we are, in our own little room, feeling drowned not by Covid 19 but the loneliness it brought us by the global lock down. We are limited to touch our own family, our own parents, our own children. We lost livelihood, we struggle to find food in our table. We lost the stability of our mental health. However, we found time to be with our family. We spent every waking minutes of our lives living our life to the fullest with our family. We became each others’ supporting system. We found things and hobbies that were not able to see when we are outside being busy with work and distractions brought us. Even mother nature had a good rest for quite sometime. It brought us so many learnings and gave us wisdom to survive. The loneliness we found in this global lockdown slowly becoming our own victory. The past is in the history, the future is still a mystery, and let our faith be in present.

Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-18 Pandemic it is definitely hard. Being faraway from friends and family can cause depression. This is why it’s necessary to combat it with coping mechanisms. Writing in a journal, practicing meditation or prayer. Also doing a form of exercise such as yoga. Not only can I bring home for a long period of time cause depression it can cause anxiety. Join online communities because you can make new friends on those sites. Remember, this may be hard for now, but there have been times in your life where you have had tough times and have survived. COVID-19 is just another challenge. And in this trial and tribulation will be overcome. Never give up and know that using coping mechanisms can help you in anytime in life.

Loneliness and the Covid-19 Pandemic

During the pandemic those with and without a condition can experience feelings of loneliness. In Northern California a survey was conducted and it was found that an increase of 50.1% of people were experiencing loneliness due to Covid-19. In the article Loneliness and Social Isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic 2020 It shows you several steps you can take to help alleviate and avoid those feelings. Such as, keeping connections; take care and socialize with family members. Another good tip is taking care of needs; make sure you have enough food and essentials. Remember that this is temporary and you can get through it with help. The pandemic of Covid-19 has affected a number people and you can get through it.

Coronavirus-Related Anxiety, Social Isolation, and Loneliness in Older Adults in Northern California during the Stay-at-Home Order, Gaeta, Laura Brydges, Christopher R.2021/09/03 2021 2021/09/03 doi: 10.1080/08959420.2020.1824541 10.1080/08959420.2020.1824541,

Journal of Aging & Social policy 320 331 VL.33 4-5 Routledge, Sn-0895-9420, doi:10.1080/08959420.2020.1824541https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.20

Hwang, T., Rabheru, K., Peisah, C., Reichman, W., & Ikeda, M. (2020). Loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Psychogeriatrics, 32(10), 1217-1220. doi:10.1017/S1041610220000988

@SoulfullyAButterfly

I forgot to add the link can I revise and repost?

Thanks.

@SoulfullyAButterfly

Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Students' mental health was affected during the global lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed many challenges for parents, educators, and students. Children with mental health conditions have been affected the most by the changes. Now we are learning about the broad impacts of schools being closed, physical distance guidelines, and isolation, as well as other unexpected life changes for students.

When schools close, children and adolescents with mental health problems lose access to the resources they usually have through their schools. Mental health charity YoungMinds surveyed 2111 participants up to age 25 years with a mental illness history in the UK. 83% said the pandemic had made their mental health worse. Twenty-six percent reported they were unable to access mental health support; peer support groups and face-to-face services have been canceled, and some young people find it difficult to access support by phone or online.

Since schools are closing and children do not have access to resources, peer support, and face-to-face services, it is challenging for them. Particularly during times when you are confined to the house, can't stand near someone, and are confined between 4 walls. With only yourself and your parents and no one else to talk to, it's really difficult for a child to grow up and experience the outside world. A school is a place where the child is meant to grow and learn and communicate with others and if this area is closed what can the child do? Using social distancing measures in an abusive home can cause social isolation for the child. Parents who are abusive or who fight can hurt a child's mental health, making it even more difficult. We should help such children at all costs.

Young people with mental health issues often rely on their school routines as a means of coping. If schools are closed, they lose an anchor in life and could relapse. In Hong Kong, where schools have been closed for two weeks, one clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents says that going to school had always been a struggle for children suffering from depression before the pandemic, but at least they had their school routines to keep, she said. Some students with depression have locked themselves in their bathrooms for weeks, refusing to shower, eat, or leave their beds. When school resumes, some of these students will have difficulty adjusting to life as usual.

In the face of the pandemic, it is critical to provide support to children and adolescents facing bereavement and issues related to parental unemployment. The long-term mental health status of children and adolescents needs to be monitored, as well as the impact of prolonged school closures, permanent social seclusion, and the actual pandemic itself. Parents should see how the child is doing and be by their side during these hard times.

Bibliography : https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30109-7/fulltext

Since the COVID-19 vaccination rolled out, and covid cases declined, many parts of the world have resumed in-person work, school, sports, and other forms of socializing. However, hotbeds of COVID-19 activity continue to pop up and some people are more vulnerable than others. So, if you need help coping with the loneliness of the pandemic then continue reading for some quick tips. Although scrolling through social media might seem like a quick and easy way to connect with others, it can often leave a person feeling cold and empty. Instead, consider engaging in a one-on-one discussion with your loved one through a video chatting system. You can engage through a platform like Facetime, or you can use one of the AI empowered devices like Amazon's Echo Show. According to Harvard Health Publishing, being able to see your loved one's face while chatting might be just the thing you need to combat loneliness.