ROANOKE, Va. – From back to school, the surge in COVID numbers and just everyday challenges and uncertainty, there’s a lot of stress that may impact your mental health.
Sarah Harig, clinical program manager at Family Service of Roanoke Valley said more people, from kids to older adults, are seeking mental health services. The numbers went down when many thought we were coming out of the pandemic and felt safer going out, but with surges, that’s starting to change.
If you’re getting stressed, Harig said pay attention to how it’s affecting you.
“Your sleep is affected, if you’re not able to sleep or you’re sleeping way too much, you’re eating is affected or just to be able to get through the day is really affected that might be time to seek out some mental health support,” Harig said.
To help relieve your stress, Family Service of Roanoke Valley suggests: reach out to your support system, take care of your physical health like getting enough sleep, eating a well-balanced meal and exercise, and set limits for screen time.
Through grants, Family Service provides four free counseling sessions to anyone impacted by the pandemic.