It’s OK to be recovering from the effects of COVID-19
It’s OK to still be recovering from the effects of COVID-19. The virus has taken a toll on everyone — whether or not they actually contracted it.
Yes, there are some who did contract the virus and may still be working through long-haul effects. That undoubtedly has placed a hefty toll — physically, mentally, financially, etc. — on them and their families.
Among those is Butler Township’s Stephen Miller, who was featured in a May 23 article in the Butler Eagle. His family held a fundraiser in his honor at Prospect Fire Hall. It was to help his wife and children with living expenses since Miller is yet to fully recover from COVID.
The 39-year-old went to the emergency room with COVID-19 in October. He still hasn’t returned home. Since March, he has been recovering at Cranberry Place and will require a lung transplant in the near future.
Others have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Others have had to care for someone with COVID. Others with health concerns fear contracting the virus — despite their vaccination status. The list of possible scenarios is endless.
And then, COVID has also had effects that are less directly related to the virus. Many working parents are still trying to navigate the challenges that the virus has created. Balancing child care and a job is still a joke amid the less-often, but still occasional COVID-related closure of day care facilities.
According to Donna Lamison, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Butler County, there’s still noteworthy “mental fallout” from the pandemic.
In a May 25 article in the Eagle, Lamison said calls to NAMI are up from years prior to the pandemic, signaling an increased need for emotional support and resources.
She was quoted as saying that the virus has caused trauma in the form of isolation and support issues. It’s prevented people from gathering and left some searching for help.
COVID-19 has had a toll on everyone in some way, shape or form. It adds stress to all of our lives and adds one more thing to our plates. Sometimes one more thing is too much.
Please be patient and kind to one another and aim to provide support for your loved ones. We are all working through the effects of the virus — whether it’s physically, emotionally, mentally, financially or in some another way.
If you are struggling, know that you are not alone. It’s OK to be recovering from the effects of COVID-19. It’s OK to ask for help.
The Butler County Crisis Hotline is 1-844-427-4747.
— TL
