4 Things to Know: When COVID-19 Makes Your Depression Worse

COVID-19 has upended almost every facet of life. For those struggling with depression or other mental health conditions, heightened stress and tension can make symptoms worse. Despite everything going on around us, it’s not only possible to manage your depression during the pandemic, but critical to get through this period of uncertainty and beyond it. Below are four things you need to know if COVID-19 is making your depression worse. 

Especially when everyone is under extra stressors and encountering new challenges, it’s important to continue any treatment that you had in place prior to the pandemic. For those who are already managing depression or find themselves with worse symptoms, continuing with talk therapy, taking antidepressants, or following through on non-drug therapies like TMS is crucial for maintaining consistency for your mental health. If you feel like your medication isn’t working anymore, it’s important to stay on it until you talk to a doctor about stopping. Stopping cold turkey could lead to discontinuation syndrome, which causes insomnia and flu like symptoms, among other indicators of withdrawal.

Feelings of depression, even during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, are valid and understandable. Some people might feel their distress is less valid when thousands of lives have been lost, and many people are directly suffering from grief and loss. It’s important to know that it isn’t selfish to want to feel better, and another person’s suffering does not make your own less important. Experiencing depression, and wanting to improve your symptoms is justified, even if you have not been directly impacted by COVID-19.

If you find that your depression is getting worse, remember that it’s normal to feel bad when experiencing a stressful, elongated crisis. According to the CDC , those with depression and other mental health conditions “may be particularly vulnerable in an emergency… People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms.” The collective world experience we are living through right now has impacted so many parts of our lives that we take for granted. Anyone experiencing changes in symptoms should know that this is ordinary and natural, given the circumstances.

Treating depression can help many other aspects of your health, including your physical health. Your mental health doesn’t effect just your mood, but also impacts how your body functions and operates . Untreated depression comes with the risk of a lowered immune system, digestive tract issues, insomnia, heart disease, and more. That means that getting help for your depression will not only help improve your mood and energy, but it’ll also help keep you physically well.