In Plymouth, the holiday season is always difficult for those who struggle with depression. Add to that the social and physical isolation that goes with the Covid pandemic and it becomes a challenge for any hospital to help those in need, but there is a silver lining, says Sarah Cloud, who heads up social work services at BID Plymouth.
Bobbi Clark has more:
Sarah Cloud says there is a significant increase in people struggling to deal with the combination of depression and Covid related stress:
“We’re certainly seeing a lot of folks that are dealing with this too by self-medicating, so an increase in alcohol use is probably the most considerable thing that we’re seeing here at the hospital.”
Is it still the talking method that works best?
“It is still the talking method, and the silver lining in this Covid pandemic is that we’ve made a very quick shift to telehealth. And now more than ever people can get connected with providers, with therapists, with psychiatrists through telehealth without even leaving the privacy and safety and comfort of their own home.”
So what exactly is telehealth?
It is using secure video conferencing to connect with a professional for either therapy or medication management to get the support that you need.”
And how do people connect with that support?
“William James College has a phenomenal program called Interface Referral Service and they have a toll-free hotline that’s 888-244-6843.”
