'Frustration and anxiety': Therapists see spike in new clients as COVID-19 pandemic worsens

BACK TO YOU. :45 LAST YEAR WE HAD SEEN 0 30 SOTHMEING NEW CLIENTS IN THE YEAR :50 WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH TH YISEAR AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN MORE THAN THAT :53 MORE AND MORE PEOPLE E AR SEEKING OUT HELP FROM THERAPISTS .. AS COVID-19 INFECTIONS CONTINUE TO CLIMB AT AN ALARMING RATE. AS OUR BROOKE BUTLER REPORTS -- MANY ARE EXPERIENCING FEELINGS OF HOPELESSNESS, FRUSTRATION AND ANXIETY RIGHT W. NO 36 I THINK PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST SCARED BUT THEY'RE ALSO FEARING BECOMG IN OVERWHELMED :42 MARY JO HORTON THERAPISTS ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE PATIENTS - AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC RAGEONS . 6:03 I THINK THE GENERAL SENSE OF FEAR IS RLLY EA STARTING TO RISE 6:0MARY7 JO 7:03 WE'VE SEENA LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN WHO ARE ANXIOUS FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY 7:10 CATHERINE CLEVENGER THE MOST COMMON ISSUES THERAPISTS ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW? PEOPLE BATTLING DEPRESSION - AND ANXIETY. 5:36 YOURE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO 5:42 AND NOT KNOWING WHEN TO WORRY 5:44 MARY JO THAT'S NOT ALL THOUGH - SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS ALSO A MAJOR PROBLE M. 4:30 DURING THE PANDEMIC THERE WERE A LOT LESS IN PERSON SERVIS CEAND INTERVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ADDICTION ISSUES 4:37 SO YOURE GOING TO SEE A RISE IN ADDICTION 4:39 MARY JO SOME OF THESE PATIENTS - ARE ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL. PARTICULARLY THOSE - WITH ANXIETY. 11:56 A PANIC ATTACK COM ES ON QUICKLY AND IT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BR EATHE OR YOU'RE HAVI A NG HEART ATTACK AND IF YOU HAVE NOT GONE THAT FAR IN ANXIETY UP TO THAT PIOINT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS SO THEY ENUPD IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM 12:10 CATHERINE THAT'S PUTTING A STRAIN ON AN ALREADY OVERWHELMED SYSTEM. SO WHEN SHOULD YOU REACH OUT FOR HELP IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING? 2:38 WE ALL HAVE ANXIETYE W CAN ALL GO THROUGH PERIODS OF SADNESS WE CAN ALL GO THROUGH PERIODS OF FRUSTRATION OR BEI NG SCARED 2:46 BUT WHEN THOSE FEELINGS IMPAIR R OU ABILITY TO ENJOY THINGS TO SLEEP TO CONNECT TO OTHERS TO WORK THEN THAT'S THE TIME FOR US TO GO GET HELP 2:54 MARY JO SO WHAT CAN PEOPLE CAN DO .. IF THEY'RE STRUGGLI NG RIGHT NOW? FIRST AND FOREMOST - GET OUTSIDE. TALK A WALK AND BREATHE IN SOME FRESH A. IR IT CAN WORK WONDER S. NEXT - REACH OUT AND CON

More and more people are seeking out help from therapists as COVID-19 infections continue to climb at an alarming rate.Catherine Clevenger, a licensed clinical social worker in Savannah, Georgia, said her office saw about 300 new clients last year. "We're only halfway through this year and we've already seen more than that," she said. Therapists said, at the moment, many people are experiencing feelings of hopelessness, frustration and anxiety."You're seeing an increase in the number of people not knowing what to do and not knowing when to worry," said Mary Jo Horton, the manager of therapy at Memorial Health's Behavioral Health Services in Savannah.That's not all though. Therapists say substance abuse is also a major problem right now."During the pandemic, there were a lot less in-person services and interventions for people who have addiction issues, so you're going to see a rise in addiction," Horton said.Some patients have been ending up in the hospital, particularly those with anxiety."A panic attack comes on quickly and it can make you feel like you can breathe or you’re having a heart attack. If you have not gone that far in anxiety up to that point, they don’t know what it is, so they end up in the emergency room," Clevenger explained.We asked when people should consider reaching out to a therapist for help. Horton said, "We all have anxiety. We can all go through periods of sadness. We can all go through periods of frustration or being scared, but when those feelings impair our ability to enjoy things, to sleep, to connect to others, to work, then that’s the time for us to go get help."Some other things you can do to improve your mental health aside from going to therapy include getting outside, exercising, getting enough sleep and checking in with yourself as a whole. Horton said, "Really taking stock of: Are we taking care of ourselves? Are we sleeping? Are we on the screen too much? What are we putting inside our body? Are we engaged in healthy connection? Are we drinking too much? Are we doing we things we know are going to promote our well-being?"

SAVANNAH, Ga. —

More and more people are seeking out help from therapists as COVID-19 infections continue to climb at an alarming rate.

Catherine Clevenger, a licensed clinical social worker in Savannah, Georgia, said her office saw about 300 new clients last year.

"We're only halfway through this year and we've already seen more than that," she said.

Therapists said, at the moment, many people are experiencing feelings of hopelessness, frustration and anxiety.

"You're seeing an increase in the number of people not knowing what to do and not knowing when to worry," said Mary Jo Horton, the manager of therapy at Memorial Health's Behavioral Health Services in Savannah.

That's not all though. Therapists say substance abuse is also a major problem right now.

"During the pandemic, there were a lot less in-person services and interventions for people who have addiction issues, so you're going to see a rise in addiction," Horton said.

Some patients have been ending up in the hospital, particularly those with anxiety.

"A panic attack comes on quickly and it can make you feel like you can breathe or you’re having a heart attack. If you have not gone that far in anxiety up to that point, they don’t know what it is, so they end up in the emergency room," Clevenger explained.

We asked when people should consider reaching out to a therapist for help. Horton said, "We all have anxiety. We can all go through periods of sadness. We can all go through periods of frustration or being scared, but when those feelings impair our ability to enjoy things, to sleep, to connect to others, to work, then that’s the time for us to go get help."

Some other things you can do to improve your mental health aside from going to therapy include getting outside, exercising, getting enough sleep and checking in with yourself as a whole.

Horton said, "Really taking stock of: Are we taking care of ourselves? Are we sleeping? Are we on the screen too much? What are we putting inside our body? Are we engaged in healthy connection? Are we drinking too much? Are we doing we things we know are going to promote our well-being?"

'Frustration and anxiety': Therapists see spike in new clients as COVID-19 pandemic worsens

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