COVID-19 Has Taken Toll On Mental Health, Experts Say
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - For many people, COVID-19 has not just been a health crisis, but a mental health crisis.
Nexus Recovery Center says with the surge of the omicron variant, it's making recovery for those suffering from substance abuse even harder.
They're having to make several adjustments which has not been easy.
"The omicron variant has just blown up at Nexus," residential substance abuse counselor Lydia Davis said. "Staff are having to take off. Clients are coming up positive."
Davis is a residential substance abuse counselor for pregnant women and moms.
She said women who test positive or come in close contact with a positive case are having to follow strict quarantine procedures. It's taking a toll on mental health.
"So their stress is intense, their depression goes up," she said. "They have to go into isolation so that would mean a woman and her three children going into a small room, being confined and not being able to come out."
Meals are brought to them and instead of in-person treatment, a good portion of recovery work in done on tablets.
"Can you imagine having three children in a small room trying to do a substance abuse cycle educational group?" Davis said. "It is just incredibly difficult."
That's why staff are now urging everyone to do their part by masking up and getting vaccinated.
"Making sure we're trying to reduce the risk of COVID," Davis said.