Getting help for pandemic related worries

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - Financial worries continue to be a major point of stress for many Americans during this pandemic.

Helen Farabee has set up a counseling hotline to help people cope with stress caused by the Coronavirus.

Funding for this program comes from a Texas Health and Human Services grant. The plan for now, is to keep it up for at least the next nine months.

“We’re trying to funnel any specific things related to COVID-19 stressors, things that are going on related because of what we are going through now,” Lauren Hargrove, adult mental health program manager at Helen Farabee said.

Hargrove adds that without ways to normally relieve stress, it’s continued to build up.

“If people can't get to work, if they're not paid to go to work, if also having the stressors of being at home more often then you have increased expenses with doing that,” Hargrove said.

Their local hotline can be reached at: 888-484-0799

The statewide mental health support hotline can be reached at: 833-986-1919

At Community Healthcare their staff is working to ensure those showing signs of distress get the help they need.

“Checking on their depression, checking on their anxiety and if they show positive to those then they would refer to us,” Danielle Mansfield, a clinical social worker for Community Healthcare said.

Danielle Mansfield says when things started to shut down. Normal ways people could deal with their stressors went away.

“Gyms were closed, and different things were changing people’s coping skills and so that’s where you were seeing people really struggling with how they were coping with this,” Mansfield said.

There are many resources available for people from hotlines, telemedicine, and clinics, help is just a phone call away.

“Seek help and get help if it’s needed you know and your overall medical care and that it’s ok to seek out help so that you can improve your overall wellbeing,” Mansfield said.

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