Coping With Covid-19 As A Family

Warning signs, tips to take care of your mental health, and when to seek for professional help

- Jane Kingsu Cheng

Finding out that you’re infected with Covid-19 can leave anyone feeling numb. But this is not the only fight you have to deal with, discrimination for being sick with this virus brings in more complications. “When a patient is confirmed positive, they are stigmatized. At the same time, the person feels scared because it is a deadly disease. The person also needs to isolate himself to protect the family, leaving him alone,” explains Dr. Paul Lee of Talk to Dr. Lee, who has over 30 years of experience as a psychiatrist.

If there’s one thing we all know about Covid-19, it’s that you have to beat it alone—in your hospital room. It’s highly infectious that the majority of the population would want you out of their sight and nowhere near them. Even family members are not exempted from this, as they are being treated as unconfirmed carriers of the disease. How does one handle this?

Family support

Dr. Ruby Jade Lee, Paul’s daughter and also a psychiatrist, stresses the importance of providing emotional support for each other, “Physical presence may not be advisable, but there are other ways to communicate.” She also adds that one must not hesitate to talk about their feelings with each other, including fears, worries, and sadness. Once these negative thoughts have been released, it is good for other family members to counter them by staying positive in times of stress. “It is important to take care of oneself,” says Ruby.