Embrace, Help, and Don’t Encourage - Embrace This Pandemic, Help The Vulnerable, and Don’t Encourage Drug Use

To many people, 2020 was just not their year. Some have lost their jobs, or their loved ones while some have been stuck in parts of the world without certainty of when they can return home. All thanks to Covid-19, or Coronavirus. By now, everyone would have heard about the Coronavirus, so if you have no idea what I am talking about, where have you been?

Covid-19 is a virus which took over the world at the beginning of this year, and it slowly but surely took over each country, and is still going. A major consequence of Covid-19 has been lockdowns all over the globe resulting in the majority of people staying at home, with the exception of essential workers. There is not much a person can do apart from essential shopping or staying at home and getting bored as your social life is taken away due to social distancing and keeping to your bubbles. Multiples of people have lost their jobs as a result of this and children have been required to study online from home as schools have been shut down. The closing of schools has caused a disruption to children’s learning and to their well-being. In simple terms, we can say that the Coronavirus bought us nothing but stress.

During this difficult time, there have been hundreds of news reports about Coronavirus, some of which have included exactly how difficult lockdown has been for some people. Mental health has been at its peak this year with an increase in depression and anxiety, as well as stress. Mental health has been a factor as financial issues have grown for those who have lost their jobs as they have lost their source of income. This has restricted how much they can support their immediate family and those in need. Mental health has also affected children as they shifted to online classes and therefore not been able to physically be in a classroom or lecture theatre, which has affected their learning, meaning additional stress on top of general school stress.

According to the New Zealand Doctor (2020), 28 percent of women and 21 percent of men reported how their mental health was affected more by the consequences of Covid-19 compared to other times. I think this shows just how important it is for people to be involved in their societies and have relations with others so they do not feel like they are alone or helpless and have that support so they do not feel the effects of mental health. Along with this, there has also been an increase in suicide rates, which is an effect of mental health, and according to CNN News (2020), the more Coronavirus increases and the more waves that come, the greater the increase in deaths by suicide and drug use will be. This does not only affect the individual but also their family and those close to them as everyone during this time seems to be helpless without choice.

I have also noticed how Covid-19 had an impact on the use of drugs. There has been an increase of drugs this past year, which is never a good thing. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020), there has been a 13 percent increase in drug use among adults in the United States during late June. What I can take from this is how people all around the world are being affected by Coronavirus, some without even realising it.

Touching on drug use and overdoses, this increase has not been good for anyone except drug dealers and producers. Drugs takes lives more often than we would like them to which is why countries should look into banning such drugs rather than trying to legalise them. With the election coming up in October, the New Zealand Government have put forward a referendum in regard to legalising cannabis for recreational use. Seeing how difficult times can lead people down the wrong path, legalising cannabis would not be ideal as people may tend to use and abuse the drug especially if it is more openly found around the country.

While the Coronavirus cannot be stopped physically, we should take this time to reach out to those in need of a little support and try and reduce the increasing rates of suicide and drug use as well as overdoses. So, stay safe and be kind because you do not know what people are going through when they are alone.

Reference List (APA)

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm#suggestedcitation

New Zealand Doctor. (2020). COVID-19: Mental Health Concerns Lead Kiwi Families to Seek Professional Help - Study. Retrieved October 14, 2020 from https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/covid-19-mental-health-concerns-lead-kiwi-families-seek-professional-help-study

Thomas, N., & Romano, S. (2020). A 'second wave' of mental health devastation due to Covid-19 is imminent, experts say. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/12/health/mental-health-second-wave-coronavirus-wellness/index.html

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