Therapy has helped a lot of people to be the healthiest version of themselves and living the best life possible amidst several challenges being faced. Many have defeated self-destructive behaviors and habits, resolved painful feelings, improved relationships, and more through therapy.
Before coronavirus closure across Nigeria, in-person therapy is the most adopted method of meeting with a therapist to resolve problematic behaviors, beliefs, feelings and relationship issues. Now, there is need for another primary approach to receive therapy as in-person method is less feasible because more states are adopting movement restriction to curb the spread of coronavirus across the Nation.
Aside the movement restriction, some Nigerians are afraid of visiting hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic and most of the therapists are family doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists who have their offices situated inside hospitals.
A lot of Nigerians have stopped seeing their doctors because of the COVID-19 outbreak, casual visits and medical appointments at private and public hospitals have declined drastically as the country records more death cases from coronavirus complications and this is because Nigerians are avoiding hospitals intentionally during this pandemic period.
Within Nigeria recalls that recently, there were claims of mysterious death cases in Kano State and the scare of contracting COVID-19 disease at the hospital prevented some of the victims from seeking medical counsel. Some bereaved families who confirmed this phobia revealed that the deceased had some disruptions that kept them from accessing medical care, which might have resulted in their deaths.
If you are the proactive type or you fall among those who have conceived the fear of visiting hospitals during this pandemic period that has become a worldwide concern, it is better to change the method of receiving your therapy instead of discontinuing any ongoing therapy that makes you visit the hospital often.
Nigerians should be thinking of adopting online therapy and other forms of remote counseling during the Nationwide lockdown. Before the coronavirus pandemic, online therapy is mostly adopted by people with busy daily schedule, who finds it difficult to move around for in-person therapy. Online therapy is also widely used as a follow-up method after preceding in-person consultation.
The choice between online therapy and in-person therapy was more of a matter of preference than situation, but during this pandemic period, online therapy should be a priority with the exception of therapy that involves severe mental illnesses which requires intensive in-person treatment.
Online therapy produces results as much as in-person therapy and it is very important to note that it’s also helpful for a lot of other reasons, and you don’t have to wait until you have to work with a clinician before you undergo a therapy session. If you have not been considering therapy, these few advantage may convince you;
1. Talking with a therapist can help you find purpose.
2. Therapy can help people develop and foster passion, productivity, and balance in your lives
3. Therapy helps you untangle years of disorder, confusion and turmoil, and change unhealthy patterns.
4. Therapy “brings the benefit of a broader awareness to life, to not get wrapped up in a single way of living life, to explore healthy self-expression in ways that perhaps a person had been hiding from themselves
5. Therapy can help you handle emotions from problems or stressors, even if they aren’t dramatically life-altering or traumatic.
6. Therapy can reduce physical symptoms and boost your physical health.
In conclusion, adopt online therapy and other remote counselling methods instead of stopping your therapy sessions during the lock down, don’t wait for clinical depression or severe anxiety or roller-coaster moods before thinking of therapy, it’s also helpful for a lot of other reasons, and you don’t have to wait until the walls are falling down to work with a clinician.
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