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Counseling Helps David Overcome Post-Covid Isolation and Depression
“David” had strong relationships and a good job. He was an active member of the community and felt fulfilled in life. But things started to change when Covid hit and isolation began taking a toll on David.
He didn’t engage with friends and family, and he broke up with his girlfriend. In addition to feeling lonely, David lost motivation for career growth, spent more time sleeping, and had trouble managing anger. A sense of hopelessness overcame him.
David realized he needed help. He came to Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) to find clarity and regain a sense of purpose and urgency for life’s journey.
“A lot of people developed depressive symptoms during the pandemic,” David’s NFSB counselor said. “David couldn’t clearly define what motivated him to keep going and couldn’t see the point in reaching self-defined goals anymore. Through counseling, he was able to explore his own self-empowerment that had slightly dimmed below the surface.”
This process involved identifying David’s strengths and how to use those strengths in everyday life. Simply stating them out loud – loyalty, compassion, valuing family and friends – helped David realize that relationships were important to him after all. This shift in his state of being enabled David to begin breaking free from feelings of depression and isolation.
“David gained an understanding of how he ended up feeling lonely, unmotivated, and underachieving in different areas of his life,” the counselor said. “That validation made it possible to process those feelings. Counseling allowed David to see his experiences and history through a fresh lens, and accept what happened, even though it was painful.”
This awareness helped David move forward with renewed focus on his own strengths. Processing these feelings and experiences in partnership with a trusted counselor was validating and supportive, and corrected any historical, emotional injuries.
While much of the conversation about the pandemic focuses on the difficulties adjusting to the lack of social interaction, many people also struggled to readjust to pre-Covid life. This was the case with David, who learned coping skills to support that adjustment. He gained the ability and confidence to communicate honestly, kindly, and clearly, which helped him interact socially with friends.
David has been able to repair and improve friendships that deteriorated during and after the pandemic, build new relationships, and start dating again. He also found a new job and has been able to get his career back on track. This was an important goal and milestone for David as he continues the process of returning to a happy, fulfilling life.
If you or someone you know struggled to adjust to Covid, and perhaps had difficulty adjusting to life after Covid, call 973-667-1884 to schedule an appointment through the NFSB mental health program. Immediate appointments are available, and we’ll always respect your privacy.
To make a donation and to find out about all that NFSB has done for our community, please Visit our Appeal Page
