{"id":677,"date":"2020-11-06T11:38:35","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T11:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/centreforjournalismprojects.co.uk\/InvictaNews\/?p=677"},"modified":"2020-11-10T17:56:21","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T17:56:21","slug":"life-in-lockdown-2-0-how-is-isolation-affecting-our-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centreforjournalismprojects.co.uk\/InvictaNews\/2020\/11\/06\/life-in-lockdown-2-0-how-is-isolation-affecting-our-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in lockdown 2.0 – how is isolation affecting our mental health?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(trigger warning – eating disorder)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today the British public is waking up to their second day in lockdown and the thought of spending a month like this has left many people in a state of anxiety. Demand for advice and help from rethink.org, a website with advice for mental illnesses, doubled over the lockdown period in springtime. Just last week Mind saw the largest increase in calls to their helpline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind, Samaritans, Shout and Hospice UK and many other mental health charities have been working tirelessly during this period to support the immense amount of people calling for help with anxiety disorders, how to support someone experiencing suicidal thoughts and help with self-harm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relationships have also suffered the consequences of lockdown. Counselling Kent, a private counsellor based in Kent, has not noticed an increase of anxiety and depression, but rather a very large increase in couples counselling. According to Sian Jones, the Co-founder of Counselling Kent explained how more and more couples are coming to couples therapy via zoom. Sian Jones justified this to the fact that couples are spending much more time together due to having to work from home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a very common, but not very talked about, difficulty during lockdown was eating disorders. Esme Michaela has now become a body positivity activist after recovering from a difficult time during lockdown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s ok for your body to change!!!!!\u2063 There\u2019s over four years difference between these pictures so why does something in my head still tell me I should look like I did in the first picture? We need to change this narrative. \u2063\u2063 \u201cWe look in the mirror, we sigh at our weight gain and we truly believe that we should be thinner to be healthier. It\u2019s simply NOT true\u201d -@charlottepeirce_ \u2063 \u2063\u2063 \u2063 \u2063\u2063 #bodyacceptance #effyourbeautystandards #bopo #bodyliberation #loveyourself #loveyourbody<\/a><\/p>

A post shared by Esme Michaela | Recovery<\/a> (@esmemichaela) on