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Mental health experts say the pandemic isn't producing mental health issues. The reality is, it's just revealing what has always been there for a lot of people.

WACO, Texas — January is mental wellness month and 2021 is unlike any other because more people are seeking help due to the pandemic. 

Mental health experts say the pandemic isn't producing mental health issues. The reality is, it's just revealing what has always been there for a lot of people.

Christina Gibson a counselor for Texans Recovering Together crisis counseling program at the Heart of Texas Region MHMR said being alone with your thoughts and feelings can bring out issues that have been there all along.

"There's something just about going from a place in which you feel in control to really feeling the unpredictable reality, instability, and insecurity of the unknown," GIbson said. "That can really take a toll on people emotionally and mentally."

Gibson experienced first-hand the stress and anxiety that comes along with Covid-19 after several members of her family tested positive. 

"The stress that I felt taking care of five people because I was the only one who was well, was overwhelming. I had a lot of fear of what if I get it," Gibson said.  

She wants others to know that fear and other similar feelings are normal. 

"It makes sense to be afraid and it makes sense to be stressed," Gibson said, "and it's almost when we give ourselves freedom and permission to experience those feelings, then we can begin to heal."

Gibson said we are all in a crisis, whether or not we may be directly affected. She said in a time of so much uncertainty, we should all seek help and be there for one another. 

24-hour crisis hotline: 1-866-752-3451

Heart of Texans Region MHMR website, click here

Heart of Texans Region MHMR Facebook, click here

Texans Recovering Together crisis counseling program website, click here

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