Lockdown Madness: When All Distractions Fail
~ Gwilda Wiyaka ~
COVID-19 and the resulting lockdown was a real eye-opener for many of us. Before being denied many of the things we take for granted, few recognized how much of our ability to cope relies on simple day to day distractions. Being confined to our homes and stewing in our own juices brought to light just how uncomfortable and irritable we can become without these diversions.
As a result, drug overdoses have dramatically increased, as has domestic violence. Depression is epic. The violence, rioting, looting and vandalism may also be related to the shutdown and the resulting sense of deprivation.
With many states breaking daily records of COVID-19 cases and the resulting deaths, and over 150 prominent experts asking leaders for a second shut down, we may now be faced with a repeat performance.
What we desperately need are some evolutionary tools to help us cope with isolation, its lasting effects and the possibility we may be faced with it again.
With us this hour to discuss the long-term impact of COVID-19 lock down and how to manage another is Faust A. Ruggiero. Faust’s professional career spans almost 40 years. It is diversified and compelling, as it has consistently established new and exciting cutting-edge counseling programs in the pursuit of professional excellence and personal life enhancement. He is a published research author, clinical trainer, and therapist who has worked in settings that include clinics for deaf children, prisons, nursing homes, substance abuse centers, and inpatient facilities. As the President of the Community Psychological Center in Bangor, Pennsylvania, he developed the Process Way of Life counseling program, presented in a formal text in “The Fix Yourself Handbook.”
