The emotional impact of Long Covid
The experience of having COVID-19 can be very frightening. It is
understandable that the experience and then suffering from ongoing
symptoms months after contracting the virus can have a huge
emotional impact.
Having ongoing symptoms can cause common problems such as:
• Feeling anxious when struggling to catch your breath and when your heart feels like it’s racing.
• Feeling low in mood
• Disrupted sleep
• Wondering if this will ever go away
• Worries about getting back to work
• Worries about family or friends becoming ill and suffering
• Struggles with others understanding the impact of long covid
• Health experts not always being able to answer all your questions or give explanations
If you were treated in hospital, you might also experience:
• Unpleasant images from your hospital stay, that might seem to come ‘out of the blue’
• Nightmares
• Feelings of panic with any hospital reminders
What can help?
Avoid watching too much news or social media if it’s making you feel anxious
• Speak to family and friends
• Try to do activities that you find enjoyable and relaxing
• Don’t be too hard on yourself if there are things that you are finding harder to do and remind yourself that recovery takes time
• Focus on what is in your control