We weren’t ready for mental, physical toll of COVID-19, experts say — and it’s not over yet

We weren’t ready for mental, physical toll of COVID-19, experts say — and it’s not over yet

Posted on May 19, 2020

When Dr. Ken Duckworth learned that a reporter interviewing him was from Alabama, the first thing he thought of was college football. “The absence of college football is not a mental health problem, but it takes away one of my favorite things in life,” said Duckworth, CMO of NAMI. For many, the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting people through the loss of favorite rituals and events, and for young people, the loss of opportunity. “First of all, take care of your own self. Not everybody needs a therapist,” Duckworth said. Get exercise, don’t use substances to excess, and put down all media after dinner, he said. “We are all in this together.”