There's a lot of information surrounding the coronavirus and many people are in a state of anxiety and panic over the pandemic.

If you're feeling anxious, lonely or even just need someone to speak to, the Mental Health Association of Ocean County is staying open during the quarantine by offering interactive virtual support groups to the community three times a week through Zoom.

"We have different groups that are available," Racheal O'Dea, MHA Ocean County Director told WOBM News. "There's an employment group that goes on during the day, we have a wellness recovery action plan that's in the afternoon and at night we have either a substance group or a mental health group."

O'Dea says they're offering interactive group sessions as well as individual sessions with a peer specialist via email or over the phone.

"We'll be able to provide that one to one support so we can help them through their anxiety, their fears and give them some healthy coping skills over the phone," O'Dea said.

These sessions are open to anyone who needs some support in their lives and someone to speak with and talk about things.

"With any kind of situation like this where emotions are running high we just want to really stress how important it is to just reach out," O'Dea said. "If you're feeling any kind of way, whether it's anxious or sad or even grieving the situation as far as losing kind of your structure in life, it's important that people know that it is okay for you to reach out for help. Even if they don't "life with a mental health issue or substance abuse issue", this is a stressful time and we really rely on our community for support. It's okay to reach out for help."

To sign up and learn more about these programs being offered you can follow the Mental Health Association of Ocean County on Facebook, email them at mhaocean@mhanj.org or call them at 732-244-0940.

Virtual Wellness Center. (Mental Health Association of Ocean County)
Virtual Wellness Center. (Mental Health Association of Ocean County)
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