Coping during the Coronavirus outbreak
Call (707) 565-2652 for free and private support if you or someone you know is experiencing emotional stress and anxiety during COVID-19.
Seven days a week 10:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m.
Managing your emotional and mental health
Seeing or hearing news about COVID-19 while also sheltering in place may make you feel anxious, isolated, and stressed. This is normal. In the wake of an infectious disease outbreak, monitoring your own physical and mental health takes on added importance. Know the signs of stress in yourself and your loved ones. Know how to relieve stress, and know when to get help.
Feelings of grief are also normal. The COVID-19 pandemic can create grief on many levels. Different stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is important to know that these stages do not necessarily happen in a particular order. Some people may not experience any of these stages. Others may only experience one or two stages, rather than all five.
If you need to use mental health services, check the resources below and remember you are safe in Sonoma County. All residents can receive services here regardless of immigration status.
Need help right now? Know someone who does?
Local Resources
- If this is an emergency, call 9-1-1.
- If you have an urgent need now to talk with someone for counseling or mental health support call:
- Sonoma County 24-Hour Crisis Stabilization Unit: (707) 576-8181
- North Bay Suicide Prevention Hotline of Sonoma County: 1 (855) 587-6373
- County of Sonoma Warm Line
- Call (707) 565-2652 for free and private support if you or someone you know is experiencing emotional stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. This warm line is available seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Service in Spanish is also available as well as telephone interpretation for other languages.
- If you receive Medi-Cal or are uninsured, community health centers throughout Sonoma County are providing virtual counseling visits through phone and online video calls.
- http://www.partnershiphp.org/Community/Documents/Sonoma/Sonoma_MentalHealth.pdf
- Find a community health center near you: https://www.rchc.net/health-centers/
- Public Assistance phone numbers from Redwood Community Health Coalition
- Friendship Line: 1 (800) 971-0016
- Institute on Aging’s 24-hour toll-free Friendship Line for people aged 60 years and older, and adults living with disabilities: 1 (855) 639-7965
- Alcoholics Anonymous: English 1 (415) 674-1821 or Spanish 1 (415) 824-1834
- SOS Community Counseling: Intake line (707) 284-3444
- Buckelew Family Services: Remote services remotely and assistance by phone, email, and video conference calls. (707) 583-5284 or (707) 237-1334
- Peer Services:
- Wellness and Advocacy Center: (707) 565-7800
Tuesday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Interlink Self Help Warm line: (707) 546-4481
Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Petaluma Peer Recovery Project warm line: (707) 565-1299
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Russian River Empowerment Center warm line: (707) 823-1640 ext 207, then press 0
Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Sebastopol Area Senior Center: (707) 829-2440, email at info@sebastopolseniorcenter.org
Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wellness and Advocacy Center: (707) 565-7800
- Legal Aid of Sonoma County
- Hotline: (707) 542-1290, info@legalaidsc.com
- Elder Hotline: (707) 340-5610, legalaidsc.org
- Domestic Violence Hotline: (707) 595-6295
- Housing Hotline: (707) 843-4432, Rental housing and eviction issues.
- Veteran’s Issues: (707) 542-1291
Other Resources
- Contact the National Disaster Distress Helpline (English and Spanish)
- Toll-Free: 1 (800) 985-5990
- Text “TalkWithUs” to 66746; español: “Hablanos” al 66746
- TTY (for hard of hearing): 1 (800) 846-8517
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- NAMI Sonoma County Support Line: 1 (866) 960-6264 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm PST)
- For mental health resources, NAMI Hotline: 1 (800) 950-6264 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST)
- Mental Health Association of San Francisco: 1 (855) 845-7415, (California peer-run warm line, 24/7)
- 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 (808) 799-7233 or click Chat Now
Coping with stress and anxiety
Talk with people you trust. Contact your friends and family through social media, video chat, phone calls, or email. Social distancing does not mean emotional distancing!
- While staying at home, maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat a proper diet, get plenty of sleep, and make time to exercise. Create a routine and do your best to stick to it.
- Consider turning part of your living space into a workout area. Use YouTube workouts or FaceTime/Skype/Zoom to create your own group workouts.
- If you have stairs, make a few extra trips up and down each day.
- If you don’t have space at home, take daily walks while keeping a safe distance from others who may be out walking and remember to bring a face covering.
- Spend time outside each day. Consider engaging in activities like gardening, riding a bike, or hiking. Make sure to bring a face covering with you in case you encounter others. And always stay six feet apart.
- Don’t use smoking, alcohol, or other drugs to deal with your emotions.
- If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counselor. Have a plan. Know where to go and how to seek help for physical and mental health needs.
- Get the facts. Gather information that will help you determine your risks. This way, you can take reasonable precautions. Find a credible website you can trust such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), or a local or state public health agency.
- Limit the time you spend taking in media coverage. It is always good to stay informed. However, spending too much time with upsetting news may cause more worry and agitation.
- Draw on skills you have used in the past that have helped you manage life’s previous adversities. Use those skills to help you manage your emotions during this outbreak.
Resources for coping with Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Manage Anxiety & Stress, Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, World Health Organization (WHO)
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information and Resources, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event, (CDC)
Helping children cope with stress and anxiety
Children respond to stress in different ways. They may act clingy, anxious, withdrawn, angry or agitated.
- Respond to your child’s reactions in a supportive way. Listen to their concerns and give them extra love and attention.
- Let your child’s questions guide how much information you share. Provide facts about what has happened.
- Give clear information about how to reduce their risk of becoming infected by the disease. Use age appropriate words that they can understand.
- Talk about what could happen in a reassuring way. For example, explain that a family member who does not feel well may have to go to the hospital for a while so doctors can help them feel better.
- Remember to speak kindly and reassure your child.
- Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible, or create new ones.
- If possible, create opportunities to play and relax.
- Avoid separating children and their caregivers if possible. If separation occurs (e.g., hospitalization), ensure regular contact (e.g., via phone) and reassurance.
Resources for families, parents and children
- Coronavirus Updates: Mental health guidance, public health news and resources, NAMI California
- Helping Children Cope with Emergencies, CDC
- Just for Kids: A Comic exploring the new Coronavirus, National Public Radio (NPR)
- How to Talk to Your Anxious Child or Teen about Coronavirus, Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Resources for mental and behavioral health organizations
- coronavirus.gov, CDC, FEMA, White House
- Coronavirus, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Resources and Tools for Addressing Coronavirus, National Council for Behavioral Health
- Coronavirus Resources and Information, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Addiction and Recovery Resources
Online Recovery Meetings
- Alcoholics Anonymous (for alcoholics)
- Narcotics Anonymous (for addicts)
- Al-Anon (for loved ones affected by another’s addiction)
- Life Ring (non-religious based recovery)
- Refuge Recovery (Buddhist inspired path to recovery)