We talked with psychologist Nevin Küçük from the Mental Health Association for All, who has been working in İzmir to work on changing our lives with the epidemic, how we can adapt to the changes brought about by the epidemic and what we can do to protect our mental health.
Reminding that it requires time and effort to adapt to new conditions, Küçük emphasizes the necessity of both an individual and a social and political effort to adapt to the changes. Explaining that information management is very important especially in crisis situations such as pandemic, Küçük says that in extraordinary situations, informing the public is not an option, but it is one of the steps that should be taken without question.
Reminding that information process management is one of the most important steps to be taken at the political level to protect our general and individual mental health, Küçük says that this step is indispensable for people to feel safe and remain calm. Describing that perception introduces concepts such as solidarity, social unity, coexistence, thinking about the other, empathy into our lives and compels us to think, Little says What should be emphasized in this period is not personal weaknesses, but rather messages that emphasize the strength and resourcefulness of society.
Saying that the epidemic teaches people and the society a lot, Küçük emphasizes that if our learning in this process turns into a preparatory plan, we will be able to overcome the new crises in the future.