for Healthline

By now, it’s become extremely clear that the best way to contain the COVID-19 pandemic is for all of us to practice physical distancing and stay home.

While cases of COVID-19 are still in all 50 states, states with early shelter-in-place orders have been able to “flatten the curve” more effectively than those that haven’t.

But being stuck at home while a deadly pandemic rages outside is traumatic, says Lori Garrott, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a certification in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

“Trauma occurs when we suddenly feel unsafe,” she says, “and when we feel like the people we love are unsafe and we might lose them.” (continued)