WAUSAU, Wis. -- Through the pandemic and holiday season, the demand for counseling services has increased nationally.

For Linda Larson, a counselor in Wausau, that trend is evident. 

“It is a very, very challenging experience." says Larson, “[people] think they should be able to handle it, so they are more closed up and there's more drinking at home, using at home, many people are overeating right now, so there are a lot more addictive patterns the are happening at home.”

As a practicing counselor for more than three decades, Larson sees that his year, more and more people struggle with the effects of constant change and uncertainty.

Addiction can commonly become a response when coping with the struggles of a pandemic.

"[People] don’t have any sense of consistency in their lives, so of course that causes anybody anxiety and stress, and if we’re under stress for more than a couple of weeks, that causes a chemical imbalance in the brain," says Larson.

According to the CDC, mental illness is experienced by one in every 5 Americans in any given year. For this reason, the services offered by Larson at Facet of Hope, have fully switched to virtual.

"We switched it to online and really the online environment is actually much better for a lot of people, especially people with anxiety. So there is a need for this online counseling and coaching,” says Larson. 

Counseling, whether in person or virtual can be a helpful tool in preventing the development of an addiction, and learning best practices when facing a crisis.

"Whether it's sobriety from eating too much or alcohol or drugs, there’s hope," says Larson. 

If you or anyone you know may need guidance, resources are available.

Addiction Help Line: 211 or 833-944-4673 or www.addictionhelpwi.org