SELF IMPROVEMENT

Shining Light Of The Invisible

How the pandemic affects our psyche

The coronavirus has become a crash test not only for the economy, healthcare and science. Right now, the pandemic is a serious test for the psyche of ordinary people. Research and polls show that news flow, the regime of restrictions, and uncertainty, primarily financial, provoke the development of mental disorders in the population. The negative effect from them will continue even after the lifting of restrictive measures and a decrease in the increase in the incidence of COVID-19.

Worse than a hurricane

After floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes, up to 10% of the affected population faces severe psychological problems. Among them are mood and anxiety disorders, as well as PTSD. “It can be assumed that at least 10% of people affected by Coronavirus will suffer mental disorders”, writes Stephen Taylor, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of British Columbia and author of The Psychology of Pandemics.

And this is a rather optimistic forecast. In fact, there may be many more victims with psychological problems. This is confirmed by studies of people who had SARS in 2003. Long-term observations of 70 patients showed that 44% of them faced mental disorders. “Even after physical recovery, 82% of these people suffered from PTSD years later”, writes Taylor. Symptoms were most pronounced in those who had a high risk of dying from the disease, lacked social support, and whose close relatives suffered or died from SARS.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a person’s life. Symptoms may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in the way a person thinks and feels, and an increase in the fight-or-flight response. These symptoms last for more than a month after the event.

-Wikipedia

COVID stress

The possible mental consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic can be talked about right now. And they will affect not only people who suffered illness themselves or survived the illness of loved ones. For example, the first studies conducted in China demonstrated that the coronavirus epidemic and related quarantine measures led to an increase in anxiety, sleep disorders, and depressive symptoms in all population groups.

In the video below Stephen Taylor answers questions about coronavirus:

In a study involving 6,854 adults from the United States and Canada, psychologist Stephen Taylor even coined a new term COVID stress syndrome. To date, it has already manifested itself in 25% of the subjects. “These people face strong fears of contracting an infection. They are worried about the social and economic impact of COVID-19. They have nightmares related to the coronavirus. They constantly monitor news on this topic, which further increases their anxiety”, says the scientist. He notes that there is another symptom of COVID stress - xenophobic tendencies - fears that foreigners, strangers may be carriers of the virus.

Not everyone will leave the house

The anxiety of people associated with the possibility of infection can persist for a long time after the quarantines are lifted. The idea is now very popular that a pandemic will change the world. “Life may never really return to normal”, says Stephen Taylor.

This is the first global pandemic in the digital age. The Internet has made communication and many types of work possible without physical presence. “Even before the outbreak, people were working remotely, shopping online and ordering food home instead of going to restaurants. Individuals with low-risk tolerance who keep in touch on the Internet may prefer to stay in a safe home space”, the scientist suggests.

Against the backdrop of a pandemic, some people will acquire misophobia (fear of germs) and will be afraid to touch “contaminated” surfaces, as well as shake hands in greeting. Those who already have a predisposition to them may be susceptible to such phobias.

Endless Groundhog Day

Prolonged stay in a confined space is in itself unsafe for the psyche. Even a few weeks of isolation can lead to long-term anxiety and the development of mentally distressing conditions, as evidenced by the examples of the recent epidemics of SARS, Ebola, H1N1 influenza, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

The longer the duration of the quarantine, the higher the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress symptoms, avoidance, and aggressive behavior. This is stated in the review of the consequences of quarantines in the Lancet magazine. Stress factors during the period of restrictive measures were:

• the duration of the quarantines (the longer, the higher the risks to the psyche)
• loss of the usual way of life and boredom
• problems in meeting basic needs (buying food, water, clothing, getting medical care)
• conflicting, insufficient information

After the end of the quarantines, the psyche was negatively affected by financial problems and stigmatization, which was faced, for example, by doctors who were treating infected people.

Mandatory self-isolation is something that residents of the whole world are massively faced with today. Many are heavily influenced by the monotony - “endless groundhog day” - due to the lack of variety of sensory sensations that we experience every day when changing surroundings, even when we move along the seemingly familiar route of “home-work-home”. Staying in a confined space - for someone alone, for someone with the same people - also increases the level of stress. Families with people prone to alcohol consumption and domestic violence are especially at risk.

Don't read the news until lunchtime

The peculiarity of the COVID-19 pandemic is that people are under powerful information pressure. The entire news media stream is filled with messages about the coronavirus and related events. On social media, ordinary users share their worries and fears, and celebrities provide “expert opinions” on SARS-CoV-2 and its connection to 5G. The information space, again and again, brings a person back to potential danger.

Therefore, the World Health Organization even issued special recommendations for protecting mental health during a pandemic: “Avoid watching, listening or reading news that makes you feel anxious or stressed; look for information that primarily helps you take practical steps to protect yourself and your loved ones”. The World Health Organization also draws attention to the fact that informational updates should be viewed at a certain time no more than 1-2 times a day. “The fast and constant stream of news about the coronavirus outbreak can make anyone feel uneasy”.

Frightening uncertainty

Uncertainty makes a big contribution to the development of anxiety. It manifests itself in many things, ranging from the unusual effect of the virus on the body and ending with the destabilization of the economy and the collapse of the plans of many people. Uncertainty about what is happening and pessimistic predictions are something that “the brain doesn't like”, says Ned Gould, a clinical psychologist at Johns Hopkins University. “We don’t understand what steps to take and feel insecure about it”, she says.

Another aspect associated with the coronavirus crisis that promotes anxiety is the unfamiliarity of what is happening. In the media, the coronavirus is often compared to the flu, although doctors mercilessly criticize such analogies. Nevertheless, a lot of people die from the flu (mainly in the USA). But the flu is something that happens every year, with certain predictability and seasonality, says Gould. And the coronavirus came out of nowhere, and this strangeness, coupled with uncertainty, heightens anxiety.

How to deal with anxiety?

Alfried Langle, a well-known psychotherapist, author of many books on existential psychotherapy, visiting professor at the Higher School of Economics, speaks about the unfamiliarity and uncertainty of the current situation, and the feelings of defenselessness caused by them, in his video message.

“There are many types of insecurity that we must deal with”, he notes, drawing attention to the material impact of the pandemic on many people. “No income, no employment, no work, no business - the world is not functioning properly. And with the absence of such a basis, it is difficult to achieve a sense of security and the feeling that you can survive”. Another equally serious aspect of insecurity is the constant danger of being infected and infecting others.

“And, of course, there is vulnerability to the future”, says Langle. What will happen after all this? What will happen during this suspension (of habitual life)? We are exactly experiencing what the existential philosophers say:

“Being human means being defenseless before the world”.

How to deal with this? Lange recommends asking yourself a few questions.

If there is anxiety that you might get sick, or you don’t have enough money to pay your rent or buy groceries, then first ask yourself:

1. How realistic is it? What can I do to prevent this?

Perhaps at this point, you admit: “This is more a feeling than the real state of affairs”. Then ask yourself again: “How many days can I live? How risky is it really - to get infected?” And so about everything that causes anxiety.

Then think about the future:

2. What will be the real consequences? What happens next if I get infected?

In 80% of cases, nothing really happens. Between 30 and 40% of those infected do not even realize that they are infected. So let us ask ourselves again: “What can happen? Could I go to the hospital?” Yes, it can happen. One of the consequences is a really serious illness with breathing difficulties. You will have to go to the hospital.

And then ask yourself again:

3. If this happens, what will I do?

If you do get infected, you will need a certain level of medical attention. You will need hospitalization. What will you do? How do you organize it?

Tell yourself:

“I will do what I can. I promise to do the best I can. I will not leave myself alone. I will stand up for myself to the end. And what will happen - I can only accept ...”

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like these:

Access unlimited high-quality content on Medium by subscribing here. Your subscription directly supports me and other writers you read.