As I am writing this we seem to be entering a new phase of escalation in the coverage and spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the media coverage of this virus has been unprecedented. To date it has had 1.1billion mentions across global media platforms, in comparison SARS had 56.2million and HIV has had 40 million! Sporting events are being cancelled, countries are going into lock-down, USA has banned all travel from Europe and the global economy is already suffering as a result.
Seemingly the people who have the least to fear are the ones who are ‘panicking’ the most, however the demographic who are bulk buying supplies and leaving super market shelves empty, will all have elderly and vulnerable relatives and despite pleas to be sensible and responsible with purchasing, they feel they are doing what’s best to protect and provide for themselves and their families in the face of an uncertain time ahead. We can only go on the up-to-date information that is available to us and it is changing on an hourly basis. This leads to a situation whereby we are constantly checking our news feeds for new information on numbers of infections, deaths & the Governments response. Many people that I have spoken to in the past few days, who normally enjoy good mental health have described that they are feeling and displaying compulsion and checking behaviour patterns in relation to the Coronavirus. These behaviours are fuelled by fear and anxiety, however this is just a fraction of what someone suffering with Health anxiety and OCD has to cope with on a daily basis, it is their ‘normal’.
The situation in China seems to be improving slightly with reports that the virus has now reached it’s peak, however, in Italy currently it is desperate with 800 deaths to date.
For someone who currently has good mental health, it is a worrying time I think we can all agree, but for those who suffer with any kind of anxiety disorder relating to health, or OCD the coronavirus pandemic is a perfect storm of validation for their worst fears and intrusive thoughts. The media has gone into over-drive reporting on the virus and I feel there is a responsibility that is currently not being met by the media and governments to give a more balanced viewpoint on the situation in order to hopefully minimise the affect it is having on those who are vulnerable not only due to physical health conditions but those who are vulnerable due to pre-existing mental health conditions.
So how can we best protect our physical and mental health during a public health situation that we are experiencing at the moment?
Current advice is to limit your exposure to media and news outlets as much as possible and only check once or twice a day at the most, follow the advice of Public Health England, wash your hands and avoid close contact of less than one metre with individuals you come into contact with when you are out and about, prepare a checklist of what you would need in the event of having to self-isolate for 2 weeks, practice breathing exercises and meditation in order to combat the increased levels of anxiety that you are experiencing.
If your feelings of anxiety are still high despite these measures you can contact the Anxiety UK helpline on 03444 775 774 and the Mind helpline on 0300 123 3393, they are just 2 charities that are offering advice on how to cope with the Pandemic.
I am also available for online sessions if a face- to- face session is not possible due to self-isolation or quarantine measures. I can help you to process and cope with the increased feelings of anxiety and stress and give you tools to cope with and manage the symptoms of your anxiety and OCD. If you are struggling to cope with the current situation please reach out and speak to someone as you do not need to suffer through this alone.
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