After Corona the pandemic of mental illness :

After Corona the pandemic of mental illness : Mental health experts fear the “pandemic of mental illness” that will appear after Corona, which imposed exceptional conditions on billions of people. There are studies that confirm the increase in anxiety disorders, depression and serious behavioral problems such as self-harm and violence, and suicide among the masses.

In addition to PTSD and trauma disorders among medical personnel who suffer from massive and persistent stresses due to corona. They are vulnerable to seeing thousands of deaths for patients and feeling powerless and sometimes they have to make serious decisions. This daily stress is mounting, and their fear of infection and the transmission of infection to their families and their children add to it. They are also obligated to choose a completely different lifestyle to what they are used to to protect their loved ones and strict adherence to physical distance and sterilization.

In this context, Jessica Gold, a psychiatrist at the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, stated that health care workers as a group can develop high rates of anxiety, depression, drug use problems, acute stress, and ultimately PTSD.

People with corona, in addition to all of the above, many of them are exposed to stigma. And that causes negative discrimination against them. So we see a lot of people conceal that they have Crohna for fear of stigma, or are fleeing hospitals. Or, as we have seen, the blame of the Chinese and Asians generally spread over the Corona pandemic, and this negative discrimination against them was accompanied by physical and psychological violence at times.

But how does anxiety work? How do mental disorders appear ?

According to the latest statistics published by the American Psychological Association, 7% of adults develop social anxiety, and 7% to 9% develop specific concerns and phobias. Anxiety disorder is also the most prevalent psychological disorder in the United States of America.

Anxiety is a natural feeling when there is a real risk, it motivates us to protect ourselves and others. Anxiety becomes a disorder when we feel that the dangers are exacerbated and our ability to face them decreases in turn, so that anxiety becomes a disruption to normal life. And then we develop avoidance behaviors such as refusing to leave the house, escaping from any situation that raises anxiety, generalizing fear and anxiety on all other aspects of life, expecting the worst without logical reasons, and under Corona, in addition to this, feeling terrified when some symptoms similar to the symptoms of Corona, exaggeration in Sterilization and unnecessary repetition, anxiety about the loss of loved ones and the loss of a source of livelihood.

The anxiety is also accompanied by the appearance of physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, sweating, feeling sick, gastrointestinal problems, sleep problems, and insomnia. Harmful behaviors are prevalent in light of the anxiety of Corona, such as drinking sterilizers, family violence, use of medications without a prescription or drugs under study and experimentation.

These symptoms appear in adults and children in different ways, and because of the Corona pandemic, anxiety cases among all groups are expected to increase, not only because of Corona but also because of the massive and sometimes negative media focus on the pandemic and the spread of rumors in the media media.

Of course, anxiety increases in some groups more than in others. This includes the elderly and the chronically ill who are more susceptible to infection. In addition to people who were suffering from anxiety or one of the accompanying disorders such as panic attacks and phobias previously.

How can we deal with anxiety? Are there ways to help us control our fears?

Fortunately, anxiety is a treatable disorder, and here we will list some methods that help us cope with the anxiety of corona:

1 – Stay away from the sites and pages that spread the rumors and do not contribute to spreading them.

2- Try to maintain a regular life routine. Even if you spend time at home.

3 – Social separation does not mean psychological separation, so you should communicate with your relatives and friends through the Internet, phone and other safe methods.

4- Get enough sleep, exercise and exercise at home.

5- Keep spiritual and recreational things that help you to relax, such as praying, reading books, practicing artistic activities such as drawing, singing and the like.

6- Learn different relaxation methods such as breathing, coloring, yoga and stretching muscles.

7- Try to refute your disturbing thoughts, write them down and try to discuss them with someone you trust and who can provide psychological support for you.

8- Do household chores that were previously postponed due to busy.

9 – Be hopeful.

10- Seek help from a psychologist if necessary.

We now need an army of doctors and psychotherapists to contain the effects of the Corona pandemic. And join hands to be able to cross this difficult stage in human history. Because mental and psychological health is a necessity, not a luxury in a person’s life.

Prepare A / Shaima Ismail (participation from outside the application)