coronaphobia

Let's Overcome the Phobia of Coronavirus!!!

• In order to protect ourselves from a virus surrounded by uncertainty, we try to protect our immune system by paying attention to hygiene, as well as protecting our psychological immunity. We must. There is no official diagnosis of "coronaphobia" in the literature yet. However, experts predict that one of the psychological consequences of the virus may cause such a diagnosis.

• Phobias negatively affect a person's life in many ways. It causes disruption of daily routines (not being able to leave the bathroom, washing hands repeatedly, repetitive behaviors, staying away from certain environments, etc.) and restriction of social relationships. Uncontrollable anxiety and panic cause safety behaviors and avoidance in the person. Since the threat perceived by the person is excessive, he avoids stressful situations with the belief that he cannot manage stress, but on the contrary, avoiding situations that create anxiety causes you to succumb to that situation and strengthens anxiety and fear.

•    Information with the influence of social media. Disaster scenarios caused by pollution are spreading rapidly through social networks. This erroneous information can cause us to exaggerate our precautions with severe fear and anxiety. "What if I put my hand to my mouth without realizing it, what if I was infected with the virus, what if I infected someone else." “I shouldn't go out, he will definitely find me.” “I won't be able to protect my family.” “Did I wash my hands enough?” Hundreds of questions such as "I think it hasn't been 20 seconds, I need to wash it again"... lead to anxiety. The increase in anxiety can lead to physical reactions; Changes in sleep and appetite patterns, pain in different parts of the body, difficulty breathing, palpitations, hot flashes, drowsiness, tremors... As a result of these reactions, new question marks, increase in anxiety, new control behaviors and the result is a vicious circle. Yes, there are precautions that need to be taken, but excessive use of these precautionary behaviors may cause you to restrict your life uncontrollably. As a result, coronaphobia, which is one of the damages of the virus, can cause permanent problems on your psychological health.
   

• Suggestions you should pay attention to to protect yourself from Coronaphobia;

1. Follow accurate and reliable information.

   Unrealistic information leads to disaster scenarios. "It was a clear finding; the virus lived on the marble floor for a day, not 8 hours." A baseless news like "I thought it was 8 hours, I touched it and I definitely caught the virus." It may increase your anxiety with thoughts such as: How is its accuracy known, what is the origin of the news, where is the research, are there any findings proving the contrary? Accepting such information as true without questioning any of it increases your anxiety against an unrealistic situation and causes panic. You should try to stay away from news, dialogue and posts that cause you to panic.

2. Take adequate, not excessive, measures

   We must take the measures recommended by official sources. We must wash our hands regularly, disinfect them, maintain social distance and use masks. Implementing additional safety behaviors you hear from anywhere will only exacerbate your perception of danger and level of anxiety. "Eating this is very good, vinegar disinfects better, these medicines strengthen immunity." We hear hundreds of suggestions like this. So, if these are really so useful, if this information is real, why doesn't any expert talk about them or recommend them? Take only the necessary precautions, your precautions should not exceed the dose.

 

3. Eliminate your question marks

   Anxiety thrives on uncertainty. Try to learn the correct answers to the questions you do not know from reliable sources. Both lack of information and misinformation trigger anxiety. The consequences of the coronavirus scare many people. "It's an extremely deadly virus." Of course, exaggerated and unrealistic rumors such as these are worrying. In fact, not knowing that there are research findings proving that seasonal flu causes more people to die can increase anxiety. The majority of people who die from coronavirus are individuals with chronic diseases. Another important factor is that recovery rates are not well known or interpreted correctly. Cognitive distortions such as ignoring the positive, focusing on the negative, and catastrophizing have an average recovery rate of around 98%. It may cause you to ignore the fact that it is in the market and interpret the 2% as an exaggeration.

4. Do not ignore physical messages

   When anxiety and fears increase, our mind gives us messages through our body. Focus on what your body is trying to tell you when you experience physical complaints such as palpitations, emotional changes, difficulty breathing, tremors, numbness, and hot flashes. If your body says it doesn't feel well, your goal should be to ensure its well-being. You can benefit from relaxing activities such as breathing and relaxation exercises, meditation, walking, exercising or taking a shower. Increasing your physical well-being will also increase your psychological well-being.

 

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