WELLBEING COLUMN: How to cope with coronavirus anxiety

IN light of the current virus threat to the UK and around the world, we are finding many people are being triggered with anxiety.

We all know what it feels like to be afraid when confronted with a threat of some kind. It would be lovely to live a life of calm and peace free of risk and danger.

Alas, fear and anxiety are a natural consequence of life on earth. They actually have a useful role to play in every day life. Fear warns us of a speeding car or when we find ice on the path. Our anxiety can make us more prepared for work tomorrow, so that we think ahead and get things organised for the coming day.

However, there are times when this fear and anxiety gets the better of us and seems to take control of our lives.

For some, thinking about the fear of contracting the coronavirus may occupy the mind and lead to unusual behaviour. Here, the way a person thinks about a particular situation can produce feelings of tension and anxiety.

So I hear the news about the virus, which interrupts my healthy thinking. I begin to fear contracting the illness and become generally anxious in my daily activities. So if you are beginning to feel more anxious, it is worth asking yourself , ‘what is it I am fearful of?’

A useful question is to ask, ‘what is so upsetting about this situation?’ It might be the fear of losing your job, or becoming seriously ill or the death of a loved one. It is worth noticing how this anxiety is affecting your life. Where does this anxiety manifest itself in the body? This can progress to a changed behaviour, perhaps hoarding food, staying in the house or constantly contacting a relative to check if they are OK. It may also remind you of previous anxieties you have had in the past. You might recognise a pattern in your behaviour.

Now we know that anxiety generally declines with time, although it varies in each individual. We also know that people can have a tendency to overestimate both the likelihood and the intensity of a threat. This is called ‘catastrophising,’ where we blow things out of proportion. This can happen in a split second within the brain. What often flows is a feeling of inadequacy and helplessness, so we end up with a simple equation that reads, overestimating a threat + underestimating you're coping ability = high anxiety.

We can naturally begin to dread the feeling that this anxious state produces.

So what’s the answer? First, we need to self-reflect upon how ‘anxiety’ arises within us and begin to notice the triggers that gets our heart racing. How does this affect us physically? It might give us chest discomfort, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth or tense shoulders. We all react physically differently. What emotions do we feel when this happens? Can we sit and allow this emotion to pass over us? Can we recognise any exaggerated thinking patterns of jumping to conclusions, tunnel vision, all or nothing thinking or catastrophising? Once this far, we need to acknowledge to ourselves that this is naturally normal. It’s OK to be anxious but not healthy to remain so.

Next ask yourself whether you could think differently about this situation. What are other people you respect thinking? Can I ride on the back of their thinking? Now let’s decatastrophise the situation. Think of what the worst scenario might be. Write out the implications. Here we are beginning to face our fears. If you keep looking into the ‘eye of the storm’ you will find that the affect will gradually diminish.

Next, ask yourself how you would cope with such events, who would support you, how have you overcome similar difficulties in the past? Lastly we need to confront our fears. How does a future mountaineer achieve this? Well, they don’t start by climbing mount Everest, but with a safety harness, start by climbing a climbing frame. Bit by bit they acclimatise their fear and reduce it down to a safe level.

So in regards to the coronavirus, a safe strategy would be to keep up to date with the news and information about the current virus. However, don’t listen to the news more than twice a day as it will only increase your anxiety. Continue with your life as normally as possible, but if you have unhealthy vulnerabilities, stay away from heavily occupied localities. Tell yourself if you catch the virus, you will do your best to stay healthy and fight it with the support of professional medical care. Acknowledge the truth that the majority of people recover from the virus.

Dr Bill Merrington is a private therapist and Chartered Psychologist working in the York district. Contact info@bmerri.com