Acouple of years ago, Prakriti Mukherjee, a 30-year-old media professional, was diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Bouts of anxiety would come and go for her. But she admits that lately, with all the negative news related to the Covid-19 outbreak, dealing with her anxiety has become rather difficult. “I haven’t been able to sleep for more than two to three hours because of panic, stress and anxiety. At times, there is a heaviness in my chest, which scares me a lot — what if I collapse?” she asks.
Dr Shyam Mithiya, a psychiatrist based in Mumbai, believes that switching off the news and limiting one’s social media use might be helpful. “There have been fatal diseases like Ebola, Sars, and Plague. But panic regarding Covid-19 has increased manifold among people. It is because of social media that everyone feels they can be a saviour of some sort if they share information. For people, battling with stress, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reading negative information constantly, could make their situation challenging,” Mithiya adds.
Mental health experts are also worried if social distancing were to be prolonged, how long would people have to live in isolation? Their concerns point to a surge in episodes of depression, panic attacks and nervous breakdowns. “Human beings are inherently social beings. If social distancing continues for a prolonged period of time, mental health will be affected,” says Kavita Mungi, Mumbai-based counsellor.
Dr Geetanjali Saxena, another mental health counsellor from Mumbai, agrees. “Spending time alone, and the bombardment of negative news on social media, could see an increase in anxiety and depression related cases. It will be worse for people already suffering from it,” Saxena says, adding she has been getting a lot of calls from patients..
{{/usCountry}}Dr Geetanjali Saxena, another mental health counsellor from Mumbai, agrees. “Spending time alone, and the bombardment of negative news on social media, could see an increase in anxiety and depression related cases. It will be worse for people already suffering from it,” Saxena says, adding she has been getting a lot of calls from patients..
{{/usCountry}}Amidst so many concerns about mental health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a statement with recommendations that instructed people to avoid watching, reading or listening to the news if they feel anxious. “Practice empathy, gratitude, care and compassion towards your loved ones. We will have to help and support others as well in this difficult time,” advises Dr Mithiya.