COVID-19 and Anxiety Disorders; Unearthing an Unexpected Blessing.

March 20, 2020

The world is fast approaching chaos, and suddenly I'm the one that's doing okay.

It's both the word and the question on everyone's lips. Coronavirus. What does it mean, how long for, what do I do, what else is cancelled...and the list goes on. With the abundance of media outlets it's all too easy to get lost in a world of hype and confusion, not knowing where to turn to for straight answers at a time where truthfully there is none. But then that's even harder to deal with, because what do we do when even the experts and those in 'power' can't decide what the future holds? It seems by and large, people have panicked, or at least had their stress levels rise a solid ten notches above baseline so we are all walking around (1.5m apart of course...) with so much anxious tension in the air it's hard not to take some of it on board yourself, no matter where you stand.

There is one odd thing I have personally noticed though. As the world gets more tumultuous and unpredictable day by day, my sense of peace relative to those around me has risen to the point that now I am being asked to help those who have never experienced high levels of anxiety and suddenly find themselves in the deep end.

Part of me thinks this is because for years I have lived each day with 'worst case scenarios' running through my head over and over, so this is nothing more to me than a new scenario. Then there is the fact that in the past, my anxiety was unjustified and deemed excessive, hence 'disordered'. Now though, everyone is so on edge and there is so much going on that it's all of a sudden justified not just in the eyes of others who suffer, but every person on the street.

I have learned through running that when you feel anxious and there is a reason for that anxiety, it is easier to deal with; whereas living with a mind where there is so much anxiety at the most inappropriate of times about the most irrational things, is where normal everyday tension becomes utter despair. So right now with COVID-19, when I am anxious, I can blatantly see the cause. In a roundabout way, that brings about more peace than I am used to having as I am not second guessing myself or berating myself for being 'irrational'.

Then there is the more powerful blessing that has come from dealing with severe anxiety well before the current day madness bought on by COVID-19. I know how to cope with uncertainty.

As I have made my way through life the last few days, I have felt so much for those that have never had to face such uncertainty or never been armed with ways to cope that now find themselves treading water in a cyclone. From the young children watching all the adults around them get anxious at the best of times and lose the plot at the worst, to those out of jobs, unsure about how they will make it through the next month,. Then there are those who are just downright scared about having life as they know it change around them with no personal control. It sure is creepy riding through the relatively deserted city streets, or hearing computerised voices on trains tell us 'how to decrease your risk of coronavirus' as if we are in a sci-fi film.

Personally, I have thought less about the physical and financial implications of the current pandemic, and more about what it will mean for the mental health of millions who may not even ever be physically affected by the illness. Coronavirus may be spreading scarily fast, but from where I sit, the anxiety, panic, depression, and other mental health effects are spreading faster and reaching more people.

Those of us that have battled and suffered and fought our way through treatment, have more ways to deal with unexpected situations and overwhelming emotions than the average person would ever arm themselves with unnecessarily. So when the world changes in the space of a week, we have a foundation of learning to call upon; from breathing, to meditation, to distress tolerance skills, distraction techniques, and so many reframing strategies that make the rapid pace of change easier to bear. My past and the subsequent treatment has forced me to learn to live in the moment and be okay with not having control over most things in life. I have learnt it's okay to lose my freedom and sense of purpose, have no idea what the future holds, and that there is so much value in pushing forward anyway.

So if like me you have an armour of learning and coping strategies to draw upon while the loved ones and strangers around you have been left high and dry - teach. Now is our chance to use our unfortunate past to help create ease at the most uneasy of times many people have ever experienced. Reach out to others who before now seemed to have it all together while you fell apart. Teach them how to breathe to ward off panic attacks, how to journal to decrease stress, the value of weighted blankets and putty and puzzles and avoiding media for immediate coping. Even just how to vent effectively and recognise emotions so anxiety doesn't bubble over as anger (supermarket fights??). Also talk to children openly about how they feel and that it's okay to be scared and ask questions. I don't want to even begin to imagine how many kids might develop chronic anxiety disorders of their own after growing up through this if we don't give them the attention they need.

If you try this, worst case scenario you get fobbed off by someone who isn't ready for the help. Best case scenario you help ease the mounting panic that is right there spreading alongside coronavirus, and cement your coping strategies in your own mind along the way.

If instead you are one of the people that have never really faced such anxiety or are struggling to find ways to cope, find someone around you that has or has had anxiety treatment and just ask if they have any advice to offer. It doesn't always have to be a health professional we go to first. Of course there comes a point where that is the best way to go, but I think you will find that those who have been there in other situations are the greatest gems of advice and support you could ever find, and are often right next door.

Remember, we are all in this together. Australia saw some of the best of humanity with the recent bushfires and how communities banded together to help each other out. It seems among the current fear we have lost some of that. But if communities and those able to teach can once again band together to tackle not just the physical and financial, but mental health effects of where we are at today, in this moment, we can ride out this crisis too - dunny roll shortage and all.

For more resources on dealing with the mental health effects of COVID-19 go to:

Still We Rise