Dr Nahid Dave, a psychiatrist at Thought Matters, explains, “Most people derive our energy through verbal and non-verbal transactions with others. While we welcome a chance to take a break from work to escape the grind of our daily routines, when this isolation is forced on us, it rapidly becomes monotonous. In today’s world, it’s impossible to be completely isolated as we are constantly bombarded with information from multiple sources, not all of which are accurate or reassuring. Not knowing how long this solitude will last can create further anxiety.”
Understand that there is a difference between concern, worry and anxiety, says Dr Dave.
Being concerned means taking precautions, following news from the right sources and making the most of the time you have been given.
Being worried entails hoarding supplies, re-checking news constantly, and feelings of irritability and anger.
Anxiety involves panicking and constantly expecting the worst outcomes, such as certain and/or painful death for either yourself or a loved one.
While it’s tempting to use memes and jokes about Covid-19 as a way to lighten the emotional load, know that these can have lasting repercussions on your subconscious mind. Many of these memes loosely associate the virus with death, which is a basic, carnal fear for all human beings. This association with death can lead to massive anxiety, she explains.
Dr Nahid Dave is Quoted in The Free Press Journal on 20/3/2020 on concern-worry-anxiety during social isolation.
Article by Anindita Paul
The link to the entire article is given below