The world seems to be spinning out of control. Social distancing, holidays without family, and an uncertain political climate make it seem like our psychological moorings are unraveling. In today’s episode of True You!, I speak with Dr. Mike Griffin about the challenges of COVID-19 and political stress on our emotional health. Fear, unpredictability, and perceptions of lost social relationships appear to be the culprits.
Fear
When COVID-19 crossed continents reaching pandemic proportions in April 2020, our curiosity quickly turned to fear and anxiety. Since the function of fear is to prepare the body for potential threats, it is no surprise that rates of fear and anxiety increased by 20% in some parts of the world over the summer. Fear and anxiety can sometimes be a good thing, but when they become persistent and overwhelming, it often leads to chronic psychiatric disorders including post-traumatic stress, phobias, chronic anxiety, and depression.
Unpredictability
A perceived lack of predictability is associated with increases in fear and anxiety. Earlier this year and almost all of a sudden, everything seemed to become unpredictable. To compensate, we tried educating ourselves on how to identify, avoid, and treat symptoms of COVID-19, only to discover many conflicting opinions from people we have been taught to trust. Compounded by the uncertainty of the 2020 presidential election, our sense of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety became a significant and overwhelming part of our lives.
Loneliness
Researchers have identified a common fear response called tend-and-befriend. In times of national or personal crisis, social support has proven very important. For example, following Hurricane Katrina, social support played a crucial role in mental health recovery as well as building resilience to the crisis.
Interestingly, the research to date has not shown any significant increases in loneliness. Social media has enabled new and powerful ways of maintaining essential social connections, especially now in a world gripped with a pandemic.
With advances in social media, coupled with video chat apps like Facetime, Zoom, and Skype we have been able to adapt to new ways of maintaining social connection.
Remaining at risk for decreased social support are those who do not have access to such technology, including the elderly and the financially disadvantaged.
Putting the Pieces Together
Cognitive science tells us that our perceptions contribute to neurochemical reactions in the body that we experience as emotions. It is critical that the information we use to understand COVID-19 or political stressors be as clear, understandable, and rational as possible so that we can predict the steps needed to keep ourselves safe. We should avoid sources of information that do not offer evidence-based and trusted information.
With healthy thinking, you’ll have healthy emotions.
In these times of uncertainty, unpredictability, and unprecedented societal flux, we must use our available resources to support ourselves and each other. We must be sure to maintain social connections, consume information with a discerning, rational mind, and seek counseling if needed. Mental health counselors are trained to identify problematic thinking and will help you think differently about the world around you.
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