Ways to Cope with Coronaphobia

The fear of coronavirus, weaving its way into the very heart of our emotional and intellectual world at a dizzying pace, has spiraled into an uncontrollable state within individuals even as it carries its own chaos and uncertainty, giving rise to expressions among the public such as 'we've become coronayak,' 'we've become paranoid.' While an unrealistic fear, anxiety and panic state in which functionality deteriorates is termed "coronaphobia," the development of paranoid thoughts—such as trusting no one, believing that factual information is being withheld, approaching everyone and everything with skepticism regarding disease transmission, the emotional state created by isolation, and evaluating every piece of news with excessive suspicion—has come to be referred to as 'coronayak.' Acıbadem Fulya Hospital Clinical Psychologist Sena Sivri, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed people in a gray area that contains unknowns and is disliked because of those unknowns, states: "Beyond the characteristics of the disease itself, the news we constantly read, social media, and the false and frightening information we are exposed to through communication channels are also increasing this chaotic emotional state. Throughout this process, we have begun to observe that many individuals are experiencing psychological and physiological problems other than contracting the virus itself. In such situations, there can be many psychological and physiological symptoms triggered by health anxiety." Clinical Psychologist Sena Sivri explains seven major problems that coronaphobia causes in our bodies while also clarifying tips for dealing with coronaphobia.

Anxiety-related disorders

Intense anxiety can be experienced in the face of the risks and unknowns of the disease. A person may find themselves constantly worried, fearful, and dwelling on negative thoughts. These thoughts tend to focus on themselves and those close to them. They find themselves continuously preoccupied with thoughts about contracting the disease, losing their life, and transmitting it to others. Physical reactions such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, unease, inability to sit still, trembling in the hands, and sweating often emerge, particularly during these thoughts. As a result of intense stress, elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate are observed during moments when anxious thoughts intensify.

Phobias with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors

If a person has existing phobias and they are particularly related to health, they can be triggered; new phobias can emerge, and avoidance behaviors toward them can increase. Additionally, obsessive thoughts particularly related to cleanliness and health preservation and the repetitive behaviors tied to them can develop. A person may believe that everything, themselves, and everyone coming and going from home is continuously dirty and carries the virus. No matter how much they wash or clean, they do not believe things are clean enough and display repeated behaviors of wiping, washing, and cleaning everything. Not only will obsessive-compulsive behaviors increase, but excessive cleaning and hygiene efforts can also cause damage to the person's body.

Feeling as though something exists when nothing actually does!

Symptoms with no physiological basis can emerge. Particularly symptoms associated with coronavirus (such as coughing, fever, sore throat) can develop. A person may feel as though they have a fever when they do not, or experience a sensation of throat pain or impending cough. These symptoms particularly emerge when conversations about the disease occur or when news about it is watched or read.

Sleep and eating problems

Due to the anxiety being experienced, difficulty falling asleep, fragmented sleep, and increased nightmares can occur, with sleep quality declining. Sleep disturbance can be particularly severe if news or coronavirus-related information on social media is viewed before bed. Similarly, anxiety can result in increased or decreased appetite. Particularly with the social isolation period, an increase in emotional appetite is observed due to boredom and changes in routine.

Labeling (Stigmatization)

Clinical Psychologist Sena Sivri states: "Unfortunately, along with this epidemic, one of the most frequent things we have encountered and that has taken root in many of our minds is labeling. Negative perspectives and discourse have emerged, particularly targeting people from the country where the virus originated, as well as those who are ill. In addition, with the social isolation period, we have extended these labels to include individuals over 65 years of age. In such situations, finding a culprit seems to help us cope with the unknowns of the situation, and we readily resort to this approach. We must not forget the importance of avoiding this. While applicable to all types of labeling, there is no guarantee that when the subject is health, the individual we label will not be us tomorrow."

Excessively protective and restrictive attitudes

Since the underlying thought is to avoid catching the virus and protecting those around us, behavioral changes are inevitable. Along with excessive attention to health, new habits can emerge accordingly. A person may attempt to do, eat, and drink whatever they hear or see will benefit their immunity. Excessively protective and restrictive attitudes can be displayed toward children.

Depressive mood

Particularly as the process advances and time passes, with increasing case numbers, the content of news exposure, information about illness in our own surroundings—whether or not—and depending on how we spend the period of social isolation, depressive symptoms can emerge. When a situation with the characteristic of threatening life is involved, the emergence of such symptoms is natural and expected. What matters is the extent to which we experience them. As with any kind of emotional or psychological strain, here too we must evaluate based on whether our functionality is affected.