Highlights
- Australia has reported 565 positive cases and six deaths so far.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Australians to avoid “nonsense” on social media during a major press conference on Wednesday.
Dr Ashu Gandhi a Consultant Psychiatrist specializing in Anxiety Disorders says people with clinical anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, health anxiety can have their main themes of anxiety replaced with themes of catching COVID-19, going for repeated tests, calling up the health line repeatedly, hoarding groceries, toilet paper etc and remaining preoccupied with the theme of COVID-19 at the cost of being with the family or managing their regular life.
"These ‘sentinel’ events have the propensity to trigger catastrophic thinking, thoughts about the loss of control, the uncertainty of the future, and fears about worst-case scenarios," Dr Gandhi, also a Senior Lecturer (Adj) at School of Clinical Sciences at Monash University, tells SBS Hindi.
Dr Gandhi says the first step is to recognise it and become aware of it.
"Some ways in which you can do this is by questioning yourself: Am I finding myself preoccupied with worries about Covid 19 to the extent that it is affecting my day to day functioning? Are my family, friends, work colleagues commenting on my preoccupation with finding more information, googling excessively, and other things at the cost of functioning adequately? Are the worries coming in the way of my sleep?
"If the answers to any of the questions are yes, then this is something that needs attention and you need to act before things further worsen," he recommends.
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Are you constantly googling for COVID-19 updates? Here's how to deal with anxiety in the time of coronavirus
SBS Hindi
19/03/202008:45
Dr Gandhi recommends the following steps to manage these anxieties:
First and foremost: try to limit your information seeking to an authoritative, reliable source like the government and health department advisories, reputed websites or your GP.
Stop yourself from Googling, pouring over blogs, social media ( Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook etc) in search of ‘more and more’ information.
Incorporate activities that have a relaxing and calming effect on you. Listen to some music, or engage in activities that have interested you previously.
Manage your day to day responsibilities as best as you can by being in the here and now, focus on the present.
Practice techniques like relaxation, distraction, going for a walk etc.
Take care to sleep adequate amount, exercise, and do not indulge in excessive caffeine intake.
Channel your anxiety into preparedness rather than preoccupation.
"If none of this help, consider discussing with your GP about further options for assessment and management," Dr Gandhi says.
More in this series:
COVID-19 response: International students to be allowed to work additional hours
As of Tuesday afternoon, only people who have recently travelled from overseas or have been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case and experienced symptoms within 14 days are advised to be tested.
Coronavirus symptoms can range from mild illness to pneumonia, according to the Federal Government's website, and can include a fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
Disclaimer: We’d like to point out that the information contained in this segment is general and is not specific advice. If you would like accurate information relevant to your situation, you should consult a health practitioner.
