Corona Pandemic has mental impact as well

Manish Gajbhiye

Aurangabad, April 19:

The Corona pandemic, though a physical ailment, it has the mental impact on the people as well. The people have to change their attitude to look at the pandemic and approach it positively, discarding negativity, advised the experts.

People are facing the pandemic situation for more than a year now. In the beginning, the people faced several problems as everything was new for them. The lockdown, work from home, deaths of the near and dear, domestic clashes, unemployment, and other problems had a severe impact on the people. Moreover, the fear of the Covid-19 infection affected the mental health of the individuals in large numbers.

Now, the second Corona wave has grappled the country. The rate of increase of patients is also more than the earlier phase. Under these circumstances, People are mental disorders like anxiety and depression, the psychiatrists said.

People, who have already suffered from the Corona infection, there is a change in their thinking. They seem to be careless now and are seen as confident that they will not be affected by the pandemic again. Similarly, those who were not infected earlier think that it is their turn now as the patients are increasing rapidly.

Dr Rajendra Gadekar, a medical practitioner, said, people in the past year have developed a specific attitude to look at the Covid-19. It is not looked upon as the other diseases are being seen. The daily news and posts about the pandemic disaster on social media influence the minds of the people. It creates a lot of negativity among the people, and as a result, it develops the hormones that build anxiety and depression. One has to create a positive approach, which will help fight the virus, he said.

The president of the Aurangabad Psychiatrists Society, Dr Anand Kale said, in recent studies, it has been found that the Corona Virus affects the mind as well. In the past five-six months, the patients showing mental disorders due to the pandemic situation have started approaching psychiatrists. Still, there the number of such patients is significantly less. When someone experiences such a situation and feels that the problem is beyond his control, he should immediately approach the psychiatrist. The psychiatrists treat the patients with medicines and by counseling, as required, Dr Kale mentioned.

Recommendations by Psychologists

* Isolate yourself from news about the virus.

* Don't look out for death toll

* Don't look for additional information on the Internet, and It would weaken your mental state

*Avoid sending fatalistic messages

* If possible, listen to music at home at a pleasant volume

* Look for board games to entertain children, tell stories and plans

* Maintain discipline in the home by washing your hands, putting up a sign or alarm for everyone in the house.

* Your positive mood will help protect your immune system

* Negative thoughts will depress your immune system and make it weak against viruses.

*Firmly believe that this phase will also pass and we will be safe