Obsessive-Compulsive & Anxiety Disorders During COVID-19

Obsessive-Compulsive & Anxiety Disorders During COVID-19

Everyone can probably agree that as a country, our anxieties have spiked since news of the outbreak coronavirus. People are constantly checking the news, noticing heart rates up, worrying, obsessive thinking, and feeling like an elephant is sitting on your chest. For people, with anxiety disorders, this is how they feel often, only due to irrational fears they live in daily. OCD and anxiety affect about 2 million Americans. Those with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder suffer from intrusive, repetitive thoughts, along with behavioral compulsion (and invisible compulsions). These are disorders of uncertainty.  

For those who have been in treatment for their OCD and trying to manage their compulsions (like excessive hand washing, checking, etc) this feels like a personal setback on their struggle. What use to be irrational is now rational and people are experiencing what is like to live with an anxiety disorder on a daily basis now. 

Seeking reassurance and certainty is part of the nature of obsessive thinking and compulsions, it’s an attempt to control to create more certainty. The reality is, there is a lot of uncertainty right now. In treatment, we work on accepting uncertainties and controlling what you can by challenging unhelpful thoughts and compulsions and not seeking reassurance constantly. 

How does one with an existing OCD or anxiety disorder manage during the crisis?

1.Rules & Structure (i.e. I will wash my hands as after touching surfaces, before eating, after going to the bathroom and for 30 seconds)

2. Limit where you get your information from and unfollow anything that is making you feel more anxious. 

3. Confront anxious thoughts. Don’t avoid them, face them and talk it out with a trusted person and then move on from that thought. (or journal)

4. Step back and observe your anxiety or obsessive thinking. Ask yourself is this a signal I need to pay attention to or is this just background noise of my anxiety ruining my day? 

5. Have healthy distractions and connection time (even virtually) in place.  

You are not alone! There is lots of support out there tele-mentalhealth sessions, virtual groups, and your own support systems. Take good care of yourself and your mind during these times.

Mandy Morris, LPC

#coronavirus #OCDduringCOVID-19 #OCD #mentalhealth #mentalhealth awareness #breakingthestigma

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