Staying sane during the Covid-19 crisis

Children are away from school and people are not able to go to work. These changes can be stressful and cause a lot of worry and fear. Whereas fear is a normal body reaction to situations of uncertainty such as this, it is harmful if it becomes excessive and disproportionate to the situation.

Anxiety
“During a pandemic such as this, the most common mental illnesses are anxiety and depression. These are associated with people being disproportionately and excessively worried about things that have not and may not even happen. As a result of the uncontrollable and excessive worries they are filled with sadness, lose interest in previously pleasurable activities, are not able to concentrate on a given task and have difficulty sleeping among other things,” notes Dr Agaba.

These changes are easily noticed by the people who live with them and the doctor says they should not be taken for granted.

“Everyone is vulnerable to the psychological effects of Covid-19 but there are special categories such as people with pre-existing mental illness, health workers, first responders, patients of Covid-19, children and the elderly. For those with a pre-existing mental illness, stress arousing from the current situation may result into a relapse or recurrence of their illness and as such, they should take more precaution to protect themselves. They should endeavour to keep adherent to their medication and also to reach out to their health care providers when they notice any negative changes in their condition,” Dr Agaba recommends.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Dr Raymond Baluku, a general practitioner, notes that the guidelines meant to curb the pandemic are most likely to become triggers for especially people living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

“Everyone around the world has been urged to wash hands more thoroughly and more often, to disinfect surfaces, to avoid touching faces and to keep a social distance. For someone with OCD, these safeguards can be triggers. They may worry that they washed their hands one time less than needed or stood too close to someone who looks well but might be carrying the virus and as a result that they could get sick or they might spread it to someone else. There is also a fear of not being able to keep up their usual routine or get help from their doctor. All these are distressing triggers that need to be managed before they get out of control,” says the doctor.

To manage their mental health, Dr Agaba suggests limited access to the distressing information.

“Television and social media have been flooded with the colossal number of infections and deaths, baseless conspiracy theories and other adverse effects of the virus. Some of this information is actually fake news. The temptation is to keep checking on the latest statistics around the world, which keeps one glued to their phones and television screens. The constant exposure to all this information, however, can lead to excessive and unnecessary worry,” he notes.

He recommends practicing social media discipline and sticking to a few trusted sources for information only when need be. He also urges people to desist from sending information that may cause unnecessary fear and worry to others.

Maintain routine
Even though we are not able to maintain our usual routine of going to work, it is still essential that we maintain a healthy routine while at home.

“We should get up on time and go to bed at an appropriate time, ensure to eat healthy and at regular intervals and do some physical exercise as well as other activities that make us happy, such as reading novels and listening to music, among others. We should also have time to pray as our faith strengthens our hope which in turn keeps our minds healthy,” Dr Agaba advises.
Communicate
Much as we are practicing social distancing to control the spread of the virus, we are not prohibited from communicating with our friends and family. Fortunate enough to be in the era of modern technology, we should use the available forms of communication to keep in touch with our loved ones.

I like to refer to this as distantly socialising. Regularly communicating with our loved ones will help us and our loved ones to reduce the stress and keep hopeful.
He also suggests that when we notice that we are becoming excessively worried, we should pause, acknowledge, identify and name our fears and their sources. As mentioned earlier, fear is a normal reaction so we should acknowledge it and plan ways to mitigate it. It can be helpful to share these fears and worries with the right people who can help you find solutions. As the adage goes, a problem shared is a problem solved.
“Try not to worry about things we have no control over and things which may not even happen. If we are unable to control our worries and it is affecting our functionality then we should seek professional help,” says the doctor.

Be your brother’s keeper
According to Dr Racheal Alinaitwe, majority of Ugandans do not give priority to their mental health.
“About three in every 10 people in Uganda have some form of mental illness and less than half of these seek mental health interventions. Many factors are noted for the little use of psychiatric services.

Community perception of mental illness is a big contributor; many people believe mental illness is due to witchcraft, demon-possession or demonic attacks but also a great number believe that some mental illnesses like depression/ anxiety are because the sufferer is not strong enough.

So peoples’ perception influence how and from where they will seek help. If one believes their condition is due to demonic attacks then help will be sought from spiritual and traditional healers.

For those that believe the sufferer is just being “weak” normally the offered solution is for the person to “just snap out of it,” she notes adding that this poor attitude as well as the widespread stigma towards people with mental illnesses, hinders early diagnosis and management of their conditions and thus leads to a poor prognosis.

“We should be alert about ourselves and also be our brother’s keepers,” she notes, adding that whenever we notice a negative change in our or their behaviour and functionality, we should seek professional help.

Managing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Dr Raymond Baluku, a general practitioner, notes that OCD is complex, and each case is unique. Some people with OCD may find that their condition worsens in response to Covid-19 concerns. Some may not.

“People who have OCD often have unwelcome thoughts or obsessions - ideas, images, feelings, and desire to act. For someone with O

There are a lot of ways to get relief, even amid Covid-19 stress:
•Be kind to yourself and remind yourself that it is a challenging time and you are doing the best you can.
•Remember, most people who get Covid-19 do not have serious complications.
•Follow advice from heath care professionals. For example, only wash your hands as often and as long as advised.
•If Covid-19 precautions match up with your behavioural exercises for OCD, take extra care not to overdo it.
•Follow guidelines for social distancing, but do not isolate yourself more than necessary.
•Get information from reliable sources rather than social media.
•When online, avoid stressful people and websites if you feel overwhelmed by them. Likewise, you can limit how much news you read or watch -- enough to stay informed, without worrying.
•Trust yourself that you can take creative approaches, outside of your usual therapy, to help yourself deal with OCD.
•Take time to do things you enjoy; connect with family and friends from afar, listen to music, read good books, get some fresh air, sing or dance, watch TV.