Am I overreacting to COVID-19?

Disclaimer: I just hope you will find charming when I spill over the limits of my English as a second language.

In these times when CORONA has shown us how interconnected we are, how vulnerable and fragile life is, one coffee-cup of anxiety with a teaspoon of worry cream is recommended. A few days ago I stumbled upon a piece of news that announced, somewhat condescending, that "Fear spreads faster than the virus." This mockery tune made some of us dance on it until recently and we, at least in Romania, had a good laugh making jokes about the super-protective power of our homemade brandy against any viruses. However such ephemeral smiles just bended up the corners of our lips, leaving us vulnerable for an invisible invasion. And everyone remembers that not long ago Italians were also relaxed and didn't count this coffee-cup among their favorites, because no one drinks something like this when they could select among an espresso, cappuccino or a macchiato served outside on a nice terrace full of friends. What I mean is that, yes, it is much better for the fear to spread faster than the virus than to let CORONA have the final, big laugh. In fact, God has provided us with emotions such as anxiety and worry just to protect us, to motivate our preventive actions. But this paradox - that absolutely all emotions, including those that seem negative, are actually useful – it’s a known fact in psychology. You don't have to believe me, read some positive psychology studies like The Upside of Your Dark Side[1]

         But let me be clear, only one coffee-cup of anxiety per day is digestible, as much as we need to keep us safe and avoid danger. OK, OK, if Panic insists, I also agreed that we might let everyone decide how strongly to make it and whether or not to add the worry cream. But beyond that point I am not going to accept any compromise. And that's for your own good! So along with your other morning routine you can take a few sips from this coffee-cup to have enough energy to sidestep, bypass and go around CORONA each day. But be careful not to overdose, it’s only going to make you dizzy! What I mean is that in order to be helpful, to get us out of trouble, our emotions should adapt to the nature and intensity of the external threats. And for the most part that is exactly what they do. But if our internal engine reaches 4800 rotations per second when we just imagine ourselves venturing out to buy bread from the nearby store, we only increase the planet’s pollution level. And yes, when the external pressure increases and objective flags signal a greater danger, when CORONA was already granted temporary residence in our city despite the hate messages received, then we should definitely adapt our behavior to avoid crossing her path. As you could guess my only vote goes for the Adaptive Response Party, which has long advocated for the ecological version of the adjustment reactions. The Party also accommodates some strong personalities, but generally the working majority supports law packages appropriate to each situation. However, this global CORONA crisis is unprecedented. To cope with it the Party frantically searches for the best strategies, but in all honesty neither the President nor the other notorious members have any clue about how to do it. During this crisis the general advise for all of us (including the President) is to incorporate in our system a new normal (COVID-19 V2.0), a different normal from the one we were used to, a new normal that has its temporary reasons. And if the situation continues to change (which is probably the case) we will need to adjust again, so we are already advised to be updated and use the latest version of the new normal (COVID-19 V3.0) which can be downloaded from Google Play for all Android and iPhone devices. And this can go up to the highest new normal level Made in China (COVID-19 V13.13) that was hectically translated in Italian and currently has the largest number of downloaded versions. Anyway, those of interested to find out more about the adjustment reaction could access Peter’s Sadsman post from 2005.

The alarm signals

Don’t tell me because I already know: the anxiety and worry are automatic reactions. They came uninvited and decided to through a party in our yard without asking whether we are happy with their loud music or not. They simply entered and threw themselves on the couch in front of the TV without even washing their hands. But the worst thing is that, despite our repeated protests, they decided to stay. They eat at our table, decide which TV channels are on, talk ceaselessly and came up with requests: to check, to wash, to monitor our body for any (and they mean any!) new symptoms, to search for assurances that we are OK and then search again, to watch that all family members are fully observant of sanitary norms and to overreact for even minor violations. At night - when we reach the point of exhaustion – they insidiously get in our beds and by their constant movements steal our blanket covers and leave us in the cold all night. Although we hate how they parasite our existence we still listen to their whispers for we fear they might be right and we are really missing something. But we can’t, we really can’t bear their loud music any longer!

If the above scenario sounds familiar, you may be susceptible to clinical anxiety. But to find that out I am about to offer you a test that goes like this: I will walk around the golf course and occasionally raise a red flag. You say YES and take it (if it sounds like you), or you say NO and leave it there (if you never did that). Then you count the flags to see what the catch was. Fair enough?[2]

Flag 1) You think (always thought) that such a clear hygiene set of rules as the one suggested by authorities to prevent the spreading of COVID-19 should be the social norm for everyone even after this crisis ends;

Flag 2) The fear that you or someone in your family could be infected never leaves you;

Flag 3) You constantly check the news feed and closely watch the evolution of the virus in your country as a reassurance that you are going to be fine;

Flag 4) You carefully monitor your body and are always alert to any abnormal signs so that you could act immediately;

Flag 5) If someone from your family is not compliant with the behavioral recommendations suggested during this crisis you strongly feel this carelessness is dangerous and try hard to persuade the person to comply (what was he thinking???);

Flag 6) You disinfect your house with detergents (or even chlorine) every day to prevent things to get infected;

Flag 7) You creat(ed) in your mind the darkest scenarios with the negative consequences that CORONA could bring for you and your family;

Flag 8) You always feel tense and cannot sleep at night because of internal agitation;

Flag 9) You bought five (or more!) times as many provisions as usual and you made additional adjustments for depositing them in your home. 

Flag 10) You repeatedly consider calling 911 (or have already done so) when you feel unwell or find a worrying symptom (although doctors assured you that everything is OK)

Now that you walked through the golf course how many flags are in your hand? Don't have to say out loud, but if you know there are more than three, you should contact a mental-health practitioner. It’s highly probable that even before the CORONA crises you had some uninvited guests who hummed different worries along the secret corridors of your soul. As you also enjoyed some quiet times, you thought they were gone, forever! Although the house was clean, your address remained in their database and they came back with some friends from China. But you know what, the nasty uninvited guests can be fired, and if they continue to carelessly watch the movie and eat popcorn on your sofa you can cut their Internet connection and cable TV, stop feeding them, stop listening to their commands, and finally leave them in the dark. After a while, as they will hopelessly notice that you stubbornly decided not to answer their cries, they will look for another host, excusing themselves away from this awful quarantine!

Note: If you happen to be a journalist and think that every now and then I could contribute to the success of your publication, be bold and came up with a good offer. However, bear in mind that I only write about topics I deeply care, so let me drive the roller-coaster.

Email: bogdan.tulbure@e-uvt.ro

bogdan-tudor-tulbure.blogspot.com/

[1] Kashdan & Biswas-Diener (2015).The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self - Not Just Your "Good" Self - Drives Success and Fulfillment

[2] Disclaimer: This make-believe assessment doesn’t even get close to the authentic value of a rigorous clinical assessment conducted by a trained mental-health professional. Although it contains some clues regarding anxiety symptoms, the equivocal language used and the arbitrary criteria precludes any clinically relevant conclusions.