anxiety & covid-19
In the midst of the present set of circumstances – the widespread concerns tending toward panic related to covid-19 – I wanted to put this out there. I have been feeling more anxiety than usual and I know that others may be experiencing this too. It is not necessarily a fear of getting the disease. I am very healthy physically and am taking all the recommended precautions about hygiene and avoiding crowds, etc.
But I have picked up on the contagious anxiety that seems to permeate the atmosphere, probably exacerbated by obsessive media coverage and rampant speculation and political blaming and wrangling. When I try to pin down a reason, the best I can come up with is the vastly magnified uncertainty about the future.
While talking with a survivor friend yesterday, he mentioned that many of us survivors have high levels of empathic sensitivity. That may play into it too. Whatever the cause, the symptoms are the same as I remember from the period while I was enduring abuse: a general feeling of butterflies in the stomach, jiitteriness, increased hypervigilance, being on pins and needles - - - I am sure many can relate.
There is something called “Free Floating Anxiety” that I think may apply. Here is a link that explains more if you are not familiar with it:
Free Floating Anxiety DISCLAIMER: There is a commercial component to this site that I am NOT endorsing - but the info is good.
Anyway, I wanted to put this out there in case there are others who are feeling the same. Our history makes this situation harder for us to deal with, as the article states. And talking about it seems to help. Anyone else feeling this?
Lee
But I have picked up on the contagious anxiety that seems to permeate the atmosphere, probably exacerbated by obsessive media coverage and rampant speculation and political blaming and wrangling. When I try to pin down a reason, the best I can come up with is the vastly magnified uncertainty about the future.
While talking with a survivor friend yesterday, he mentioned that many of us survivors have high levels of empathic sensitivity. That may play into it too. Whatever the cause, the symptoms are the same as I remember from the period while I was enduring abuse: a general feeling of butterflies in the stomach, jiitteriness, increased hypervigilance, being on pins and needles - - - I am sure many can relate.
There is something called “Free Floating Anxiety” that I think may apply. Here is a link that explains more if you are not familiar with it:
Free Floating Anxiety DISCLAIMER: There is a commercial component to this site that I am NOT endorsing - but the info is good.
Anyway, I wanted to put this out there in case there are others who are feeling the same. Our history makes this situation harder for us to deal with, as the article states. And talking about it seems to help. Anyone else feeling this?
Lee
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