Repeatedly washing your hands, avoid coming in contact with people who are sick, obsessively reading about undiagnosed medical conditions, etc is common for people who are diagnosed with any form of Anxiety Disorders. With the recent WHO declared Pandemic situation it is hard for people suffering from anxiety disorder to control their worries Therapists throughout the world are concerned about their patients who have progressed and are in remission, there is a worry for these people to relapse into their old habits.
For a person who is diagnosed with Obsessive- Compulsive disorder (OCD), the last thing you would want to say to them is ‘wash your hands as often as possible’. Someone with Health Anxiety may feel it is rational to stay updated and binge on new developments as much as possible.
A person diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) may feel it is alright to worry for themselves and the world as everyone is doing. The difference between the anxiety experienced by this population and the rest of the world lies in the force that drives the anxiety.
For someone who has OCD, it is not the demand of the hour to follow the guidelines to stop spreading the virus but a response to shut the thoughts that tell them they are in danger and must do it.
Do not let your OCD or health anxiety drive your behavior to stay safe, follow what is recommended by the WHO guidelines like wash your hands only for 20 seconds, wash before eating or coming in contact with people infected with this virus
You do not have to watch the news regularly and throughout the day. Incorporate something called ‘Update periods’ in your routine. In this set aside 5 minutes of news intake twice a day, allow yourself to watch only during these times. Also, make sure you follow only authentic websites to get your information
The guidelines set by WHO like avoiding crowds, the use of a sanitiser, checking your temperatures twice a day, avoiding contact with people opened a window into lives of someone living with anxiety disorder throughout their lives.
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