How people with OCD are reacting to Corona Virus worse than all of us
Fear is a reaction that is a part of the human biology to help engage our body efficiently in danger. So it is not unusual for you to respond with fear when you are hit by a global pandemic that does not have a known vaccine to it yet.
Corona virus- COVID 19 by far has been one of the scariest and fear provoking pandemic which has been devastating effects. A lot of people’s fears are also being fuelled by a lack of accurate information about the virus. Few protocols that have been mandated to protect virus from spreading are; to wash hands thoroughly, using hand sanitizers frequently, social distancing and continue to maintain hygiene. Keeping up with these guidelines and attempting to lead normal lives is having people worried and occasionally overwhelmed.
This feeling of being overwhelmed, with all precautions to avoid infection is known to be a common reaction for a patient with OCD, without having a threat of pandemic.
According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD is the Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both: Obsessions are defined by recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive, unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress. The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion). The obsessions or compulsions are time consuming (e.g., take more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
There is a difference in being cautious versus having OCD.Being cautious is having the level of awareness and to apply rationale to the activity or situation like - washing hands in moderation when necessary. Compared to people with OCD tend to frequently wash their hands even when there has been no contact to anything concerning.
With the prevailing global health crisis, numerous worries for those already affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder have increased. Some of such worries could be, a constant fear of getting infected resulting in incessant sanitizing, fear of infection and spreading amongst family members or even a fear of being careless which may lead to loss of human life. Health anxiety can even be triggered by minor or otherwise normal body sensations which then create the apprehension of being exposed to other illnesses as well.
Few measures to contain the anxiety in Individuals with OCD could be, following the guidelines recommended by local or national health advisory for minimizing chances of infection. Secondly create flexible routines by acknowledging, there might be a large part of the day that could be taken over by the obsessive thoughts and sanitizing rituals. It could even be someone talking about the virus that could trigger the obsessions and so would be safer to apprise yourself only with credible source of information only for a limited period of time each day.
Essentially learning to emotionally distance yourself when things begin to get overwhelming and being aware it is ok to hit the pause button, take a break when needed and reassuring yourself that things will get better
Finally, asking for help by talking to a professional is ok to manage the anxiety and help cope with the emotional and physical distress. While in quarantine, you could even opt to connect with the therapist over video or phone.
