To curb anxiety the Italian Society of Psychiatry (sip) has developed the rules ‘anti-panic’and launches an appeal to “not to overturn daily habits”. Stick to the official communications of health authorities; rely only on authoritative newspapers; do not treasure what you intercept online and on social media, especially if ‘shared by only virtual friends, who really do not know each other, and if not thoroughly verified; ask your doctor and do not ask questions about social groups, asking opinions; recognize that the frightening‘’s things that attract our attention are not necessarily the most risky; Contain fear and avoid making decisions until the panic has passed; if symptoms appear such as panic, anxiety or depression consult the specialist for a proper diagnosis.
Il Fatto Quotidiano
As it rises, inevitably, the number of infections from Cov2 sars also increases people’s anxiety and fear. The outbreak, due to the coronavirus, has two faces: one biological and one more mind-bound, cognitive. “Human beings– explains Enrico Zanalda, president of the Italian Society of Psychiatry (sip) and director of the Department of Mental Health of’ASL TO3 and – have a common fear: the fear of being overwhelmed by an epidemic. It is a fear so deep that it leads to uncontrolled actions, those of those who no longer know what to do and try them all to save themselves. This atavistic fear is amplified by the infodemia, the viral and very fast diffusion, which in the past did not exist, of partial and contradictory, if not even false, news that can cause a breakdown of confidence in relationships between people and institutions, and make more powerful the effect on the psyche of a phenomenon that has always existed”.
“In Italy, which is the European country with the highest number of cases – explains Professor Massimo Di giannantonio, elected president of the sip and ordinary of psychiatry at the University of Chieti-There are unjustified and excessive psychological reactions to the spread of the virus, together with the measures taken by the authorities to contain the infection. An anxiety-inducing mix that has altered our habits and the perception of individual health and well-being. We are therefore not only attacked by a severe flu virus but also by a cognitive epidemic that is likely to generate not only fright and confusion but also mass panic and anxiety by untori”. “Each of us...
... – continues Zanalda– wondered about the reasons for such drastic measures: the closure of church schools, museums, the suspension of cultural and sporting events. All of which make us somewhat more fragile in the face of an invisible threat. More than the disease itself what is feared is the fear of the contagion both from and to the people with whom we come in contact as family, colleagues, friends”.
To increase the fears, emphasizes the sip, there are cases in the world of suicides resulting from the difficulty to manage the psychological pressure caused especially by social media, where crazy videos on moments of collective panic such as attacks on supermarkets and deserted streets. A Chinese wuhan, infected with the coronavirus and not accepted to hospital for overcrowding, would have committed suicide to avoid returning home and to be able to infect their families. Another report comes from Saudi Arabia where, in Gedda, a Chinese undergoing strict isolation in hospital would have committed suicide despite being negative for the coronavirus test. Apparently, he couldn’t stand the extreme isolation he was subjected to. A 50-year-old Indian killed himself because he believed he was infected with the coronavirus, even though the tests were negative and he wasn’t in isolation because he was carrying a simple urinary infection. “These three reports –conclude the experts – contain three extreme reactions to different hazards, related to the alarm state determined by the infodemia. Especially in the suicidal behaviour of the most fragile people there are emulations and influences from external events that determine the fulfilment of a desperate individual act. However, beyond these extreme cases, infodemia increases the state of anxiety, hypochondriac thoughts, and affects delusional contents with consequent emotional behaviors”.
To curb anxiety the Italian Society of Psychiatry (sip) has developed the rules ‘anti-panic’and launches an appeal to “not to overturn daily habits”. Stick to the official communications of health authorities; rely only on authoritative newspapers; do not treasure what you intercept online and on social media, especially if ‘shared by only virtual friends, who really do not know each other, and if not thoroughly verified; ask your doctor and do not ask questions about social groups, asking opinions; recognize that the frightening‘’s things that attract our attention are not necessarily the most risky; Contain fear and avoid making decisions until the panic has passed; if symptoms appear such as panic, anxiety or depression consult the specialist for a proper diagnosis.
translation by https://www.reverso.net/
https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2020/02/27/coronavirus-gli-psichiatri-ce-una-epidemia-cognitiva-ingiustificate-ed-eccessive-reazioni-ecco-il-decalogo-contro-il-panico/5719267/
