Two Paths – A Short and a Long Therapeutic Story

When, at the end of 2019, the world was faced with a previously unknown new disease - COVID-19, no one could have predicted what it meant and what impact the pandemic would have on our lives, health and mental well-being. The subsequent restrictions announced, as well as the need for social isolation to limit and slow down the spread of the virus, have an impact on our functioning to this day, and it is still unknown how long they will remain in our everyday lives.

The constant availability of information about threats, new cases and the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 can be a very stressful experience. Even without a direct threat to health and life, the stress associated with experiencing a pandemic results in an increased occurrence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Because we have all been affected by this pandemic.

The state of increased anxiety is primarily caused by prolonged exposure and the inability to break away from the constant experience of anxiety related to the epidemic, but also the uncertain economic situation. The feeling of helplessness and inability to escape also plays an important role, because in every country there are restrictions and sanitary regimes to a greater or lesser extent. Social isolation, confinement at home, and remote work are also difficult to bear, and they affect not only our well-being, but also our relationships with our loved ones.

A Polish study conducted in May 2020 on a sample of 1,179 adults aged 18-64, where the results were compared with an earlier study conducted in 2019 on the symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety, showed that people in the 18-24 age group manifest the highest levels of depression symptoms and generalized anxiety during the epidemic, while people in the age groups 55-64 and above are characterized by the lowest severity of symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. In young people, the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms is not associated with a sense of threat, but is positively correlated with restrictions on freedom, boredom or difficult family relationships. In seniors, the severity of symptoms of anxiety and depression is less related to changes in lifestyle, but rather to a greater sense of threat from the virus and increased concerns about the availability of medical help in the event of other problems unrelated to COVID-19.

According to Hans Sely's theory, in the event of a prolonged stressful situation, even if its strength is not too great, our body's remedial resources will drastically decrease, which will consequently lead to somatic and/or mental symptoms. These symptoms include: irritability, insomnia, anxiety, depressed mood, panic disorder, anxiety with somatization, anhedonia (i.e. lack or loss of the ability to feel pleasure), a sense of hopelessness, frustration, loneliness.

The WHO warns that a significant part of society, this could include as many as half of us, will feel the negative effects of the problems they experience and difficulties in regaining mental balance, even when most restrictions are lifted. Such effects may include, for example, anxiety disorders in the form of phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders or generalized anxiety disorder.

That is why it is so important to take care of yourself, your resources and your mental well-being during the increased stress during the pandemic. Finding your key to restoring mental balance, taking your thoughts and attention away from the news about the pandemic or focusing on experiencing the current moment as best as possible. Anyone who is struggling with prolonged difficulties should seek help from a mental health professional, such as a psychologist.