Pandemic Panic
Disclaimer: this article is not addressing grief in terms of the loss of a loved one. If you have experienced to loss of a loved one and need support, please get in touch.
The corona-coaster can be brutal. It is up and down. Down and up. Upside down. Inside out. We feel all over the place sometimes.
We can be caught off guard in a moment, finding out someone we know, or a contact of ours, has been tested positive and all that that means. Has this happened to you yet? If not, it is something we will all face and it is something that will become a part of every day life for us in the coming weeks.
Over the course of the last 100 days in lockdown, most of us have gone from hearing about covid positive cases on the news, to hearing about them from a friend of a friend, to hearing about them on our community groups, to hearing about friends or loved ones with the virus…or to being diagnosed as cover positive ourselves. This quick progression can be scary and the closer it gets to us, the more likely we are to experience a degree of panic.
Many people find the concept of the 5 stages of grief to be helpful in processing what we are going through in the pandemic. It is more of a cycle, really, because we can move between stages and cycle back to earlier stages at any times. However, I wanted to lay them out for us to have an idea of what they are.
First, it is denial.
This is the stage where we avoid the fact that the virus is growing in impact and we are shocked every time we hear of a case closer to home. We are confused about what is going on and it is an unsettling time. We battle to take it seriously, because it isn’t real to us yet.
Next we might experience anger.
This is frustration and irritation at what is going on. Angry with the government. Angry with the person who might have put you at risk. Angry with work place and with the people in the street who aren’t wearing masks. This anger might also show itself as panic, fear or anxiety.
The next stage is called bargaining.
This is where we search for meaning amidst crisis and try to reach out to others. It is when we have to take some form of action. For many of us, this has resulted in new business ideas.
Next might come a form of depression.
This is a time of being overwhelmed, hopeless and resistant to anything positive. It is a time of being down and very unhappy. It can come in a wave, especially after being socially distanced for a long time and the dread of having to continue in this fashion for a while to come. It is when the exhaustion kicks in.
Finally, we begin to find strength to accept.
This is when we find freedom to explore our pain and to move forward into a “new normal.” It is when we accept that we have big emotions and that that is healthy. It is a time when we feel what we are feeling, but can stand up to tread water for another day.
Whatever lockdown and this time of social distancing has been for you, I have no doubt it has brought challenges. In many ways, we have grieved the loss of many aspects in our lives. Some of it may be understood in the stages above, but this is only one model and it does not account for all the aspects of grief. In fact, your experience may be more accurately represented in the image below.
Source: https://pro.psychcentral.com/kickstart/2016/01/how-to-do-grief-with-your-clients/
The truth of the matter is that for the most part, we will overcome. We will see a new day dawn and we will be stronger and more resilient for all we have bene through. But, there will also be many of us who will suffer incredible loss through this time. If you have already, I am so sorry for your loss and the heartache you must be feeling.
What can we do?
Here are three simple steps we can implement.
Spend time reflecting on how you are feeling
Stay connected
Engage actively with self care
If you are experiencing this and need support, please reach out. If I can’t help you, I will connect you with someone in your area.