The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing hundreds of millions of people here in the U.S. and around the world to modify their behavior from shelter-in-place orders to lockdowns elsewhere. And that, mental health experts say, is causing stress reactions.
"All of the grocery stores that have been stripped of food--chicken and beef and all the cleaning supplies and masks--all these things just shows the degree of fear and overpreparation perhaps that might be going on."
Dr. Linda Logan is a Public Service Associate in UGA’s College of Pharmacy. She says those reactions are normal and to be expected.
"This is not a negative thing necessarily. We need to acknowledge that we feel this way and we shouldn't be upset with ourselves or each other."
There are things you can do to help yourself.
"When you feel that thoughts are creeping in and you're starting to feel out-of-control, it's a good time to practice mindfulness. That's really nothing more than stopping and saying 'Okay, what do I see? What do I feel? What do I smell?' and get your thoughts off of whatever it was that was causing you to spiral from stress, fear, or feeling out-of-control."
Logan says many counselors, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are still operating online.
