Cabin fever can lead to rage and anxiety; talking is a de-stressor

inherently psychotic, but even then there would be indicators, such as heightened irritability or unpredictablebehaviour.itisalso astressfultimeforpeopleontreatment for mental health issues, so theneedtohaveprescriptionmedication cannot be stressed,” said Dr Nimesh Desai, director of the Institute of Human Behavioural and Allied Sciences, Delhi.

The hopelessness and helplessness from the threat of an unstoppable virus may heighten depression and anxiety disorders and cause irritability, insomnia and problems with memory and concentration in healthy people.

“This is the time when people on treatment may relapse, so despite the social disruption, people must seek treatment, and this is where telemedicine plays a huge role,” said Dr Rajesh Sagar, professor, department of psychiatry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

AIIMS began telemedicine services from Saturday, and the ministry of health on Sunday started a toll-free psycho-social-behavioural helpline (08046110007) offering counselling services.

NASA’S research on astronauts, who perform highly stressful jobs in extreme isolation, offer clues to mitigating the effects of isolation and confinement to help astronauts deal with loneliness, helplessness, and separation anxiety is being used to mitigate the stress of the army and navy personnel deployed in high-risk hostile environments, as well for older people with mobility issues who are living alone.

With empirical evidence indicating that the chances of adverse cognitive or behavioural conditions occurring increasing with the length of a mission, astronauts are mentally trained to survive long-duration high-stake missions where they have to interact with small teams in confined spaces. “The feelings of isolation and confinement in a cramped space can worsen over time, so you need to stress the importance of communicating with people you are with and people outside the home. Isolation is just about physical distancing, not social distancing, so you must stay in contact with your social network. Call friends for a chat, connect with people on email, or join group discussions on social media. Talking is a great but unfortunately underrated de-stressor,” said Dr Sagar.

Adopting to a routine you enjoy helps limit the stress and uncertainty over the new reality. “Things are at a standstill, there is uncertainty about what will happen, and we must prepare to adopt a new routine, which includes cutting down on the information overload on social media. Home isolation is a necessity that should be grasped as an opportunity to do the fun things you always wanted to do and the people you wanted to connect with but had no time for because of your busy school or work schedule,” said Dr Sagar.

“Exercise can also help reduce conflict during times of confinement by improving mood and reduce stress, so 30-40 minutes of physical activity in the form of spot jogging, going up and down the stairs, or walking around the house can stop you going stir crazy,” said Dr Samir Parikh, director, mental health and behavioural sciences, Fortis Healthcare. “Since feeling stressed and trapped also increases chances of conflict, we must also consider using conflictreduction strategies like taking time-outs to prevent arguments from escalating, and detox from news reports that add to anxiety,” said Dr Parikh.