Surge in Covid-19 cases fuels anxiety calls to therapists

The phones of mental health experts have been ringing non-stop once again amid the new wave of Covid-19, with people asking questions like, ‘What if I go out for groceries and get Covid’, ‘I am unable to sleep as I keep watching the news’, and ‘I feel I have lost all energy and can’t get up from the bed’.

The crisis has taken a toll on most of us, not just physically but also mentally. “In the last one month, the number of calls have gone through the roof,” says Dr Sanjay Chugh, a senior consultant psychiatrist. He adds, “The calls are related to the fear of getting Covid. There is a panic. Once people hear a rational voice, they calm down a bit. I tell them to avoid unhealthy lifestyle choices. These include pills, alcohol, fretting and fuming, not exercising, and sleeping late.”

Komal Chadha, a Ghaziabad-based psychological counsellor and therapist, says she’s experiencing a 30-40% increase in the number of distress calls. “I’ve added extra slots of counselling and free counselling sessions. I suggest a self-devised technique called FIFE (Full In Full Out) to those at home. This means breathing full belly in and full belly out at least 10 times a day.”

“In this new wave, a lot of young adults are getting impacted too,” says Praggatti Rao, a consultant psychologist. Rao adds, “People are concerned about things such as feeling demotivated and stressed more often.”

Another senior consultant psychologist, Roma Kumar, says, “The impact of the first wave of Covid-19 was still there in everyone’s mind, while this current medical emergency and lockdown hampered their mental and emotional health further.”