As state reopens, how much virus anxiety is too much?

It’s unclear what makes Jonathan Olsson more unsettled — the respiratory illness COVID-19, or his fellow citizens who he believes have taken the pandemic lightly.

Olsson, 40, of Greenwich, said he’s felt anxious as the state started reopening restaurants and other businesses, because he knows there are people who are reluctant to wear masks and do not think social distancing is necessary.

“There’s a camp that believes the virus is real and thinks it should be taken seriously,” Olsson said. “And there’s the other camp thinking, to wear masks only when they want to. I am anxious to take part in things reopening if (other people aren’t taking proper precautions).”

He isn’t the only one eyeing the state’s gradual reopening with mounting tension. May Briggs, of the Riverside section of Greenwich, said she used to eat out nearly every day, but isn’t sure when she’ll be comfortable setting foot in a restaurant again.

“We’re not eating out at all,” she said. “We’re not even getting delivery.”

Briggs shares Olsson’s concerns about other people’s unwillingness to follow the rules meant to protect them and others during the pandemic.

“It amazes me how many people aren’t wearing masks and are practically on top of each other,” she said.

The anxiety felt by Olsson and Briggs is normal, perhaps even encouraging, said Dr. Charles Herrick, chairman of psychiatry for Nuvance Health, which includes Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk hospitals, among others.

“I think people need to follow their intuitions,” Herrick said. “Anxiety is built into us for a purpose, and that’s to (make us) act cautiously.”

Anxiety is a protective instinct, he said, and it is designed to keep us from putting ourselves in danger. But there’s such a thing as too much anxiety, Herrick said, and people should know what is “healthy” anxiety and what isn’t.

He said any time anxiety manifests in physical ailments — heart palpitations, gastrointestinal distress, or even outright panic attacks — it’s clearly time to seek help. Another danger sign is if someone is focusing on their fears so much that there is no room for anything else.

“Any level of anxiety that limits you and prevents you from meeting daily obligations and responsibilities is a sign that you need help,” Herrick said.

However, there’s such a thing as feeling too little anxiety and it can be nearly as dangerous, he said.

“If someone feels too little anxiety, they’re going to make risky choices, and that’s a concern as well,” Herrick

said.

He said people need to educate themselves on what’s going on in their region, and how much risk they actually face as their community reopens. That can help people calibrate their anxiety, and determine whether what they’re feeling is reasonable or excessive.

“If you happen to be in an environment that’s hard hit and you are anxious about that, that’s reasonable,” Herrick said. “If you are anxious in an environment that’s relatively safe, then you may need help.”

Meanwhile, Olsson and Briggs said they don’t believe their anxiety is irrational. Briggs said she’s known people who have died with COVID-19, and she knows people in the medical field, so she’s aware that the illness needs to be taken seriously.

“I think there’s too much of a rush to reopen everything without enough precautions in place,” she said.

Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Jonathan Olsson who is anxious about going to the reopened Acme Market visits the store with his children Noah and Riley, both 11, on June 5 in Greenwich.