Covid-19 is a new disease that has spreads all over the
world, to stay, at least for a few months.
As it is well known, its origins date is back to last
December 2019, but the great connection of our current society has resulted in
it reaching our doors in a relatively short period of time.
That is why many people have developed the pathology,mental
stress being forced to face it.
Additionally, the population has been confined to their
homes for quarantine in order to carry out a preventive process that
significantly reduces the transmission rate.
How
to deal with the Covid-19?
With the isolation and the continuous news on the
Internet, it is very likely that the population diagnosed with Covid-19 and
those who do not contract it have irrational thoughts and mental stress.
What
is irrational thinking?
Is it an idea of a negative nature, negative
perception, which is not based on the reality that usually takes on dramatic
and exaggerated nuances?
Generally, it causes enormous discomfort in the person
who poses them.
Irrational thinking, although it may be normal and usual for
it to appear in stressful and unfamiliar situations, is not adaptive. That is
to say, it constitutes a way of thinking that will not help you at all when
facing the medical ailment or the stress of isolation that you must face and
overcome.
What
can I do if I already notice that I have irrational thoughts?
The first step to get rid of them is the correct
detection of the thoughts, and what will allow the correct detection is that it
is characterized by:
a) Being automatic:
They are usually generated voluntarily b) Being unfounded: they do never correspond
to reality c) Being stressful: They spark a negative emotional response
In case you detect a series of negative and annoying
thoughts that you want to remove, you should ask yourself if they ascribe to
the reality of the situation you are facing. Some examples of irrational
thoughts and feelings related to COVID-19 are the following:
1) "I am surely going to die" 2) "I am much
weaker than the others, and I will not overcome it" 3) "My case will surely
be more serious than the rest" 4) "I will need the ICU (Care Unit
Intensive) support "5)" I don't have health insurance "6)"
I'm going to go crazy from being home "
What are we going to learn today is how to deal with
irrational thoughts? To deal with these irrational thoughts the following
techniques should be applied:
STOP
TECHNIQUE: This technique involves you detecting your thoughts when
they become irrational and unusual. When you start to feel bad, you can
mentally exclaim "STOP, STOP, STOP", after cutting the line of
thought, try to combat the mismatched idea by replacing it with another of a
comforting and adaptive nature. Example: "STOP, I'm at home and I'm
fine"
RATIONALIZATION
TECHNIQUE This technique is another effective way of confronting
irrational thoughts; This one tries to rationalize by means of the analytical
thought, that is to say; taking the idea and analyzing which part is true and
which is not. Example: "I am healthy, I can be strong enough to recover
from the virus" In addition to irrational thoughts, you may also
experience overrated ideas.
But
... What are overvalued ideas?
These includes socially acceptable beliefs (content) but
they are anomalous in a person as their dominance (form) and intensity with
which they are maintained (convictions). In case you detect them (or one of the
people in your immediate environment does), remember that they are not adaptive
either, it is recommended that they implement the above techniques and if you
consider that your anxiety persists, it is important that you consult a
professional.