If you're struggling more than usual with your anxiety right now, you're not alone. Even if you haven't been personally affected by the virus or had a family member affected, you are feeling the impact of it.
You may feel like you're constantly on edge, holding tension in your body, getting irritable, or having trouble sleeping.
You may be snapping at your loved ones while quarantined at home. You may be stress eating, or have lost your appetite.
You’re looking for ways to feel productive, but none of it seems to be enough.
You’re struggling to stay motivated, distracting yourself and losing interest in things. Or you’re obsessed with consuming virus-related media, news, and articles. It feels like you spend a lot of your time feeling anxious, or waiting for the next wave of anxiety to take over.
So many people are worried about getting infected, and becoming seriously ill. Some people have no symptoms, while others are hit hard. You may fear that the virus can be transmitted via surfaces, clothing, your groceries, or the air.
There seem to be no definitive answers to your questions, and no way of staying completely safe.
And if you or a loved one becomes ill, what will that look like What are the symptoms of coronavirus? How long before it escalates to an emergency? Will you need a hospital? Will there be room if you do?
Even if you and your loved ones are safe, you might be sheltering at home together 24/7, and that brings a lot of added stress that is outside the norm.
Was your partner always this annoying? Is this how your kids behave at school? When did you become so grumpy yourself?
You might find yourself arguing more, feeling like you're not being heard or your concerns aren't being taken seriously.
It’s not just one area that you have to adjust to. It’s not just keeping you and your family physically healthy that you have to worry about. It’s your financial future, your job, your relationships, your finely crafted (ok, it’s getting there) self-care routine. It’s the threat of desperate people resorting to some wild shit. Our neighbors are nice, but what would it take for them to be selfish? Now I have to worry about all that too?
Your response to the pandemic is normal.
Your routines have been turned upside down, and no one seems to have helpful information. Think about how you usually respond to change. Do you resist it? Lean into it? Insist on keeping things the way they were as long as possible? Or abandon anything familiar and wing it? This response is that, times 100.
It’s no wonder that your anxiety is getting worse.
If you’re having trouble with your anxiety, now is the time to try online therapy. When we emerge from this, you will be glad that you had a therapist to coach you through the difficult months and prepare you for putting your routine back together.
Helping individuals, couples, teens and families deal with anxiety via online therapy is a way that we can help you cope. Prospect Therapy is an LGBTQ+ affirming therapy practice and we welcome clients of all genders and sexualities.
Contact us by calling (562) 704-4736 or clicking below if you would like to chat with one of our therapists to see if working together makes sense.