Watching too much news on covid-19 can take a toll on your mental health

If you have OCD then staying glued to a news channel watching coronavirus aka covid-19 stoties is not good for your mental health.

Just take preventive measures and everything will be fine. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

IANS Updated: 10 May 2021, 23:03 pm IST

Are you also tracking each and every news on covid-19 then you might be toying around your mental health.

A lot of people have been reporting that they feel anxious and stressed. And psychologists are saying that consuming too much news on coronavirus is creating a sense of panic among the people and that’s why anxiety is hitting them.

At a time when over 1.3 billion Indians have been asked to stay indoors, people who are claustrophobic or suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are finding it difficult to obey the ‘Lakshmana Rekha’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn in front of all homes.

Coronavirus — Don’t panic due to coronavirus. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Give covid-19 news a break for a while
According to health experts, such people should first unplug themselves from the news around new coronavirus (COVID-19) and divert their minds towards constructive thoughts and engage in indoor games.

“People with OCD and those who are claustrophobic need to try and avoid reading or seeing too much negative news. Instead, they can opt for completing the work pending for some time which is a constructive channelization of the energy,” said Dr Sameer Malhotra, Director, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.

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Dr Malhotra added:

If under treatment, do not stop the medications at this juncture, and if the symptoms are significant, psychiatric intervention may also be required.

Indians are currently living with a 21-day nationwide lockdown, which started from Tuesday midnight.

People with OCD are having a tough time as well
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), OCD is the sixth most disabling psychiatric disorder in the world.

Dr Samir Parikh, Psychiatrist and the Director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare said that in the face of a pandemic, if you have claustrophobia, OCD or any other form of phobia or anxiety, it is important to ensure that you continue to follow your treatment regimen.

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“Stay connected to your doctors, take your medications regularly and also ensure that you continue to take regular therapy sessions through teleconsultations,’ Parikh emphasized.

Family too would play a very pertinent role in providing support and understanding of the challenge being faced by the individual.

“Concurrently, it is important to ensure that one engages in maintaining a work-life balance, take care of certain lifestyle-related elements such as the sleep-wake cycle and also engage in activities of interest during this period,” Parikh noted.

Malhotra said that it is time to rationalize negative thoughts into positive and meaningful thoughts.

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“Discuss general topics, try and engage in healthy conversations at home. It is also the best time to bond with family members,” he added.

Unfortunately, there is very little good news and information around covid-19 as of now and we will advise you to indulge in some other activities like cooking, painting, decluttering, etc to keep yourself busy. This will also keep your mental health in check.