A different perspective
Dr Rijusmita Sarma
(The writer is a counselling Psychologist.
She can be reached at 7578014066-M)
The coronavirus pandemic is rapidly spreading across the world engulfing hundreds of countries to date. The psychological effects of the pandemic are likely to be more lasting and debilitating than the purely somatic effects of the infection, as they are also experienced hugely by people who are not physically infected by the virus. The psychological impact can be multi-fold and it is seen that along with the general public, the frontliners are experiencing immense mental health issues. They are going through additional stress as they are not only anxious about also dealing with the uncertainty, having higher demands in work settings, are stigmatized, having to self isolate themselves from families, preparing themselves and convincing family members to continue working and a lot more. This is collectively resulting in mental health issues in them like anxiety, depression, stress, fear or panic, insomnia, a state of confusion, anger and helplessness, to name a few.
Can there be a different and more functional way of dealing with this crisis?
The other day I happened to watch a video of Dr Dhiraj Kumar Pathak, coming out of Sonapur District Hospital, after serving in the isolation ward (for COVID- 19) for seven days and ready to head towards Taj Vivanta where he will be quarantined for fourteen days. The smile on his face and the fact that there was no sign of stress and burn out grabbed my attention and fuelled my curiosity. As RECBT suggests, that the way we think influences the way we feel and the way we behave. I wanted to know how differently did he think which helped him to remain functional and focused even when he was in the midst of the crisis. He was my senior in medical school and so I had the opportunity to collect his number and have a talk with him. I made it a point not to miss it and immediately gave him a call. I had a fruitful conversation with him and to be precise I asked him four questions. Sharing the questions and his responses to them -
He said that I accepted it as a part of my profession which I have chosen and now it is my responsibility to abide by it. I was indeed grateful that I was chosen to play a pivotal role as a healthcare provider in this period of crisis and was given the opportunity to experience this. And instead of analysing too many things at a time I only thought about how I could strategically move forward with it.
Before disclosing it to my family I first tried to have a clear view of the situation in my mind. Then I tried to have a conversation with them where I showed them certain facts eg. 85% of people recover with mild symptoms, people of the younger age group like me have lesser chances of getting infected (if we follow the protocols) and higher chances of recovery even if we are infected. I tried to address their queries and emotional concerns patiently.
I told myself that it is a bit stressful but I will try to focus on the things which I can do eg. wearing the PPE, washing hands frequently, taking care of myself, instead of analysing things which I cannot do anything about. I also focused on educating my patients about their illness and the ways to deal with it so that is easier for them as well as for us.
I have told myself that I am isolating myself for protecting myself and loved ones and it is worth it. I will definitely miss my family and my baby but since I cannot do anything about it now I have decided to read a few books which I have bought around two years ago but didn’t get time to read. I also plan to sleep well as my usual schedule doesn’t allow me to do that often.
In an attempt to analyse his responses I found that:
n He practised radical acceptance. He accepted reality as it is and instead of focusing too much on why it happened and how it is going to turn out in the coming days he focused on what can be done at the moment to move forward in a focused way.
n He also practised gratitude. Instead of ruminating on the negative aspects of the situation he looked into the positives eg, he viewed the situation as an opportunity to provide his service in the period of crisis.
n He refrained from sharing the news with his family impulsively but has done it in a strategical way. He helped them focus on facts rather than judging the situation by myths which in turn helped his family in accepting the situation in a better way.
n During his duty, he practised emotional acceptance. He didn’t demean himself for feeling a bit stressed. But he focused more on things which are under his control eg using protective equipment and measures, educating his patients rather than focus on things which are uncertain and beyond his limitations.
n He viewed self-isolation as a means of protecting himself and his family rather than viewing it as discrimination. He has focused on utilizing the period of self-isolation to enjoy activities which his otherwise hectic schedule doesn’t permit.
The way he thought about the situation indeed had a positive impact on the way he felt and behaved. And most importantly his thoughts helped him remain functional and productive. There are a number of determinants that can affect the way we think of and deal with such a crisis like personality traits and coping skills, emotional support, financial and basic needs support, knowledge and experience to name a few. Quoting Albert Ellis on uncertainty, “The emotionally mature individual should completely accept the fact that we live in a world of probability and chance, where there are not, nor probably ever will be, any absolute certainties, and should realize that is not at all horrible, indeed such a probabilistic, uncertain world.” Let’s try to be vigilant of our thoughts and work on them so that they become more congruent towards acceptance, adaptability and resilience. Being optimistic about probabilities can also be beneficial. Let us consider this period of distress as a period of learning and emerge out to be enriched, accepting and resilient human beings.
This article doesn’t intend to trivialize or invalidate the distress frontliners are going through. This is an attempt to share an experience which may assist you in moving forward in your journey.