Gelisim News

Emphasizing that the pandemic has increased many obsessions including foul and contamination, Psychiatrist Dr. Emre Tan from Istanbul Gelisim University said: “People have to face the concerns of getting the disease, discomfort and death more often. There are many people who are worried that they will get sick and infect their family.”

Saying that obsession refers the thoughts and dreams that come to mind repeatedly and obsessively, Tan spoke: “Even if one does not want, s/he cannot stop herself/himself from thinking these ideas. S/he knows that these ideas are actually unreasonable, unrealistic and exaggerated, but s/he feels the negative emotions s/he generate intensely. For example, someone with a control obsession knows that s/he has turned the stove off, but thinks “if I didn't turn it off” then s/he looks back. A person's behavior to relieve her/his obsessions and reduce anxiety is called compulsion. These behaviors partially and temporarily relax the person. For example, the person who thinks that his hand is dirty goes to wash his hands. But these behaviors provided temporary relief, and after a while the former thought will come back to mind again. Thus, the person goes into a vicious circle and is trapped in repetitive behavior.”

Tan stated that there are, in general, approximately 1-3% people with obsessive compulsive disorder and continued: “During this period, an increase in the complaints of existing patients can be observed. There may also be an increase in the number of new patients.”

Also informing about the subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder disease, Dr. Tan explained: “They may exhibit approaches such as thinking themselves as dirty and doing various cleaning, making confirmation and control attempts regarding the issues of doubt, or turning the stove off, checking their bags, and re-reading the text they wrote. They may collect items beyond their needs and not throwing them later. They may attempt to keep things in order, in a certain way. They can repeat some behaviors to prevent bad events that come to their minds. They can establish thoughts that are against anxious thoughts.”

Stating that coronavirus pandemic can increase almost all obsession subtypes, Tan said: “Foul and virus contamination is the obsession we encounter in the first place. The obsession with getting news about the disease turns into being trapped on the TV screen or constantly following such news from the internet. The control obsession causes excessive control to protect themselves and their environment from disease. In this process, stocking food or cleaning products becomes hoarding obsession. Taking the shoes out of the house, hand washing, washing clothes after separating them in an isolated room become an order or repetitive obsession. There may also be obsessions that are not accompanied by behavior, but only in thought. Carrying the subject of pandemic into the conversations to their daily lives, i.e. the center of everything can be examples of their obsessions.”
 
Noting that this anxiety and obsession can be seen in almost everyone, Tan said: “Those with OCD are the first to be affected, as they already tend to obsession. The presence of someone who has this disease in or around their relatives increases the likelihood of being obsessed with being in the risky groups determined for coronavirus. People with low tolerance to anxiety and stress, an obligation to work in crowded environments, anxious and obsessive situations, and those who think that their environment is not as careful as themselves may experience more frequently. Other risk factors include thinking that they cannot control the environment, uncertainty of the future, and frequent intense information about the outbreak.”

Indicating that individuals should firstly accept that the situation is not usual, Psychiatrist Emre Tan said: “Human lives according to their experience and knowledge. This is a process that is not fully known and predictable even for scientists. A person who does not know what to do in such situations naturally experiences arousal, anxiety and uneasiness. And this is quite normal. We even need a certain amount of anxiety to survive. Therefore, let's not escape from our anxious state, which can be at a certain level, let's accept it. Let us apply the recommended protection methods. Let's also deal with issues non even about disease. Although we reduce it, let's keep our communication still. Let's communicate through telephone or internet. Although the pandemic has become the center of our lives, let's try to keep other agendas and issues in our lives, as well. Let our minds deal with other issues too. Let's limit ourselves on Whatsapp group chats, and from talking about the news and disease. Let's try to maintain a positive way of thinking as much as possible.”

Emphasizing that the mental destructiveness of the pandemic should be taken into consideration as well as its physical destructiveness, Tan said: “Anxious and obsessive behavior exhaust people and creates fatigue. The probability of our emotional energy ending in the coming period, combined with pessimism and helplessness, also pose a risk for depression. In the meantime, drug use problems and suicidal behavior may increase in such processes. Psychiatric help should be obtained in cases of advanced obsessions.”