Where do I stand on coronavirus?

Keys to understand, understand yourself and move forward respectfully in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

The health, economic and social crisis caused by the coronavirus has irreparably affected, although not equally, the world's population. And it has left a rather dense mental health footprint.

Currently, it is estimated that diagnoses of mood disorders have increased by 25% in the child and adolescent population.

We will now take a look at the most influential we will see what have been the most influential factors that the pandemic has had on the mental health of the population of Spain, possible of the population of Spain, possible affectations and healthy and respectful forms of management.

Most influential factors of the pandemic on mental health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a pandemic as the worldwide spread of a disease and stresses the fact that there is no prior immunity to the new pathogen. In the case of the coronavirus, the first contagion was reported on December 31, 2019 in Wuhan, and the first measures for its containment in Spain were taken on March 9, 2020 with the suspension of on-site educational activities in the Community of Madrid. The lack of knowledge of the transmission mechanisms, the lack of previous exposure and the lack of resources to deal with it led to the adoption of such radical and unusual measures as the previous one.

There are a multitude of factors that may have influenced the management that each person has been able to make of the situation, each one of us is different. However, The studies carried out to date indicate that those that have had the greatest impact on the Spanish population have been as follows.

Use of alarmist messages

There are words that, through learning, we have associated with danger.. That is why, when we have them present, our brain activates mechanisms of response to the threat that increase the level of stress so that we can cope with it (increased heart rate, redistribution of Blood to the extremities, decreased skin moisture ... etc.).

This means that all our energies will be distributed in such a way as to activate and maximize all those abilities that favor survival in a physical and primitive way, while other functions will be relegated to the background. Although these threat response mechanisms have little place in today's world, they are still present in our bodies (I'm sure you can identify more than one time when they have come into play in your life).

It is a a situation of stress sustained over time that can lead to mental and physical health problems that should be that should be supervised by a professional.

2. Loss of daily routine

Daily routines give us structure and certainty.. They allow us to know what is going to happen in our life, to organize ourselves and to anticipate what may happen. The need for confinement prevented the normal life of the vast majority of the Spanish population since, until now, teleworking was an underrepresented percentage within the work dynamics. For its part, formal education did not have the necessary means to continue its activity normally.

This new situation meant that minors had to remain at home, with the consequent supervision of adults. Some of them essential workers, others self-employed, teleworkers or people who simply had to resign or suddenly lost their jobs.

3. Information management

The adequacy of the content to the minors, the sensation of lack of precise information, the erratic measures and the well-known infodemia (information pandemic) a phenomenon consisting of an excess of information, not always contrasted or adequate to the population that receives ithave been a challenge during the crisis.

4. Use of the mask

Although the responses to the imposition of its use have been very diverse throughout the world, ranging from the feeling of security and responsibility to the feeling of oppression. In Spain, most of the people surveyed reported feeling social distance, as well as difficulties in communication..

It has also been an added difficulty for those who require lip-reading to complete communicative information and an obstacle to language acquisition in young children.

5. Confinement and isolation

While these are the most effective methods of containing infectious diseases and have historically been the most widely used, they are unusual because of the low threat they pose today. The difference between the two, confinement and isolation, lies in whether or not the diagnosis is confirmed in the person or persons identified.. While confinement is the measure prior to confirmation, isolation is the one applied once the disease has been diagnosed.

The restrictions to be able to leave the home have led to a greater amount of time shared with the rest of the cohabitants or to greater isolation for people living alone. In both cases, the difficulties have not been few: people who lived with companions or relatives have been forced to share more time, and this time is not always of high quality due to the difficulties of regulation.

There has been an intensification of violent behavior in the intimate sphere (both within the family and in the home). (both within the family and in couples), mental health relapses have been triggered, and new disorders have emerged as a result of this stressful situation. This has been compounded by the consequences of the lack of health care for the chronically ill, who have seen their mental health diminished.

6. Perception of an uncertain future

This is a rare event, which we have not previously experienced in this adult generation and those close to us, and therefore we do not have direct experience of recovery or the consequences of the event..

7. Social isolation

It has been promoted by containment measures and maintained by the lack of resources to stay connected. This isolation has meant large differences according to age or socio-economic level.The lack of socialization has slowed down the socialization processes of the younger ones; it has distanced the older ones due to the lack of technological knowledge and it has opened a socioeconomic gap in which those with less purchasing power have seen their possibility of continuing with education or social relations conditioned.

Common affectations

As mentioned at several points in the article (it is important not to lose sight of this), individual circumstances, as well as emotional resources and supports make the experience different for each person. However, scientific evidence reveals the following symptoms as the most common among the Spanish population.

1. Headaches and tension pains

The most commonly reported by neurologists in the general population.They have to do with the physical expression of an emotional tension.

2. Insomnia

Intimately linked to the lack of routine. In adolescents, moreover, it may have been intensified by an intrinsic characteristic of this stage of development: delayed sleep.

Adolescents, as in all stages of life, have their own sleep cycle. In their case, they are more easily awake at night and sleepy in the morning.

The lack of a school routine has favored the natural tendency of adolescents to stay up late, so waking up has also been delayed and with it the altered rhythms. The lack of sleep, on the other hand, usually causes irascibility and favors emotional instability.

3. Bruxism

It can be diurnal or nocturnal. It consists of clenching or grinding the teethand is usually related to periods of stress.

4. Emotional lability

It consists of having an irregular, unstable mood. The pressures of an unusual life or sharing space with other people living together for a longer period of time, as well as the feeling of loneliness, can favor emotional changes and difficulty in regulating oneself. can favor the emotional changes and the difficulty to regulate oneself..

5. Physical exhaustion

Derived from sleep disturbances, emotional exhaustion or the impossibility of carrying out the usual exercise routines.

6. Mood disorders

It supposes to reach a step more in the discomfort. Symptoms of anguish or deep sadness appear that are maintained for more than fifteen days, sleep or mood disturbances.sleep or appetite disturbances, memory problems, slowing or agitation of thought.

Keys to understanding you, understanding you and moving forward respectfully

Whatever symptoms may have appeared, they are evidence that something is not working as well as it should. Consulting with a professional can provide the necessary tools to initiate changes that lead to wellness.

On the other hand, individual experiences are completely different from one another. Nevertheless, here are a few tips to help you get back to normalcy.

1. Validate your experience and that of others.

If you are in front of another person, try to put yourself in his or her position. It is very likely that their difficulties are different from yours, but just as valid, painful and important..

If you are the one who is suffering from a difficulty, give it the importance it deserves, trying to minimize it will not make it go away.

2. Ask for help from people you trust and specialists

Humans are social beings and, as such, we need other people to live and develop, we need other people to live and develop. Psychologists, pedagogues, teachers, family and friends can be great allies.

3. Keep up to date with reliable sources

There is now fairly accurate information available on the spread of the virus and the effectiveness of protective measures. Having accurate information provides a sense of security and control of the situation.. Remember to adjust the content when you are the one transmitting it.

Some of the ones you can consult are: World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health, United Childen's Fund (UNICEF) or the Spanish Journal of Public Health (RESP).

4. Approach your goals in a safe and respectful way.

Set your final goal and intermediate steps to get there, this way it will be easier to see the small daily achievements. small daily achievements. Remember to choose realistic goals and respect the timing of the process.

5. Look for motivating spaces, companies and activities

Motivation is the impulse that drives us to action. The more pleasant stimuli we have around us in difficult situations, the easier it will be for us to cope with them.

6. Flexibility in measures within safe limits

Flexibility in any situation is one of the most valuable and useful resources we can exercise.. It allows us to give each event the importance it deserves and to deploy the necessary means to develop in a comfortable and adjusted way, without overstressing or burdening ourselves.

Keeping yourself informed to be able to make appropriate decisions can free up important mental space and emotional charge over this circumstance and leave them free to enjoy much more pleasant situations.

7. Normalize the need for (self-)care in any situation and individual differences.

The novelty and intensity with which we have experienced the pandemic has meant that (self-)care has been focused on protecting ourselves from the virus. Care is much more.