Things you've definitely noticed: News stations running COVID-19 death counts. News sites publishing stories of people dying alone in hospital rooms. Social posts showing refrigerated morgue trucks. And in all likelihood, you've suffered loss that hits much closer to home. With the virus's mortality toll far surpassing the six-figure mark, it's now basically impossible to distance yourself from death.
When something feels both scary and unmanageable, we tend to spiral, fixating on the issue in an attempt to find a solution, says Emily Hu, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles. "Our brains are hardwired to keep trying to problem-solve unsolvable problems," she explains. This is why so many of us are now stuck anxiously ruminating about death and survival, consumed by the idea of possible contagion around every corner or of having to say goodbye to our parents forever via FaceTime. That cycle can lead to all-out panic, says Hu, which makes focusing or even getting out of bed very, very hard.
Some people deal by going full control freak (see: towers of hoarded toilet paper). Others might turn to weed, wine, or prescription drugs to try to get a break from impending death stress, says Nzinga Harrison, MD, chief medical officer at Eleanor Health, which runs outpatient addiction treatment facilities. Just as there are a zillion kinds of people, there are a zillion ways humans now cope with facing The End.
These are experts' best tips for pushing through—and maybe even coming out stronger on the other side.
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