Looking For Answers During Covid-19
- Anxiety can be created by unanswered questions
- Searching for news content about coronavirus can increase anxiety
- Finding answers for questions can be self-soothing,
- Connect with medical professionals to find factual information about health topics
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, people are searching endlessly for answers, but Dr. Strongin has some tips on how and where to seek answers. She says that people should be selective with where the information is coming from, so sticking to reliable sources is key. Additionally, it’s important to understand the questions you have, and decide whether certain news’ sources will actually have answers, or perhaps create more anxiety. Dr. Strongin recommends people turn to medical professionals for accurate answers to specific questions related to coronavirus.
Read More “Similarly to a cancer diagnosis, people go on the internet looking for an answer and not looking for their doctors to answer it, and what they come out with are more questions,” Dr. Strongin says. “More questions equal more anxiety. So, let’s all figure out what the question is, and if we can’t answer it ourselves, and we can’t self-soothe ourselves, let’s look for a doctor that can provide us with the facts.”
Coping With Anxiety During Covid-19
Questions and uncertainty are two of the main causes of anxiety. Dr. Strongin tells us in another part of this series that checking in with your body regularly is a way to cope in stressful circumstances. By doing this, you can potentially detect where the anxiety is manifesting and what questions it’s causing you to ask. From there, Dr. Strongin suggests answering those questions with positivity. "The answers are our coping skills," Dr. Strongin says. "Some people are really good at always giving themselves answers…other people don't have the coping skills to answer their anxiety and as a result the anxiety increases. In the mix of Covid-19 we are all facing the same questions. Some are facing them much more than others and some are better at answering those questions than others. What's really important is to pay attention to is what those questions are, what the frequency of those questions are, and how you're answering them."Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.