Easter Opening Hours

We'll be closed for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, from Friday, March 29th to Monday, April 1st, returning to our usual working hours on April 2nd. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

0203 326 9160

Anxiety during lockdown: coping with stress, fear, and worry during the pandemic

Posted on Wednesday, 10 February 2021, in Anxiety & Stress

 Anxiety during lockdown

 

Everyone is dealing with the pandemic in their own way. Some people are experiencing intense feelings of anxiety for the very first time. While many others who have been experiencing anxiety for a long time are now facing more extreme and constant feelings of anxiety that might be impacting their daily life. 

Whether you're concerned about yourself or a loved one, fears about the pandemic can take an emotional toll.

We asked Dr Jennifer Opoku, a Chartered Counselling Psychologist specialising in anxiety, about her experiences treating people with anxiety during the pandemic.

   

How are people presenting with anxiety during lockdown

 

In terms of people struggling with anxiety, what are you seeing in the patients you see at the moment? 

For many people, the pandemic triggers feelings of uncertainty, a lack of control and, to an extent, a lack of information. These psychological factors add to the feeling of stress and anxiety. 

The lockdown is also triggering memories and issues that many people might not have properly dealt with, such as negative feelings of uncertainty. Yes, lockdown is a huge contributing factor. However, it's more about what it's doing for their memories that haven't been properly processed. We see this often, not just with memories of uncertainty, but also memories of feeling trapped and not knowing where their future is heading.

 

How is anxiety in lockdown different

 

How does this compare to pre-lockdown?  

Usually, many people cope and understand themselves by looking at other people for a frame of reference. Those things are much more distant now and that can cause increased feelings of uncertainty. Add to that a lack of interaction. We have social platforms to communicate, but there's only so much that it can do in terms of keeping people connected - it's no replacement for in-person interaction. For those who rely on being in close contact with friends or family for support having this withdrawal can be especially challenging.

 

How do you need to adapt treatment for anxiety during lockdown

 

If someone comes to you experiencing these symptoms, would you treat them in the same way you might in normal times or are there other treatment techniques you have introduced? 

In many ways it's about the same things. Anxiety is always about overestimating the danger while underestimating your ability to cope. We need to explore the danger for each person and then challenge their concerns. 

During lockdown, I've been trying to connect their issue to the current situation and specifically to the feeling about the past that it is triggering.  

I would then look at what the person can do to change, or we might go back and explore and resolve the past issue through behaviour experiments. Unfortunately, this type of activity is being made harder in the lockdown for many reasons.

Take someone suffering from social anxiety, which is the fear of being judged negatively in social situations and avoiding them. Pre-lockdown, I would challenge the individual to get out, talk to people and observe how people are acting towards them. But right now, we can't do that for obvious reasons. For the individual, this means they don't get the opportunity to challenge or disconfirm a lot of the negative thoughts they're having. As such, their safety behaviours go unchallenged and their anxieties remain the same.

 

What coping mechanisms are helping people now

 

Can you share some examples of coping mechanisms that are helping people at this moment?

Firstly, it's important to recognise that there's no one-size-fits-all solution, so we must treat every person uniquely. Often it's about starting small, focusing on the basics and reminding people of the here and now. Anxiety is often future focussed. We think about what we can't do and what we're scared of in the future. Bringing people's attention back to the here and now is often one of the most helpful things we can do. 

We often give people breathing techniques to help them keep calm. Still, when you say this to someone who's feeling extremely anxious, they can often, quite understandably, dismiss that information if they don't understand how it can help.

 

How does breathing help control anxiety

 

That's true. We often hear it discussed as a great way to calm people, but how does breathing help?

Breathing is one of the simplest things we can do to calm ourselves down. It's about a few things: First, breathing deeply and slowly can stop your mind from wandering into the future and worrying about what will happen. Again, it's about bringing the individual back to the here and now, and reminding them that everything's ok; they're not in danger right now.

Deep breathing exercises can also elevate levels of serotonin. Serotonin is produced in the stomach lining so when we breathe from our stomachs we release this chemical, which regulates anxiety, happiness and mood. Low serotonin levels have been associated with depression, but higher levels can help you feel happier, calmer and less anxious.

Breathing exercises can also help calm the part of the brain responsible for creating stress, so by engaging that part of the brain, we can reduce stress levels. Learn skills and strategies to help you thrive.