VARANASI: The lockdown should be taken as a ‘God given opportunity’ to complete pending work, pursue talent, learn and engage in new activities, spend more time with spouse & children, said president of Indian Association for Social Psychiatry and former head of department of psychiatry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University Prof Indira Sharma.
Explaining the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said that it has resulted in disruption of normal life and a stress of unprecedented proportion.
“The psychological impact is immense and varied with virtually all being affected including general public, persons at risk, persons in quarantine, Covid-19 patients, doctors and health workers, government officials, police and psychiatrists as well,” she said adding that the general people have fear of harm to self or near and dear ones, and are forced to adopt a different lifestyle. The doctors and health workers are in constant fear of contracting corona virus. The police are in stress while enforcing lockdown and tracing potential contacts with a fear of harm to self. The government officials have no past experience of handling such a situation.
The psychiatrists also feel helplessness because priority to Covid-19 treatment has led to less attention to routine psychiatric care, she said. “Stress is an inseparable part of life, so has become Covid-19 pandemic. Do not panic, and take the stress as part of the life package,” she said adding that it should be kept in mind that the government, doctors and paramedical staff, and law enforcing machinery are the guardians during this period of crisis. “One should maintain a healthy lifestyle, which means a balanced routine comprising 8-hours of sleep, daily bathing and other self-help skills, prayer for 5-10 minutes, food four times a day (diabetics 5 times a day), aerobic exercise for 40 minutes per day,” she said suggesting daily reading of newspaper and viewing TV news channel for about 15 min to 30 min, working for 3 to 8 hours per day depending upon one’s age, health and need. One should also engage in recreation and talent promotion in the form of indoor games and other activities as per choice and need
Prof Sharma also called upon psychiatrists to team up with paraprofessional staff (nurses, psychologists and social workers) and educate people about the pandemic and ways to cope with it, and also provide psychological support to tide away the crisis.
Explaining the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said that it has resulted in disruption of normal life and a stress of unprecedented proportion.
“The psychological impact is immense and varied with virtually all being affected including general public, persons at risk, persons in quarantine, Covid-19 patients, doctors and health workers, government officials, police and psychiatrists as well,” she said adding that the general people have fear of harm to self or near and dear ones, and are forced to adopt a different lifestyle. The doctors and health workers are in constant fear of contracting corona virus. The police are in stress while enforcing lockdown and tracing potential contacts with a fear of harm to self. The government officials have no past experience of handling such a situation.
The psychiatrists also feel helplessness because priority to Covid-19 treatment has led to less attention to routine psychiatric care, she said. “Stress is an inseparable part of life, so has become Covid-19 pandemic. Do not panic, and take the stress as part of the life package,” she said adding that it should be kept in mind that the government, doctors and paramedical staff, and law enforcing machinery are the guardians during this period of crisis. “One should maintain a healthy lifestyle, which means a balanced routine comprising 8-hours of sleep, daily bathing and other self-help skills, prayer for 5-10 minutes, food four times a day (diabetics 5 times a day), aerobic exercise for 40 minutes per day,” she said suggesting daily reading of newspaper and viewing TV news channel for about 15 min to 30 min, working for 3 to 8 hours per day depending upon one’s age, health and need. One should also engage in recreation and talent promotion in the form of indoor games and other activities as per choice and need
Prof Sharma also called upon psychiatrists to team up with paraprofessional staff (nurses, psychologists and social workers) and educate people about the pandemic and ways to cope with it, and also provide psychological support to tide away the crisis.
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