Psychological Wellbeing during Coronavirus Outbreak: Understanding Survival Mode
By Dr Elisabeth Wong, Specialist in Psychiatry & Advisor, Mind HK
Much uncertainty surrounds the current coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong. There are new confirmed cases everyday. The modes of transmission are inconclusive. The economic fallout starts surfacing with job losses and business closures. For a community which experienced SARS in 2003, it had certainly brought much worries and concerns.
As human, we perceive uncertainties and changes as stressors. This became even more pronounced after a recorded fatality in Hong Kong. In life and death situations, our mind automatically adopts the ‘survival mode’. By learning about the ‘survival mode’, we can better understand ourselves and others.
The human brain has an inherent negative bias. What it means is that it is more attuned to sensations and memories that denote negativity and danger. This brings great evolutionary advantage in protecting humans against predators and adversities. In hunter-gatherer times, it is easy to see how one needs to be able to fight or flee from predators quickly and without conscious knowledge, and to be able to remember details about the attack, in order to increase chances of survival. Fast forward to modern day, the part of the brain which is responsible for such ‘survival mode’ still functions that way and is certainly triggered in the face of coronavirus outbreak.
We can familiarize ourselves with how the ‘survival mode’ shows up:
- Range of emotional changes: tense, restless, anxious, fearful, panic, in terror. For some it might feel as though they are in combat at all times, unable to relax.
2. Physical sensations: heart palpitations, muscle tension and pain, quickened breath, shortness of breath, hand tremor, headache, gastric pain, indigestion, nausea, poor sleep and appetite.
3. Changes in thinking:
- Catastrophic thinking: expecting disasters to strike, no matter what
- Selective abstraction: a detail is taken out of context and believed whilst everything else is ignored.
- Black-or-white thinking: placing situations in ‘either/or’ category, thinking in extremes
- Overgeneralization: coming to a general conclusion based on a single incident or a single piece of evidence
- Time-travelling: always focused on the future, marked by worries and images of doom; with reduced awareness of the here-and-now
- Tunnel vision: narrowed focus onto the feared subject, as though
- Content of the thoughts frequently start with ‘what if…’
4. Behavioural tendencies:
The natural tendency in the face of fearful situations is avoidance or flight. For some, it might be staying away from activities, places, groups of people perceived to be risky. On the other hand, some might adopt behaviours that give them a sense of control over the situation to compensate the feeling of helplessness. The territory wide panic purchase of sanitizing items, face masks, food, and even toilet paper could be understood in this context. These items are no longer just items of necessity. In psychology terms, pursuit of these tangible items ‘magically undo’ some of the fears and restore a sense of agency over the uncertainties: ‘If I have x number of boxes of face masks, I would not get infected.’
None of us are immune to panic in the face of a potentially life-threatening illness. It is as though we are going through a period of severe turbulence mid-flight. None of us know how long this turbulence will last, or even if everybody can get home safe. It is normal to be fearful. Being in ‘survival mode’ is healthy and necessary in the short term. However, if prolonged, it could take a toll on our physical and psychological health, impairing immunity and overall functioning.
At times of stress, it might be helpful to check in from time to time, whether you recognize the features of ‘survival mode’ in yourself. And if you do, registering to yourself, ‘oh, panic is here.’ Or ‘survival mode is here’. Perhaps accepting this moment for what it is. Knowing that in such times, fearful thoughts are just thoughts, not necessary facts. And the behavioural tendencies are just that, rather than prescriptions for action. The upheaval brought about by this outbreak, just like any turbulence, will also pass. If you notice significant emotional distress, extreme thoughts or behaviours in yourself or others, it is important to seek assessment from mental health professionals.
This article was originally published in Chinese and can be found here: https://medicalinspire.com/web/posts/48065?fbclid=IwAR1FlMVWNslstVdLIIP8Ve9OeDS9CKFG1giiwQB2fjnta_ZanZWFn3AOvvA
This article is informative only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
For Mind HK’s tips on managing mental well-being and staying well during the COVID-19 outbreak, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/coronavirusoutbreakmentalhealthtips/ These tips are now available in 9+ languages.
For a list of emergency contacts, please visit: www.mind.org.hk/find-help-now/
For non-urgent services, please visit our Community Directory: www.mind.org.hk/community-directory/
Questions? Email the team at media@mind.org.hk
