Dr. Andrew Mohanraj

MANY may be feeling some level of pandemic fatigue by now, but experts are hoping that people will continue to keep calm and carry on.

Former Malaysian Psychology Association president Dr Goh Chee Leong says everyone should “take things one day at a time” despite these tough times.

“Focus on what you need to do to get through today.

“Maintain as much social connection as possible, talk to friends daily. Identify simple things you can do at the end of each day that give you joy, ” he urges.

Drawing from a coping strategy known as the Stockdale paradox, Dr Goh says people should try to maintain the belief that they will make it through in the end, while at the same time embracing the hard realities and uncertainties of the current situation.

“See the time you have in isolation as a gift.

“Don’t feel you have to fill the extra time with busyness.

“Allow yourself to rest, have some guiltless downtime when you don’t need to be productive, and just indulge in what you feel like doing, ” he advises.

However, Dr Goh believes some may be coping better in the second movement control order (MCO) as they already have a better idea of what to expect, and how to manage the isolation and anxiety.

“However, there will still be many who are experiencing stress as a result of economic uncertainties, made worse by the fact that they are isolated away from their social support networks, ” he says.

Dr Goh says the coming vaccine as the “light at end of the tunnel” could be helpful.

“At least people have a tangible hope to cling on to.

“Being able to believe that life will go on beyond the crises is important, ” he adds.

As getting mental health support is still seen as a taboo for many, Dr Goh says the important thing is for the public to have the courage and openness to access the services that are available.

“We need to overcome such taboos.

“We have many great psychologists, counsellors and psychiatrists in the country and I am confident they are ready and equipped to help those who need it, ” he says.

Malaysian Mental Health Association president Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj says people will continue to manifest different degrees of stress, anxiety and depression in MCO2.0.

“This is only natural as they continue to battle with loneliness, potential job loss and financial challenges.

“As for the long term effects of the MCO, I believe the vast majority of Malaysians will have the level of resilience to bounce back and carry on life after the pandemic, ” he says.

However, there could also be many for whom the long term psychological effects of the pandemic will linger on, Dr Mohanraj adds.

“We worry about some who may not be able to cope even after the pandemic.

“This is particularly those who have been severely affected and those whose pre-existing mental health conditions like depression and anxiety disorders were worsened by the pandemic and MCO, ” he says.

Others might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition of feeling disturbed even after a traumatic event, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), whereby a person has obsessions that make them do something repetitively.

Dr Mohanraj says the most common type of mental health issue in Malaysia, and the world, is anxiety disorders.

“Such disorder often goes unnoticed but can be very debilitating and those struggling with it suffer in silence for fear of people thinking of them as being weak or making a fuss about nothing.

“Among anxiety disorders is OCD, which is very likely to be exacerbated during and after the pandemic with people becoming obsessed with cleanliness and anxiety levels rising when faced with an ‘unclean ‘ situation, ” he says.

Dr Mohanraj also foresees that people will use and become more dependent on sleeping tablets for insomnia due to increased usage, as well as alcohol and nicotine as ways to cope with stress.

“The vast majority of people are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the vaccine.

“However, there are also some who think that this will be a cure-all to solve the problem overnight.

“There needs to be an awareness to continue maintaining hygienic practices and some level of social distancing until herd immunity is achieved, ” Dr Mohanraj explains.

Full Article: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/focus/2021/02/07/take-things-one-day-at-a-time-say-experts