China News Service, Beijing, May 8 (Zhang Yilin) ​​Working from home, teaching online, not going out... At present, under the normalized epidemic prevention and control, people in isolation and control will inevitably experience negative emotions and even psychological problems.

  According to the WHO report, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by more than 25% in the first year of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.

"Psychological epidemic prevention" has become another "battlefield" in the fight against the epidemic.

Data map: Volunteers in Nanjing "seek hugs" on the streets, calling for caring for patients with depression.

Photo by Yang Bo

Am I ill when I am depressed, insomnia and irritable at home?

  In May, the weather became hot, and Miao Miao, who lived at a friend's house in Yangpu, Shanghai, was finally able to walk downstairs this week. Originally, she came to Shanghai to visit relatives, and it lasted for two months.

  "I used to hold my breath every day, and I often lost my temper for no reason." The irritability has troubled Miao Miao for a long time.

"I really want to see flowers, I want to take a car, I want to go out."

  Many people quarantined at home have similar thoughts to Miao Miao. Tian Hui, who returned to Chaoyang, Beijing, has been working from home for a month.

"In the beginning, the schedule was very chaotic, I couldn't sleep every day, and I felt bored doing anything." In the initial isolation days, Tian Hui's only thing he wanted to do every day was to call friends and family, "talking about everything is just pure and simple. I want to talk."

  Yang Yanjie, director of the Psychology and Behavior Research Center of Harbin Medical University, said that this is a "stress reaction" that people appear in sudden public events, which includes emotional stress reactions brought about by the epidemic itself, such as depression, anxiety, fear, etc.; Due to the needs of epidemic prevention and control, when people are required to be isolated in a centralized manner or at home, their activity space is fixed, their movements are restricted, social interaction is affected, and it is easy to produce anxiety and depression."

  On March 2, the World Health Organization released a report saying that in the first year of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by more than 25%.

  With the change of the epidemic situation and the long-term home isolation, people's lifestyles have undergone tremendous changes while worrying about being infected.

Many people also have different degrees of anxiety, irritability, panic and other negative emotions.

Data map: Hunan Provincial Psychiatric Center has opened a new coronary pneumonia psychological consultation service to the whole country.

Photo by Fu Jingyi

Has the epidemic affected human mental health for 20 years?

  Yang Yanjie said that under stressful situations, most people will have short-lived emotional reactions, such as mild anxiety, fear or depression.

  The main manifestations of anxiety include restlessness, nervousness, excessive worry, and in severe cases, stomach bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, tachycardia, chest tightness, shortness of breath and other symptoms.

Depression is mostly manifested as low mood, decreased interest, loss of sense of purpose, even loss, and despair; while fear mainly includes over-alertness, fear, and irrational behavior.

  It's important to note that having depression or anxiety is not a mental illness.

Depression, anxiety, fear and other emotions that most people who are currently isolated at home are just a symptom and a normal stress response.  

  Some people say that "the impact of the epidemic on people's mental health will last for 20 years." Regarding this statement, Yang Yanjie said that in general, most people's stress reactions are mild and short-lived, with the situation of public emergencies improving. Or at the end, these symptoms will also alleviate or disappear, and most people can recover slowly through self-adjustment.

  Professional reminder, of course, there are also a small number of people who have serious stress reactions. If they have low mood, decreased interest, palpitation, irritability, insomnia, or repeated suicidal ideation, which lasts for two weeks and cannot be relieved by self-exercise, relaxation, etc., it may be If you have depression or anxiety, you need to go to a professional institution for diagnosis and treatment, and receive psychological treatment or drug treatment.

Data map: Citizens wear masks to exercise in a gym.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Lei

How to self-regulate at home?

  Yang Yanjie said that to avoid anxiety, depression and other emotions that appear stressful, it is necessary to adjust cognition, maintain proper exercise, regular work and rest, and more importantly, strengthen confidence.

  It is necessary to recognize automatic thinking, make attributions carefully, and read a lot of negative reports with excessive pessimism, which is easy to fall into unreasonable cognition and panic.

While seeing the serious side of the epidemic, it is also necessary to rationally obtain official information released by the government, not to believe or spread rumors, and to strengthen confidence.

  When you feel that you are overly anxious, irritable, and difficult to fall asleep, you can adjust your body and mind by practicing "448 breathing method" (inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, and finally exhale for 8 seconds), "mindfulness meditation" relaxation training, etc. Methods, divert attention, focus on the present, and regulate anxiety, tension, and panic.

  In addition, experts remind that it is necessary to strengthen contact through telephone chats, writing diaries, online social media, etc., to obtain support from family members and friends, and to conduct professional psychological counseling to adjust if necessary.

  When conditions permit, you can go out for a walk and breathe fresh air.

Make sure to get enough sleep every day.

You can also do yoga, strength training and other exercises at home without going out to improve your mood and improve your immunity.

  "Exercise really makes people relax," Miao Miao also said. "I followed Liu Genghong's dance exercises recently, and I won't be so upset when I move." (End)