Anxiety After COVID

Yes, certain individuals have anxiety after COVID, but what about before it? What happens to the person if they are already predisposed with anxiety or depression? I’ll talk about what happens to the brain before/after COVID and how to cope after the pandemic..

All in all, anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 can be a bad combination for your brain — and your long-term health. A nother key point is having anxiety and depression before a COVID infection increases the risk of developing long COVID, researchers have found. Additionally, those with long COVID who develop anxiety and depression after an infection may have brain shrinkage in areas that regulate memory, emotion, and other functions as well as disruption of brain connectivity.

While many questions remain about these intertwined relationships, the associations aren’t a complete surprise. As a matter of fact, experts associate inflammation and immune dysfunction with depression and anxiety. Therefore, this may help to explain the link between these mental health conditions, the risk of long COVID, and the changes in the brain.

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”-Benjamin Spock

Long COVID and Anxiety

Altogether, COVID patients with a history of depression or anxiety are also more likely than others to report trouble with cognition in the weeks after a COVID infection and to develop brain fog and long COVID, UCLA researchers found. Consequently, they evaluate 766 people with a confirmed COVID infection; 36% say their thinking is affected within 4 weeks of the infection. Therefore, those with anxiety and depression were more likely to report those difficulties.

Subsequently, brain scans showed those with COVID who also had anxiety and depression had shrinkage in the limbic area of the brain (which helps process emotion and memory). Those infected who didn’t have anxiety or depression did not. Contrarily, the researchers then scanned the brains of 148 healthy people without COVID and found no shrinkage.

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”-Thich Nhat Hanh

Explaining the Links

At this point, several ideas have been proposed to explain the link between psychological distress and long COVID risk, Wang said, MD, the study’s lead author and a research fellow at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University. “The first and most mainstream mechanism for long COVID is chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation,” she said. “Several mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, are associated with inflammation and dysfunction and that might be the link between depression, anxiety, and long COVID.”

Another less mainstream hypothesis, she said, is that “those with long COVID have more autoantibodies and they are more likely to have blood clotting issues. By the same token, these have also been found in people with anxiety, depression, or other psychological distress.”

“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.”–Rupi Kaur

Managing Anxiety

 Relaxation techniques

When people feel stressed or anxious, their bodies tense up. Consequently, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, shallow breathing, and dizziness.

Henceforth, by using relaxation, it helps to manage these physical symptoms of anxiety. In any event, you could try doing an activity you already find relaxing – for example, reading a book, having a bath, sitting outside, or having a short walk. You could also try specific relaxation techniques.

Therefore, using these techniques can also help you to better manage post-viral fatigue.

 Mindfulness

After being unwell, people can become caught up in worries about the future, or difficult memories from being unwell. Nonetheless, sometimes people find it hard to focus on the ‘here and now’. In brief, the aim of mindfulness is to help you to focus on the present moment, and to ‘step back’ from any worries.

 Getting back to usual activities

In any case, getting back to normal activities may feel overwhelming. Therefore, breaking activities down into small steps may help them feel more achievable, and can help you to manage your energy.

 Positive self-talk

When you’re noticing racing thoughts and worries, it can be helpful to try to take a step back and reassure yourself. Meanwhile, try to notice what the worry or difficult thought is, then write it down and see if you can think of an alternative, kinder thought.

“Be the love you never received.”-Rune Lazuli

Anxiety Post COVID

Given that, some researchers suggest that, in the future, we may see a mental health condition surface that’s related to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically.

Symptoms of post-COVID anxiety include:

firstly, fear around crowds
difficulty concentrating
distrust for other people
compulsively washing your hands
fear of leaving your house
increased substance use
irritability or mood changes
monitoring for signs of illness
obsessive cleaning
lastly, withdrawing from those you love

“We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.”–Mary Dunbar

Support Groups

Equally important, you’re not alone in this experience. Some online support groups include:

COVID Survivors for Change
COVID-19 Support & Recovery Facebook Group
Long Covid Facebook Support Group
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Groups
Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA)

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”–M. Scott Peck

Self-Care Strategies

Even more, here are some strategies you can try:

firstly, regular exercise
balanced meals
consistent sleep schedule
deep breathing exercises
spending time in nature
meditation practice
journaling about your feelings
lastly, connecting with loved ones

“The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.”–E. E. Cummings

Conclusion

Another less mainstream hypothesis, those with long COVID have more autoantibodies and they are more likely to have blood clotting issues. These have also been found in people with anxiety, depression, or other psychological distress.”

In conclusion, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality were found to be more prevalent in early post-COVID patients comparing to those without infection. Even more, the female gender and the presence of symptoms related to anxiety and depression prior to infection were identified as risk factors for anxiety after COVID.

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