The current health crisis has caused 397 million infected people according to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO). Although it does not mean that they are the only ones affected because the rest have also suffered. In particular, there has been an increase in cases of anxiety derived from the pandemic and that is why it is important to identify the symptoms.
In this sense, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) announced that it offers therapies for these types of cases. They focus on accompanying patients and the purpose is to help them adapt to the new reality and treat said physiological phenomenon through counseling.
How should patients be treated?
Psychiatrist Francisco Paredes Cruz, attached to the Coordination of Health Assessment at Work of the Institute in the State of Mexico East, stressed that this phenomenon limits the functionality of the person and makes him lose the ability to carry out his daily activities.
“It is about identifying and seeking the support of the mental health specialist to be able to treat these symptoms. When we have the ability to be able to identify the emotion, it is easier to be able to transmit what we have, what we feel and to be able to request a more adequate help”.
Psychiatrist Paredes Cruz explained that these disorders can appear at any age. Although they can occur due to changes in lifestyles, such as marital and economic problems, job loss, differences with colleagues, harassment, overwork, among others, they predominate in adults of productive age.
Symptoms of anxiety derived from the pandemic
He indicated that anxiety manifests as a diffuse, unpleasant and vague feeling of apprehension, which can be accompanied by sweating, palpitations, chest tightness and shortness of breath, which is confused with heart conditions; however, these are adrenergic discharges, excess adrenaline in the body, produced by the anguish that the person is going through.
The specialist doctor explained that when the symptoms are intense, there are sleep problems, absenteeism, or he only attends to check in the company without having work productivity, which makes it necessary to go to the psychiatrist to receive pharmacological therapy and recover functionality through anxiolytics. or medications that regulate neurotransmitters.
Dr. Paredes Cruz stressed that disorders are emotional manifestations that can be treated and cured. “Many times, as soon as they start treatment, after a couple of months they recover functionality very close to 95 percent.”
He added that anxiety in minors is observed in very stressful conditions for them, such as separation from parents, return to school or changes in family dynamics.
“Alterations can occur in living with parents and peers, in sleep, night terrors, they stop eating or increase their appetite; their hands sweat and they bite their nails”.
The psychiatry specialist added that in adolescents this disorder is experienced due to poor school performance and problems in socializing with their peers; while older adults, this anguish is generally exposed with problems in living with their peers and in situations of loss of family and friends.