Has COVID and the massive coverage around it turn more people into hypochondriacs?

[BrightPhoenix 78]

Just want to garner some discussion that doesn't involve the usual worries.

So we've all been dealing with being a hypochondriac in our own way for years before COVID started, but I wonder if there is a large group of people who became hypochondriacs strictly because of COVID and how it's oversaturated our news cycle and our daily lexicon.

I don't know about you guys, but I can't get away from hearing about it.  The funny thing for me is the sheer amount of exposure to that content has rendered me somewhat resistant to hypochondria from it.  No this doesn't mean I run around without a mask and go all out in a closed room with 1000+ people, but I also don't get the same kind of "typical" HA reaction to it that I do versus all the other things I've constantly worried about.

It makes me wonder if the over-exposure of COVID information has turned people into global hypochondriacs, or has it possibly been a form of inadvertent exposure CBT-style therapy for a lot of people?

I can see a lot of parallels in how we're react to our own health anxiety issues versus the general populace's behavior the same kind of irrational thought process that happens, and the only problem is statistically there's a higher chance for you to get COVID than any of the diseases and conditions we as HA folks worry about.

I know it's not an apples to oranges comparison, but I do wonder if the constant talk about it on the news, on the radio, the TV, every form of media, social and otherwise has rammed it into so many people's brains and made hypochondriacs out of a whole population of the planet that normally would not have problems dealing with other medical issues.

[Wonky 92]

I believe it's causing people anxiety disorders and not all hypochondriac. I believe COVID is going to cause a whole host of mental health illnesses. And the best anxiety method for any anxiety disorder is CBT. I believe a mixture of CBT and ACT is going to be needed. The exposer has been needed. But for young people it's likely been traumatizing. I can't imagine what grade schoolers must be feeling/ going through during this time and being so confused. 

[davide.h 26]

The constant pharma ads I can't go a minute without seeing are making me one. 

[Otherside 3]

I don't know what the media has been like with the reporting over there, but it has been awful here. Coverage of it is just depressing and anxiety inducing. Add in being stuck indoors because of the lockdowns.

Whethers it covid, the lockdowns, both...theres a mental health crisis brewing, we're only starting to see the effects of those lockdowns now.

[Cuchculan 17]

Fed up last year and earlier this year with all the talk of deaths. Media were asked to give the public a break. For a while this year Covid was not the main story when the news came on. Way it used to work is we had one bloke we all called Dr Death. Each evening he would sit there and read out the figures for the day. Not exactly exciting news. I think even people who never had anxiety in their lives were getting worked up listening to all of this.

[Ironman 190]

I have to provide proof of vaccination by December 8, or I could be terminated.  I have worked with my company for over 17 years.  I was fully vaccinated by the end of May, but I am totally against Jab or Job mandates

I have been working from home for 19 months now - may make it permanent.

[Cuchculan 17]

What we saw here in Ireland was a lot of cluster cases related to certain types of work. Meat factories were the worst hit places. You had thousands of cases in these places alone. Were a few other clusters in work places. But they have said they would not be bringing in the same rules here. Vaccination or no more work. I think that would lead to major protests that would get rather ugly very quickly. Still have a lot of people working from home. Why they would need proof of vaccination is a mystery. As they are not in a place of work. They are at home. No threat to other workers. The ones they are pushing to get the vaccine are those who work with old people or in hospitals. As of last month Ireland still had a lot of healthcare workers not vaccinated. They are working with both sick and elderly people. That one I fully understand. Other than that it might depend on how many people are in any given work place. You have a thousand workers who all mingle, one case of Covid and it could put a lot of people out of work. Thus stop production. Those are only certain types of jobs. 

[Otherside 3]

It is spreading in the moment at schools. Because they did not vaccinate anyone under 16 until now. Now they are saying "only 1 jab". So cases are up. Now they are talking about a Plan B. Doesn't sound to bad. Masks and would require proof of vaccination. Then there is the rumoured Plan C. Would mean no household mixing at Christmas (Again.). How true that is who knows. Media has whipped up a panic about Plan C. Which is very unlikely to happen, I'd say.

[Cuchculan 17]

The brother was here yesterday. Girl he works with is doing with Covid. How it all came about is how a lot of cases are happening now. Her parents go to Spain this time of year every year. They went as planned with a few friends. This girl and a friend of hers went too. The girl came home. Gets a call from her parents who are still in Spain. They have all come down with Covid. She goes into isolation. Bit too late for that. Reason she came home early was for a wedding. Turned out she had Covid too. As did many of the wedding guests sshe had mixed with. My own brother was a close contact as they car share going to work. He did self isolate. Was tested twice and got the all clear this week. More or less shows you that people are doing things that they should not be doing. Holiday to Spain? Spain has a lot of cases. Was a risk that could have been avoided. But a risk that has lead to over 20 people coming down with Covid. 20 who all knew each other. 

[Otherside 3]

Early on we had a few cases of tourists ending being a contact, having to spend the holiday isolating in a hotel room abroad.

Feel bad for saying this, but mentally, I don't think I can do another lockdown. Don't get me wrong, I know why it was needed, but mental health was in a pretty rough place during the one January/February/March this year. Lowest I've probably been in a while. Living alone doesn't really help with that.

[Cuchculan 17]

Only now are we hearing about the government ignoring what NPHET was telling them to do. Things are back to near crazy here at the moment. Case numbers are rising by the day. These figures had us in lockdown a few months back. NPHET warned the government on a few occasions that lifting restrictions too soon would lead to another outbreak. We still have Winter to come. Will be one to watch. As the government seem to be doing their own thing now. Ignoring health experts. I am expecting it to get out of hand again. More people indoors as the days and nights get colder. It will spread quicker. We only had night venues opened for the first time last night. Huge queues to get in. They are making it ball ticket now. No ticket, no entry. So stay away.