Some take a corona infection easily, others throw them mentally off track.
Experts give tips on how to deal with illness and guilt.
A coronavirus infection not only stresses the body, but also the psyche: those affected are worried about long-term consequences, are afraid of having infected others, and may be impatient because the symptoms last for a long time.
But there are strategies that can help.
"As in every stressful situation, it is individually different how people react to the illness as a stressor," says Laura Letschert, systemic resilience coach from Höhr-Grenzhausen in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Basically, she recommends everyone to first create a small shelter to collect themselves
. A moment after the positive test is enough for you to breathe deeply for yourself. What can also be helpful: Make a list of what to do and which things are particularly important at this moment.
“I will probably realize very quickly that the point is
to keep calm
.
That I have to take good care of myself in order to get well again quickly - and of course that I don't infect other people, ”says Letschert.
Such a moment of reflection and clarity ideally leads to the fact that one can act consciously instead of just reacting.
This gives a feeling of control in this often overwhelming situation.
A positive corona test brings with it concerns about the environment
Thoughts and worries probably arise quickly about
who you might have infected
.
Or the knowledge that you have already infected someone in your own environment.
How can you deal with it?
"It is a
healthy reaction
in intact social structures that you want to protect those people with whom you live and with whom you have a bond," explains Christa Roth-Sackenheim, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy from Andernach in Rhineland-Palatinate.
If it is actually clear that you have infected someone, the decisive factor is whether you yourself could have known about your own infection, says Roth-Sackenheim.
Maybe you got symptoms * that you didn't take seriously
?
"In this case, a serious and open examination of your own responsibility is inevitable," says the expert.
"It is best to talk to the infected person about it, ask him how he is and report about his own feelings of guilt."
If you couldn't know anything about your own infection and you stuck to the rules, wore a mask and kept your distance:
Then you can tell yourself that it was fate, so to speak
.
"In addition, however, the further effects on the infected person are decisive," says Roth-Sackenheim.
"If someone actually dies, it can lead to a lifelong feeling of guilt."
Corona: There is no such thing as one hundred percent security
The thoughts of many of those affected also revolve around the place and time of their own infection.
“
It is a basic human need to understand the reasons for a situation,
” explains the specialist in psychiatry.
"In this respect, we will not be able to avoid the question of where you got infected."
But you have to realize that there is
never one hundred percent security in life
.
So even with caution in traffic or a healthy lifestyle, accidents or illnesses cannot necessarily be prevented.
“Ultimately, you have no choice,” says Roth-Sackenheim: “You have to accept that you have been infected and, if necessary, become ill.
Then it is basically just a matter of receiving good medical care if the worst comes to the worst. "
How do you deal with worst-case scenarios?
Even if the Covid 19 disease initially proceeds without severe symptoms: Many people fear long-term consequences.
How strong it is depends on the individual attitude.
“
The question is how much you generally immerse yourself in worst-case scenarios,
” says resilience coach Laura Letschert.
Her recommendation: “Whenever I notice that I am moving in
what-if processes
, then I should recognize it in the first step - and then consciously set another thought that is good for me, gives me hope and strengthens me. "
Letschert advises that in
order to interrupt your own thought circles
, be it helpful to hang small pieces of paper in your apartment as a reminder or to talk to family members about it.
"You can ask her to always remind you that you didn't want to worry so much about negative thoughts."
At the same time, it is important to give worries and fears the necessary space.
"If you suppress them, they come back louder and stronger," says Letschert.
It's about finding the middle ground between acknowledging your own worries and a positive attitude towards the future.
Another tip:
Do not overestimate individual complaints.
"If I had a lot of headaches before, then a headache after the infection does not mean that something bad is happening in the body," says the expert.
"You have to be aware that you had these complaints before and that there have always been better and worse days in terms of health."
Corona infection?
"Don't google it all the time!"
Many find it difficult to be patient with themselves and the recovery process. "Here, too, acceptance helps: You should let go of thoughts about how it used to be," says Letschert.
The situation has changed and it will change again
- that is the natural course of life even without such a disease. "We cannot hold onto a desired state."
Nevertheless, it is normal to experience this situation as frustrating and stressful. "
Ultimately, it is a situation that demands enormous adjustment efforts,
" says Roth-Sackenheim, who is the chairwoman of the Professional Association of German Psychiatrists (BVDP). How well you master this challenge depends, among other things, on your own personality, individual resilience factors and social support.
The expert advises exchanging ideas with other people affected, networking and sharing experiences.
But: “
You shouldn't google all the time!
“Relaxation methods such as progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training or yoga are also helpful in increasing your own resilience and acceptance.
“But not under the aspect of performance, but rather mindfulness,” says Roth-Sackenheim, “and to learn what the body and mind now need.”
(Dpa)
* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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