Columns

ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Coronavirus and Remaining Mentally Well

Jack Bragen
Friday March 27, 2020 - 05:04:00 PM

My background includes more than thirty-five years of being afflicted with Schizophrenia, Paranoid-type. But my background also includes, long before I became mentally ill, being an avid reader, and about half of that was science fiction. And as a youngster, I was hooked on Godzilla and the original series of Star Trek, and also shows called "Creature Features," "Outer Limits," and the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. So, I know a bit about going into fantasy media. 

Panic is mounting over the pandemic of Coronavirus. And, to a large extent, this is reality-based. However, some are going a little too far. 

As a paranoid person with a history of being drawn into fantasy, I've intentionally created some immunity to this proclivity. This is essential to living with schizophrenia, especially when events take place such as the destruction of the World Trade Centers. I remember the television coverage of that, vividly. 

It is normal to exaggerate. You don't have to be psychotic to have exaggerated fears. 

As people with mental illness, as much as anyone else, we've been advised on sensible steps we can take to lessen the immediate likelihood of contracting the Coronavirus. Yet, I have not seen anyone advise mentally ill people on how we can frame this in our sometimes-fragile minds, minds in which remaining well is a precarious thing. So, I am going to give you some ideas on this. 

If you have an overactive imagination and a tendency to take things too far, you should acknowledge that tendency. Many people with mental illness and some who do not, could overreact to something that appears to an extent like a real-life Armageddon. This is not to minimize the seriousness of what we are facing. Yet, to the extent that we can, we should carry on business as usual. We still have to budget our money, pay rent, pay bills, take care of our cars, clean up after ourselves, and fill out an income tax return (if we have significant taxable income). The government isn't going away. The laws aren't going away. The United States isn't going anywhere. This is not going to be the end of civilization. Although it does affect a lot of things. 

Coronavirus does not change a psychiatric disorder that we had before the virus and that we will continue to have after the virus spreads. However, if you have family that is at risk, you should call them and advise them to take care of themselves. 

The Coronavirus will probably infect most people. When I've had the flu, the best medicines have been Guaifenesin (generic for Mucinex) and Tylenol, the latter not taken in excess. Ibuprofen is good too, yet doesn't mix well with some drugs, is a blood thinner, and is sometimes hard on the kidneys. Aspirin is good but should be taken with food. The Coronavirus could be seen like a superflu. Most people who get it won't die, but some will. But do not panic. From the numbers I've seen on television news, it looks like it kills fewer than one in a hundred whom it infects. 

As I'm writing this, governments on our globe are taking steps to make the spread of the virus happen in a more controlled way. This accomplishes a number of things. It increases the likelihood that there will almost be enough hospital beds, respirators, and other equipment. It allows more medical personnel to be available to treat the ill. It may also lessen the economic impact of the virus. 

What we can do if mentally ill is to cooperate with authorities who currently advise remaining at home except for essential trips, and to avoid large gatherings. Also, and this is essential, we have to maintain our mental health. This is accomplished by remaining medication compliant and by obtaining counseling over the phone, or through either facetime or skype. 

If we live in shared housing, things are a bit more complicated, because we can't control the exposure of roommates who could infect us. I live with my wife, and neither of us are going very many places. 

In China, the government they have, while it does not allow the basic personal liberty we cherish in the U.S., allows for more efficiency in combating the virus. This is because their public will do anything their government tells them to do. 

Leaders, in the best case, lead by example. One hopes it is a good example and not the criminal, incompetent, inadequate example of the current "leadership."  

We can weather this. We are all in this together.