The epidemic affects the mental health of Brazilians | The National Gazette

The signs for a critically ill patient: Brazil is sick, not just Covid.

“We are witnessing a new wave of mental illness. It is a new shock, it is a new state of stress. So when we talk about a new wave of Covid, there is also a new wave of mental health risks,” says psychoanalyst Vera Iaconnelli.

Wherever it goes, the virus leaves some sadness and anxiety for the future, but in Brazil, doctors and psychologists say that the wave of mental illness is another epidemic, growing in parallel with Covid. The diagnoses of anxiety and depression have not increased anywhere in the world, according to a study conducted by Ohio State University in partnership with universities in 11 countries. The researchers concluded that we are suffering more than others because the epidemic in Brazil is slow to recede.

Ricardo Ricci Ofenha, coordinator of the study, conducted by Unifesp and the USP in Brazil, explains:

“Countries that responded quickly, like Singapore, brought a certain state of comfort to the population, in terms of information. Whereas countries that took a long time to provide an answer, like Brazil, brought this vulnerability, in terms of uncertainty and perception of disease.”

Not having a horizon of all this can become a symptom.

“Today I am unable to enter the market, if someone is near me behind me, I go out and leave things and go out. I cannot stay in environments for a long time with a lot of people. You see people near them die and then you have an idea that your life is fragile and that you can “To die tomorrow. Choking and trembling in the heart. For those who pass by, it’s very real, it’s very powerful, it’s not that simple,” said Joyce Angus Fransa, an IT analyst.

Infectionist Alvaro Furtado da Costa sees patients who suffer from anxiety attacks every day:

“Chest pain, sometimes feeling short of breath, and oppression in the chest area. So, sometimes, a classic anxiety condition that a person thinks is starting to have symptoms of Covid-19. In Covid, it is usually a progressive condition that can get worse accompanied by signs In an anxiety crisis, you take medication to cope with the patient’s anxiety, then the shortness of breath will disappear immediately. ”

Shortness of breath as a symptom of Covid is the result of the virus getting into the lungs – inflamed, and they do not have the same ability to capture oxygen from the atmosphere. On the other hand, wheezing in an anxiety attack comes from a lack of control over the nervous system. The amygdala, located in the deepest part of the brain, generates an alert as if it is facing a threat. The answer is a combination of cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. The mind becomes a breeding ground for negative and irrational thoughts and fear. But there is a remedy:

“Sometimes you can’t change the situation, but the fact that you can talk about that, and see the other, you understand all the difference. So, yes, we have to ask for support. This is what the World Health Organization has said since the first day of the pandemic:” Look for situations and professionals to share Suffering. ”But not everything is professional.“ We can have this inside the home sphere, with friends, ”said psychoanalyst Vera Iaconnelli.

Joyce improved with the virtual sessions of volunteer psychologists. But, really happy, “I think it’s only when everyone gets vaccinated, when there is some kind of stability in that. I think everyone who goes through this or whoever has gone through it will actually be able to keep their hearts warm, and keep their hearts really good.”