Anxiety is biologically generated, and the excess of it in various manifestations is individually caused and related to each person’s brain and nervous system. However, we don’t live in isolation. Thus, our neighbors’ misfortune (and I use neighbor in the broadest psychological and geographical sense) does become contagious. Being around (or responsible for) highly anxious people can transmit a sense of jumpiness, even in calm and well-adjusted individuals. The anxious person needs attention, reassurance, catharsis, and interventions, medical or otherwise. Large scale disorder in social, political, economic, geographical, and biological realms introduces waves of chaos that trigger the already unstable brains and coping resources of significant populations.

As the saying goes: “Insanity is genetic—you get it from your kids!” Comparably, when those around you are upset and nervous, it can become contagious and quite unsettling.

Interesting Paradoxes

At a societal level, the coronavirus pandemic affects us all, materially and psychologically—some, of course, much more than others.

You would expect that people afflicted with mental and emotional problems would experience exacerbated symptoms during these periods. And, for many individuals, that’s likely the case, where current events become conjoined with individual psychological issues. We would not be surprised if the generally anxious person spiked in anxiety, or if the germaphobic, agoraphobic, or obsessive compulsive person became more pronounced in symptoms reacting to environmental conditions.

But here are some ironies and paradoxes the current pandemic has unfolded:

• We are advised to become compulsive about hand washing, touching surfaces, and cleaning and disinfecting. (Compare this to the ritualistic, obsessive compulsive behavior that is characteristically “normal” for those with obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD.)
• We are admonished and reminded about touching our faces. (Compare to reminding a person with tics or nailbiting to stop).
• Social distancing is the new prohibition. Currently, we are asked to stay away from people, gatherings, social events, and involvement. (Contrast this with the exhortations traditionally give to shy and anxious people to take risks, participate, and get involved.)
• Many people have become hoarders, excessively stocking up on supplies in response to fear and compulsion. (Absent the current pandemic, this stocking up would be considered aberrant. Perhaps even now, we can draw similarities to those who routinely hoard.)
• We are admonished to avoid touching others, thereby suspending customary forms of etiquette (like hand shaking, hugging) and thus introducing an uncomfortable awkwardness in approaching, greeting, and welcoming. (Note that social greetings, both verbal etiquette and body language are incredibly stressful and awkward for people with social anxiety.)
• We are becoming collectively phobic about flying and being around people. (This is what life inhibitions are like for those who fear flying or being out in public: severe afflictions.)
• There is an unfortunate rise in xenophobia (fear of foreigners).
• There is an increase in health and death fears and fear of the unknown. (These are common and communicably expanding fears within the overly phobic and anxious person.)
• People are experiencing withdrawal, due to sports and entertainment cancellations. (When you take away activities, behaviors, or substances that palliate stress and reduce anxiety, people experience withdrawal. It’s not just addictions or cabin fever—disrupting the routine of reliance on entertainment to de-stress and unwind has untoward effects.)

Basis for Relating

I’m not suggesting that everyone is overreacting or exhibiting dysfunctional behavior. Rather, I’m pointing to ironic similarities between the behaviors and emotions of clinically anxious people who struggle with these symptoms and reactions for years and the millions who are now getting a taste of what that’s like. We each have our own walk with individual challenges and discomforts. It’s easy to regard with skepticism or criticism the awkward gait of others—until we may somehow be forced to walk in their shoes.

There used to be a TV show called Undercover Boss. In this program, the CEOs of large companies posed undercover as ordinary workers in their companies to experience what life was like under their employ and how they were treated. It served as a wake-up call to identification, compassion, and behavior change for these bosses who were used to comfort, control, and command.

Without contrived scenarios, life serves up many adversities, storms, and crises that challenge us. No one escapes the challenges, crises, storms, and setbacks in life. We are confronted with choices in attitude and behavior that shape who we become and determine our resiliency and compassion. We have opportunities to develop humility and empathy, as well as to forge contributions to the well-being of others.

That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger—hopefully. And if we survive, we have much say-so in how we will become and what we will do in response to the crises.

Positive Outcomes

Despite the critical concerns confronting us with this pandemic, there are positive takeaways we can derive:

1. Being part of this crisis and experiencing varying degrees of stress and anxiety should make us more sensitive to the plight and duress of those who regularly struggle with anxiety and emotional issues. May this crisis give all of us more understanding and compassion for those regularly beset with anxiety, fear, panic, and avoidance.
2. The rapid spread of COVID-19 globally is a forceful reminder of how interconnected we are. This impresses the idea that, essentially, we are all “neighbors.” We must have increased concern for the welfare and well-being of all other people on our shared planet.
3. When privileges, freedoms, or health are compromised or restricted, it’s easy to bemoan and self-pity, to resent and to prioritize our own interests even more. However, it’s also an opportunity to be grateful for what we have and what we take for granted. The coronavirus is serious, but it hardly compares in limitations to what has happened in war times and with tyrannical and oppressive regimes. These restrictions should remind us of the tremendous freedoms and abundant resources and opportunities we normally have.
4. Enduring quarantine, isolation, sheltering in place, and the closure and absence of entertainment venues is difficult. We experience frustration, resentment, and even withdrawal. However, it’s also a wake-up call and opportunity to become more self-sufficient and develop diversity in our hobbies and abilities to entertain ourselves. To an extent, we are all dependent on media and the luxury of places to go that feed and entertain us. All well and good; but now is the time to read and write more, finish projects, and spend more intimate time with our loved ones. Building or expanding these habits can enrich lives going forward.
5. Isolation can have dramatic effects. Fear and loss of control can drive depression, anxiety, and the vicious cycle of self-medication along with biological and social withdrawal. Many people are getting an uninvited taste of the difficult lifestyles of addicts, shut-ins, and the socially fearful. On the other hand, this might also be an opportunity (along with compassionate identification) to explore oneself, grow more comfortable with being alone, become content within oneself, grow spiritually, and further appreciate the value of social contact and relationships.
6. Importantly, this pandemic alerts us to the vital necessity of investing in our health care system. The United States has advanced health care interventions and technologically state-of-the art treatments. Yet, we are painfully aware that costs and accessibility exclude a high percentage of Americans. Let this crisis serve as a political and social imperative to expand the reach and affordability of health care to our entire population.
7. In recent times, divisiveness in America has intensified. Most of us are confounded by a government that makes us wonder to what extent it really works for us. Now is the time to join forces, relay the truth, put aside differences, and work together for the good—and survival—of everyone. It’s a time to restore faith in governmental entities to protect and support us.

The coronavirus pandemic is a sobering reality and an indelible reminder of what it’s like to be very vulnerable. From this catastrophe, let’s find togetherness in the midst of social distancing, respect for the helplessness and suffering of our fellows, a new compassion and relatability for those who struggle with anxiety, fear, and isolation, and the strength and resolve to endure and grow until better days arrive.