La quarantine that for over twenty days has forced everyone at home, if for many it is boring, for some it is even dangerous. Locked within the walls of the house, without the possibility of going out, with an invisible enemy outside the door, one is forced to deal with one's fears, which sometimes take over.
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Perception of danger
«The ancient, deep and well-run physiological mechanism of the alarm is perfectly devised to prepare our body to react to emergency or danger situations. And in fact in this period the dangers and emergencies are not lacking: the danger of infecting us or infecting our loved ones with a disease with unpredictable outcomes, the danger of economic and social repercussions of the epidemic, and the social distancing measures that they force us to radically change our habits ", explains Professor Pietro Spagnulo, psychiatrist, cognitive behavioral psychotherapist and President of theInstitute for the Applications of Mindfulness to Psychotherapy and Medicine.
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A continuous state of alarm
Experiencing moments and states of anxiety is therefore completely normal. But problems can arise. «The first and perhaps the most widespread is the difficulty in disengaging from the state of alarm, or the tendency to be persistently absorbed by anxious thoughts, negative or catastrophic thoughts on the future, to the point of not being able to free our minds to dedicate ourselves to the important, useful and even pleasant things », continues the expert.
New conditions of life
"The second problem is given by the need to adapt to new living conditions, such as forced coexistence with partners or family members with whom we have difficult or complicated relationships, or the need to give up behaviors that performed soothing or crucial functions for our equilibrium. For these problems we can do a lot, indeed, we can take the opportunity to improve some aspects of our life»Comments Professor Spagnulo.
Article Mindfulness in practice: here's why it helps manage anxiety (even in quarantine) seems to be the first of iO Woman.
