Extract from ABC News
Anxiety around catching and passing on COVID-19 is well known, but GPs are now warning of alarming levels of fear in the community.
Key points:
- GPs are noticing more patients coming to their practices for anxiety
- They say many people are worried about the continuing COVID-19 pandemic
- Fear of passing on the virus to loved ones is a major concern
Doctors say Australians are telling them that they are worried about catching COVID-19 and passing it onto vulnerable relatives.
And many people in isolation or staying at home for lengthy periods of time are also increasingly wrestling with mental health concerns.
The Omicron variant has led to rising cases across most of the country, with Australia's leaders coming together for a snap National Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Ciara McDonald is a GP in Sydney's inner-west and is seeing a wave of patients turn up to her practice, sick with worry.
"I couldn't put a number on it, but it's a massive increase," Dr McDonald said.
She told ABC News that many patients often present with a niggle or two and then go on to tell her that they are also worried they are not coping.
"They might say, 'I've had a tingling in my hand, and I don't know why'," she said.
"And then they might say, 'I've also had this uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, and I'm worried that there's something more going on'.
"Or it could be, you know, 'I know that I've got anxiety and I'm not sure how to deal with it' – that might be the presentation.
"It could just be a sense of feeling very overwhelmed and upset and not able to deal with day-to-day stress and they haven't really had that before.
"So there's various ways that it happens."
Brian Morton is also a Sydney GP who sees mostly older Australians.
He said the striking aspect of anxiety around COVID-19 is that it does not let up for patients and that is something many have never had to grapple with before.
"I think there is fear about COVID, generally, and Omicron particularly because it seems to be so transmissible," he said.
"[Patients] are disappointed. They usually have the mindset that, you know, the childhood vaccines give lifelong protection, but needing three [shots] and the rapid loss of protection."
OzSAGE is a network of Australian experts from a broad range of sectors relevant to the wellbeing of Australians.
It is concerned about a warning issued by NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard — that "everyone will get Omicron" — ignores the worries of patients with cancer and other immunosuppressed people.
However, Dr Morton said he was reassured by the level of community cooperation that he has witnessed around being COVID-safe.
"I went through Chatswood [in Sydney] for example about a week ago and, as I drove down the street, there was one probably out of 100 people who wasn't wearing a mask," he said.
"So I think people are prepared to do the right thing.
"I think there is a very high degree of responsibility in the community."
Psychologist
Ellen Jackson told ABC News that Australians were feeling and
experiencing an extraordinary sense of loss of control throughout this
pandemic.
But, she said, she wanted to reassure those who were worrying excessively that there were ways to combat overwhelming anxiety.
"So much of what we're experiencing right now is outside of our control," she said.
"The best thing we can all do is really try to stay focused on what we can control.
"And that may be our own ability to manage where we are, who we're among, how well we're social distancing, using masks — those things help.
"It's just being really present in the moment, reminding ourselves that we're OK right now, we can get through the next minute, or the next hour, and the next day.
"It makes it a little easier, or a little less-likely for our brains to spiral off into thinking about all the things we can't control."
Your local GP is also someone who can help with anxiety, Dr McDonald said.
"We call it psycho-education — basically helping people understand depression and anxiety and how it affects them, and tell them they can manage this," she said.
"I think a lot of the time it does work for people just to have an understanding of what's going on."
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