In times of uncertainty and panic, it can bring out the worst of our mental health, especially when the world is gripped by a pandemic. Many people make the mistake in believing that individuals who have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are better at dealing with a pandemic than anyone else because people wrongly assume their obsession with cleaning and organizing can help them.
On the contrary, having OCD can actually make it much more difficult to get through a pandemic. For those struggling with their OCD during these hard times, here are some coping techniques to help you through:
Limit News Exposure
While it’s imperative to stay informed on the latest updates of a pandemic to understand new guidelines and developments, it’s also important for your mental health to not overdo it. If you are a person who struggles with OCD, listening to news updates constantly can cause more harm than good. Create rules for yourself by limiting looking at the news to one or two times a day and make sure they are trustworthy sources like the World Health Organization (WHO).
Stick to the Recommendations
Many of the obstacles you have overcome with coping with your OCD can feel threatened when a pandemic strikes. When the experts say the best way of avoiding the virus is to continuously wash your hands, it can be an easy trigger for individuals with OCD. This is why it is important to listen to the advice of health experts and wash your hands, but only as much as they recommend. Make a conscious thought to decide whether your actions to wash your hands or clean surfaces is due to limiting the spread of the virus or if it is brought on by anxious thoughts.
Give Yourself a Break
Although your mental health should always be a priority, give yourself a break now and then. If you have a slip up in times like this it’s important not to be too hard on yourself. Know that it is to be expected. This is a situation that no one is truly prepared for so it can be difficult to cope with the presence of a global pandemic as well as your OCD. If you find yourself regressing and giving into anxiety, remember that to give yourself a break and that future will be better.
This article was originally published on HerrickLipton.net
Published by Herrick Lipton | New York City
Herrick Lipton, the CEO of New Horizon Counseling Center, believes that behavioral health is the focal point of healthcare. Ensuring emotional and mental stability is not only vitally important in its own merit, but it also keeps people from neglecting or abusing their physical health. Providing tools for behavioral health means providing the foundation for a long, healthy life.
Ever since Herrick Lipton got involved in NHCC as a teenager, he has focused on not only removing the stigmas surrounding behavioral healthcare, but improving options and ease of access for thousands of clients every year. Herrick was the administrative and financial director of NHCC for many years and has always made it his mission to listen to the needs of his local community. For example, in August of 2014, Herrick worked with local government officials to strategically approach the opening of Howard Beach Outpatient Clinic: what would improve its outreach and overall status as a local resource? The answer was all in the location. Moving out of a nondescript building into an accessible storefront model helped remove the clinic’s stigma and make its purpose more clear to people who might need it.
Herrick Lipton works within numerous aspects of behavioral health through his role at NHCC, including developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s and elder care, alcohol and substance abuse, and mental illnesses in children, adolescents, and adults. One of his first realizations after becoming CEO of NHCC was the need for diversification; every behavioral health issue has its own unique set of needs, so every issue should have its own targeted program. That’s why Herrick works on not only revamping existing programs, but creating new ones that more directly help patients.
As we move toward integrated healthcare delivery systems across the board, Herrick is working to make behavioral healthcare a key component. From better outreach (NHCC has grown from 800 to 6,000 clients under Herrick’s watch) to simply encouraging people to take the first step, Herrick Lipton is constantly trying to share education and awareness about the importance of behavioral healthcare.
Herrick has managed to make NHCC thrive in a time where many behavioral health organizations unfortunately fold under mismanagement or lack of funding. His executive direction has resulted in license renewals, massive grants, and governmental citations, all of which point to a bright future not just for NHCC, but for thousands of patients in the New York area.
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