The Cororna virus is the talk of the town, nay, the world and it can be an incredibly scary time to be someone suffering from OCPD or germophobia or both. On one end is the fear of contracting it, and on the other end is the fear of transmitting it, which can both be terribly harrowing. As I write this, I hear someone coughing in some corner of the office, and I can’t help but wonder, if this is the dreaded CoV lurking around, waiting to pounce on me.
What’s even worse is my aversion towards anyone who has the faintest semblance of being sick, including my own family members (who haven’t been keeping too well of late). And I can’t help but wonder, if this makes me the worst person to have walked on this planet, given my abject lack of altruism and gross fear towards someone who is simply unwell (for no fault of theirs).
I want to arm myself with a mask and sanitizer at all times, keep any remotely sick person away from my bay, but I’m also afraid of being judged, of being seen as a lunatic who cannot stop obsessing over germs and contamination, and of being misunderstood for a heartless neurotic who cannot feel any empathy. Unfortunately 150 mg of sertraline isn’t helping much either. The fear is real and the paranoia is all consuming.
How are you coping with this debilitating feeling? Sometimes, I wonder if being hypomanic would help, if it would shield me with a sense of invincibility, but when has it ever arrived at a time when it’s needed the most?
Mental Health with Milana 