What does that mean?
If they can have a checklist of how to function with a perceived threat, it feel much safer and easier to navigate. That sounds great, since we have all sorts of rules in this pandemic to provide that, correct?
So that should really help..... except it doesn’t. Here are a few reasons why...... One is hyper vigilance, many of these challenges come with the ability to see everything that could possibly be a threat and then instantaneously sort it. This helps create a sort of a template for approaching danger. This matters because they are in a constant state of hyper vigilance and in order to effectively cope with life, they create a sorting process of dangers. These people may be some of the brightest minds you might know, but they walk a fragile sort of existence.
Let’s enter a pandemic, or at least a perceived pandemic, one where media is constantly bombarding this person with the dangers. Now we have a significant increase in hyper arousal, and fear. The scanning for danger increases, but now they don’t know where it is, which means a VERY large increase in fear.
Another tool relied heavily on for these people is facial, body and voice recognition. So they are scanning body language, voice inflection and facial expressions. Now we add masks. Masks impede voice inflection, and facial expressions, which makes other body language far more difficult to read. This alone can put someone into a state of fear. But many of these people have developed coping strategies that through these same means, facial expression, tone of voice, they can soothe their own constant hyper arousal. But now when they go out, they are bombarded with fear, advertisements on the radio, signage in each business, “snitch lines”, fines etc, all to reinforce the fear.
Now what has been lost in navigating this overwhelming regular state of panic is connection with people, no smile from a stranger, or friendly conversation in a checkout line. Very concerning because There is no longer a way to escape the fear, grief or depression from the constant overwhelm of these emotions. Simple strategies like taking your kids out the park with friends(because we have closed those parks), walking through the mall and feeling the energy (you can do that, but you are completely alone, no faces), going to the gym to clear some of that excess fear energy (unless you have money and can afford a personal trainer each time you go). I could go on about coping mechanisms, but I think you get the idea.
We have essentially removed the healthy ones. So what do we have left to help sort the normal day to day life hyper arousal and awareness as well as the pandemic emotions and fear?
First of all it depends on the person and how they are able to cope and how much money they.......🤔 Hhhhmmmm that seems concerning..
One person might dive into compliance as a away to feel less helpless, but if they do, it is possible that fear and anger from any non compliance could be very high and could possibly lead to some very destructive actions, so that they maintain their feeling of safety. They may be so afraid that they are unable to work or go out, or they may feel safe enough with their construct of rules that they can. They may constantly bombard others with the “why are you so selfish” messages, in hopes that others will recognize their needs and help calm their fear by joining the compliance. They have no concept of how this may damage any demographic but themselves, why? Fear is too deep.
Another person may feel so completely overwhelmed by the myriad of rules and details, that in order to cope they must ignore them all. Now, this response stems from an overload of fear stimulating actions required to now operate on a basic level in society. That can leave them with complete overwhelm to the point of breakdown, similar to the above who copes by over protection, this copes by being incapable of managing any more protective measures than they are already navigating to keep mental health state.
We may see a number of different approaches here, angry flagrant opposition, quiet noncompliance coping. Either way we have a person struggling to navigate all the pieces society requires. Similarlysending messages to other to join their method of coping.
Either way both are struggling to navigate the fear, aggression and constant bombardment of the issues.
After writing this, it struck me that most of us may fall into this category, unable to process the fear and losses of human connection, like breathing in a smile and conversation with a friend or stranger like fresh air.........Feeling safe to walk out the door of your home, take a night off and go for dinner and some live music, get a rush from a good workout, or just go to work and provide for your family without fear....
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