HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 5 (ACN) The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong psychological impact on people’s lives and led to stressful and, at times, overwhelming situations, hence the importance of taking measures to cope with it according to the codes that the new normal requires.
In this regard, Doctor in Psychological Sciences Edelsys Hernandez Melendrez, vice-president of the Behavioral Medicine working group of the Cuban Society of Health Psychology, told ACN that now we have to strengthen our resources to solve problems effectively.
“We have to return to normalcy without neglecting any health promotion and disease prevention measures,” she said. “The pandemic is still out there, so we must strive to avoid infection, keep wearing mask and respecting social distancing, and take care of the most vulnerable, namely our children, elderly and sick people.”
Dr. Hernández, who also chairs the Psychocardiology Working Group and the Cuban Network of Psychocardiology, pointed out that there are cognitive and behavioral coping strategies that we can use to manage obligations perceived as overwhelming, since our ability to cope does not only involve the practical resolution of problems, but also our capacity to manage emotions and stress. In other words, it’s about changing our behavior depending on the situation at hand.
“In these times of pandemic, evaluations are very important, since people may have symptoms that they tend to downplay, ascribing them to common cold or food poisoning rather than seeing a doctor,” she added.
She explained that we deal with our ailments in different ways, either through denial, the resolution of concrete problems, the preparation for future alternatives and the search for information, social support, and a meaning for the disease.
“In the face of COVID-19, it is necessary to go to the hospital and request social support from friends, family and coworkers who can provide instrumental, informational and emotional assistance,” she concluded.
