Avoid unwanted conflicts as many are under pressure, say psychiatrists

With the lockdown being gradually lifted psychiatrists have a word of caution for public at large They are of the opinion that people should exercise restraint and be more tolerant towards others in public placesThey have also asked people to avoid unwanted conflicts and develop a more tolerant attitude With the fear of the pandemic looming they believe people should seek help from experts whenever needed and join hands to sail through the difficult timesSpeaking to midday senior psychiatrist Dr Sanjay Kumavat former deputy director mental health Government of Maharashtra said We must understand that due to the prolonged social disconnect most of the communication was happening through digital platforms without any personal interface And with every passing day the insecurity became a habit and trust a rare phenomenon as the surroundings were hostile The pandemic added fuel to mood swingsDivision of we and theyDr Kumavat added Constant exposure to COVID19 discussions talks and television visuals led to increase in negative emotions which led to clouding of wisdom in our actions and thought process The society got divided gradually into we and they mdash we being those who claim to be following the rules and have managed to safeguard themselves till now and they are those who are unsafe from the health aspect This kind of division is not healthy for a developing society as it might lead to constant arguments fights and increase intolerance So we need to be broadminded and tolerant We should be mindful of our actions thoughts words and gestures An impulsive behaviour can ignite unnecessary challenging situationsPeople facing psychological issues can reach out on these numbersHe further said Moreover public behaviour is a challenge especially when we see someone sneezing coughing or spitting unknowingly We must learn to be tolerant about these things and express our feelings in a gentle manner A harsh or insulting gesture might trigger unnecessary conflicts in social life Also unwanted conflict should be avoided as there is high probability that someone is already under tremendous pressure due to job loss financial constraints insecurity or deathTake chargeMoreover it is a fact that the lockdown has adversely impacted all domains of life irrespective of a persons class creed and socioeconomic status One needs to be mindful and people should adopt other methods of calming down like meditation yoga exercise etc The situation will change but not overnight People will have to understand that COVID19 is a part of us So the need of the hour is to take charge of things which are within our control that is peace of mind our protection and safety and most importantly taking care of our families and the society People should not feel ashamed to seek help for mental problems They should not take extreme steps if they feel they are not being able to cope with a crisis They can reach out through the roundtheclock helpline numbers he concludedDr Avinash Desousa consulting psychiatrist from Santacruz said We must understand that all of us have been going through this lockdown phase for nearly 80 days now Some might have experienced hardships due to loss of job loved ones business worries etc but getting upset impulsive or aggressive wont help you get what you are looking for It is important to have a levelheaded calm mind in such testing timesCommuters wait at a BEST bus stop at MG Road Borivli on Friday PicSatej ShindeThis lockdown is being lifted not because we have managed to get rid of COVID19 but to ensure normalcy returns amidst strict guidelines We should also understand that with majority of the migrants leaving the situation might not be the same once the businesses open up Maybe we will have to get everything done by ourselves and that might slowly become a way of life Incase of any difficulty in handling such situations mental health professionals are always around he addedSpitting a serious threatPhysician Dr Wiqar Shaikh is of the opinion that spitting in public places is a serious threat and people should follow proper hygiene in public placesHe said People need to understand that sneezing and coughing without a mask and spitting are likely to spread COVID19 With the exponential increase in cases we seem to have entered the stage of community transmission We therefore need to be strict about personal hygiene which means taking regular showers washing hands with soap using hand sanitizers and coughingsneezing wearing a mask Spitting in public places should be banned and people should be fined if found doing the sameDr Shaikh added Besides COVID19 another worry is transmission of other ailments like tuberculosis which can spread through spitting in public places To prevent monsoonrelated ailments like malaria dengue leptospirosis etc in Containment Zones the civic body should take extra care by regularly disinfecting public toilets not allowing people from venturing into flooded water and making social distancing and use of masks mandatoryCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news