These are crazy times. Amidst the widening economic, social and health crisis associated with the spread of the COVID-19 disease there has been a lot of hysterical reports in the media about so-called panic buying in the shops and how people are acting irrationally on the high street. I wonder whether such reporting is actually proving to be counterproductive. When people hear stories about so-called ‘panic buying’ they begin to think whether they should be following suit. A herd mentality ensues. I haven’t witnessed such panic in the shops. There have been longer queues in the shops but this is be expected with so much talk of social distancing and potentially self isolating in order to protect against contracting the virus. It is entirely appropriate to make preparations for potential leaner times ahead with so much uncertainty.
Panic, on the other hand, occurs when people are caught up in a building where fire breaks out. That is real panic, when it literally becomes a matter of life and death. What I see on the high street is rational decision-making in the stockpiling of essentials since the chances of having to self-isolate in the near future are reasonably high. What are people expected to do? Leave their cupboards at home half bare? Stockpiling might not be very fair – since those who are fit and well and, indeed, wealthy enough are better placed for such behaviour – but stockpiling is entirely rational. People experiencing fear and worry will seek to gain control in some way in their lives by preparing for what might be an insecure time in the future.
As well as not being fair stockpiling could be considered inherently selfish as it follows a me-first approach. It addresses our individual hierarchy of needs (for food, security, shelter and so on) and doesn’t take account of those less able to stockpile to have their individual needs met. However, at times of perceived scarcity people will adopt a hunter gatherer approach and that is partly what is being played out in the shops. The psychological payoff for stockpiling is acquiring emotional comfort and a sense of security, however tenuous that might be, and a sense of having control but this is not the same as what would be considered ‘panic buying’.
Things could get really bad in the months ahead. It is an anxious times. Greater social support will be needed to cope on a personal level with the health crisis as the virus spreads. There are now less extended family networks and more private and isolated living. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of people living on their own went up by 16% to 7.7 million between 1997 and 2017, while the UK population increased by only 13%. However, technology could be the means of expanding local social networks. It is the quality of our social support structures, and our self care regime, that keeps us in good mental health in ordinary times. In times of a health crisis it is even more crucial that these social structures are maintained and even boosted. Smartphones, so often portrayed as the cause of so many mental health problems, could actually be the means of connecting with others in local communities whether it is by joining forum meetings, whatsapp groups and chatting to others using video conferencing. Smartphones are now an essential component of modern living, not a luxury, and are a best defence against the very real dangers of social isolation.
A health crisis may force us to face our own fears of mortality. That is why it is important that you reach out to connect with others and to share your fears in a supportive environment. This could help to keep perspective about the risks associated with the spread of the virus rather than jumping to conclusions or discounting the positive when thinking of the future. The technical term for this kind of thinking is to have ‘cognitive distortions’. That is not to say that there is a real cause for worry ahead. However, cognitive distortions are thoughts that cause individuals to perceive reality inaccurately. So, to avoid such distorted thinking it is best to stay focused as best as we can on the facts and not on our fears in order to maintain perspective. Distorted thinking is when we let fear take over and we don’t think straight.
More people will be working from home in the immediate future. This assumes, of course, that people will have the option and the capability to work from home. Some won’t have the physical space whilst others might not be able to carry out their work at home. Working from home could also bring more pressures on relationships and family units in the absence of so many distractions that might ordinarily mask interpersonal problems. Going into the office, watching sports, going to the pub and so on might not offer the distractions from fully engaging in relationships and this could produce tensions in primary relationships. The absence of an external structure will need to be replaced by the discipline of an internal structure and this is when people with pre-existing mental health conditions, and addictions, will be particularly vulnerable during this period of disruption.
It is important to stay up to date on government advice during this time of crisis. See the NHS website for information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) and stay at home advice.
Noel Bell is a UKCP accredited psychotherapist based in Central London and online.
