As information about Coronavirus unfolds, there can be a wide range of thoughts, feelings and reactions. Below you can find some helpful information by the Director of the ACG Counselling Center, Dr Nikos Takis and the Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Tinia Apergi.
Common Reactions
Please recognize that there can be a wide range of reactions and that over the next few days or weeks you may experience periods of:
- Difficulty concentrating and sleeping
- Anger
- Hyper-vigilance to your health and body
- Anxiety, worry, panic
- Feeling helplessness
- Social withdrawal
Ways to Manage Fears & Anxieties:
- Get the facts. Stay informed with the latest health and campus information through the health advisory.
- Keep things in perspective. Limit worry and agitation by lessening the time you spend watching or listening to upsetting media coverage. Although you’ll want to keep informed — especially if you have loved ones in affected countries — remember to take a break from watching the news and focus on the things that are positive in your life and things you have control over.
- Be mindful of your assumptions about others. Someone who has a cough or a fever does not necessarily have coronavirus. Self-awareness is important in not stigmatizing others in our community.
- Stay healthy. Adopting healthy hygienic habits such as washing your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, frequently, and certainly after sneezing or before/after touching your face or a sick person. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Avoid contact with others who are sick and stay home while sick.
- Keep connected. Maintaining social networks can help maintain a sense of normalcy, and provide valuable outlets for sharing feelings and relieving stress.
- Seek additional help. Individuals who feel an overwhelming worry or anxiety can seek additional professional mental health support.
ACG Counseling Center services for individuals asked to self-isolate: The College offers Skype counseling sessions to ACG community members (students, faculty and staff) who are self-isolating, irrespective of whether they are receiving counseling services in the Counseling Center. Counselors are graduate students in training under the direct supervision of experienced clinical faculty members. Individuals who are interested may contact the ACG Counselling Center either through e-mail ([email protected]) or via phone (210 6009800 ext. 1080) to arrange sessions.
Individuals wishing to speak with the Wellness Coordinator, Sophie Themelis, may make an appoint through e-mail ([email protected]) to arrange for a skype session.