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Under the pandemic, people need psychological and spiritual support.
During the closely watched epidemic in Shanghai, the psychological condition of citizens has received great attention from the outside world. According to the surging news report a few days ago, a Shanghai psychological hotline operator said that the number of calls related to the epidemic has increased significantly recently, accounting for 70% or 80% of the total. Earlier this month, after a day of night shifts, the operator found that the calls received that day were related to the epidemic. Under the epidemic, it is an indisputable fact that Shanghai citizens' demand for psychological counseling and even psychological assistance has risen.
At present, the pressure of epidemic prevention in Shanghai is relatively large, many people have been in a state of mental tension for a long time, and many people have fallen into anxiety and confusion. People need to talk and accompany, especially those who are isolated at home alone, and when they suddenly have to face a different way of life than usual, there will inevitably be emotional ups and downs. These emotions have a long backlog, which can easily evolve into psychological problems and even endanger physical health.
Image source: Visual China
Judging from the people's reactions, the first psychological problem that needs to be paid attention to is the fear and uneasiness in the face of the epidemic. The epidemic in Shanghai is menacing, and it has indeed exceeded the expectations of many people. Many citizens who are isolated at home are not fully prepared psychologically. The speed and scope of the spread of the new crown pneumonia virus in Shanghai has also made many people feel uneasy.
However, we should also see that in addition to the fear of the virus itself, the uncertainty of the future is also an important psychological problem that plagues the citizens of Shanghai. In the face of long-term closure, the psychology of some citizens has been constantly changing, from the initial calm response to unspeakable anxiety. In the media reports, we can see the real voice from the citizens: "At the beginning, I had a very good mentality, and I felt that it was nothing to seal for a week or two... It turned out that there was no food to buy, and the number of confirmed cases had been increasing, and it was only then that I realized that things were not good. Some people kept asking: "Will I be banned?" What happens after it is sealed? "Of course, those who answer the psychological hotline cannot assert the changes in the epidemic situation, but can only give the necessary comfort and emotional reasonable guidance to the helper from the perspective of psychological counseling."
These emotional and psychological channeling and comforts can help help help seekers in a depressed and anxious state to achieve inner peace. Spiritual health and emotional stability have a positive meaning for people. Only by reducing mental trauma and psychological problems can we prevent the epidemic from causing "secondary harm" to Shanghai citizens, better inspire people, and gain the determination and confidence to defeat the epidemic.
Psychologically speaking, negative emotions are not produced in a day, and the long-term backlog of negative energy is huge and often difficult to eliminate in the short term. Therefore, these professionals who answer the psychological hotline play more of the role of "spiritual masseurs", who, like the medical staff who save the lives of patients in hospitals, are a role that cannot be ignored in epidemic prevention and control.
Image source: Visual China
In this regard, we should also note that psychological counselors themselves also need to get the necessary psychological protection. In the process of epidemic prevention, they listened to a lot of negative feelings and also undertook a lot of psychological pressure. Emotional care and life support for them are also very necessary.
Written by Huang Shuai
Editor/Ren Guanqing
Produced by China Youth Daily and China Youth Network