Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
I can only imagine what this corona is doing to those 40 million adults [and many, many more!! And what about the children???]. The fear of disease, death and the tremendous financial crisis in which we find ourselves and we can't know where it will end, can send people off the edge. Just writing this makes me anxious!!
So, I can't talk as one who has ever had any anxiety disorder or ever taken any medication for anything of the sort [although I have had root canal and that made me pretty anxious]. By nature, I am very positive which is very helpful. Sometimes I am accurate with my positive outlook while at others times really distressing things happen. But even in the latter case - why should one both suffer the dread of a horrible future event and then suffer the event itself? I would rather be oblivious in the meantime and when it comes - grin and bear it.
But as an emotionally healthy human being who is feeling a natural amount of anxiety over this situation and the fate of the free world, I will share some thoughts.
- First of all, one can google "coronavirus anxiety" and find a lot of material and good advice. [I disabled pictures on my Internet "google chrome" so I am not afraid of immodest images. If you have pictures, then beware as many sites have immodest images]. You can do that and find coping mechanisms. See here.
- Second: A personal note. Over the years, the need to support my family has made me anxious. I never earned enough to feed them and that is SCARY. Yet, nobody in my family has missed a meal yet [due to lack of funds - on fast days we skip meals out of our own volition]. How is this so? People often ask me "how do you make it?"
The answer is that for many years Hashem sent a shaliach who helped me through the rough times. Close to ten years ago this shaliach chose to stop his holy work. NOW WHAT? Somehow, some way - Hashem got me though every day!! Really. Something always happened to make sure that rent and utilities were paid and food was purchased. PILEI PILEI PILEI PLAOS!! And it is not just me who has such a story. LOADS OF PEOPLE DO!
So I say to myself: The SAME Hashem that got me until this day will take me forward in the future [if He chooses]. Worrying won't help AT ALL!! We delude ourselves into thinking that somehow worry will in some way mend the situation. Otherwise why would we do such a SILLY, HARMFUL thing?? BUT IT DOESN'T!!! It just makes things worse. [Tracht gut vet zein gut has a source in the Zohar Hakadosh - hopefully for a future post].
So one can look into the past and get strength that just like we as individuals got through rough times and the world also got through rough times - we can get through this [if Hashem chooses].
- Third: Focus on the now. There is SO MUCH to gain from this time. Connecting to family [six feet away...], friends [via phone, email, etc,], learning more [if one is now working from home the travel time can be used for learning], davening longer and with more kavana [because one doesn't have to follow the pace of the shul which is often very fast] etc. etc. etc. We have NO WAY of knowing what will be - so don't waste time and energy thinking about it.
- Fourth: Bitachon brings calm!!!
Reporter to Trump: So, what do you say Americans who are scared, I guess? Nearly 200 dead and 14,000 who are sick and millions as you witness who are scared right now, what do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?
Trump: I say that you are a terrible reporter, that's what I say. I think it's a very nasty question. I think it's a very bad signal that you are putting out to the American people. They're looking for answers and they're looking for hope. And you're doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Concast -- I don't call it Comcast I call it Concast. Let me just, who do you work, let me just say something. That's really bad reporting. And you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. Let's see if it works. It might and it might not. I happen to feel good about it, but who knows? I've been right a lot.
The President is nebuch under more pressure than he has even been under in his whole life. So his normally combative-hyper-sensitive personality is being triggered. He really has NO IDEA how to stop this and what will be. And the American people are looking to HIM for salvation. I DON'T envy him. He is extremely anxious and under ATOMIC pressure.
But we aren't looking to him. We are looking to Him. Hashem is running the show and Hashem loves us. So learn a sefer like חובות הלבבות שער הבטחון and CHILL. It is OK. He knows where this is going. This doesn't mean that everything will turn out sweet and perfect as we hope. It DOES mean that there is a purpose and that this cataclysmic world changing event is certainly part of a master plan. So just go with the flow. There is nothing else to do.
- Fifth: There is an expression: צרת רבים חצי נחמה - The distress of the masses is a half of a consolation. Why? How does it help if others are suffering? The answer is [among others] THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE. If the economy tanks, then it tanks for everybody. If it tanks for everybody then we will help each other out. We are all in this together. When one person loses his job, then others can be apathetic. When it is happening to everyone it is impossible to be apathetic. [What is the difference between a depression and a recession? A recession is when other people lose their jobs. A depression is when YOU lose your job].
It is like [in a much smaller way of course - no comparison] Hurricane Sandy and the like. Those who lost their homes were hosted by those who still had their homes. Those who had nothing to eat were fed by those who had extra food. We hope that if it comes to that then we will all be there for each other. The government already extended the tax return deadline, showing an understanding for people's difficulties. This is one of the myriad of examples of the fact that the צרת רבים makes things easier. If you were having a personal difficulty then the extension would not have been extended - it is only because we are in a common, international state of distress.
- Sixth: Humor and music. Try to find the humor in life [not that people dying is funny in any way]. I thought of a great book title: From "Linkedin to Lockedin - How The World Was Transformed Within Weeks". That is a cute way of viewing difficult situation. Good music [if you enjoy music] can also really help. It helps me. BARUCH HASHEM FOR THE GIFT OF HUMOR AND HEARING!!
- Seventh - Count your blessings. YOU HAVE TRILLIONS!!!! [Like every healthy cell of your own and your loved ones. We are already heavy into the trillions]. [That explains the title of the post - Eight plus trillions of tips.] Indoor plumbing [makes the lock in much more pleasant]. Food. A warm bed. And the list goes on and on and on ad infinitum. Instead of focusing on what ISN'T - focus on what is].
- Eighth: Scientists revealed BEFORE corona that within a mere one hundred years there will be an almost COMPLETE turnover in the worlds population!! We are ALL terminal. This world is but a waiting room for the next. We are all going to live FOREVER!! Just not here... So we should fall out of love with this world and INTO LOVE with eternity and those acts that create eternity.
The end of the matter, everything having been heard, fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the entire man.
For every deed God will bring to judgment-for every hidden thing, whether good or bad.
