Articles by Chris Trondsen

Visit: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health to watch the video news segment on the way in which the Coronavirus is impacting the OCD community. You can also click the link to read the full article as well. Below is an excerpt from the news article:

“OCD Patients Battling Heightened Fears Amid Spread of the Coronavirus”

Local therapist says there are not enough providers to help the people who need it. Fears of the coronavirus are spreading as fast as the new virus, as it creeps into communities from abroad. But a metro Atlanta therapist said she’s seen those with mental health diagnoses battling their own particular fears.

Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD) therapist Shala Nicely told 11Alive many of the 2.2 million Americans who struggle with the disorder now have even more heightened fears with the coronavirus outbreak.

“Even before coronavirus, just worries about the flu can keep people with OCD from going out and participating in activities that they might otherwise enjoy,” Nicely explained.

Nicely said while many may think of those with OCD as people who like to be “extra clean and have things organized,” in reality, she said it’s the tenth-most debilitating medical condition in the world.

“People become locked in this mental prison which they can’t escape,” she said. “Those people look at the world as a very dangerous place.”

“Behavior Modeling” is one method used to treat OCD, Nicely explained. But the guidelines on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus may actually trigger fears for OCD patients, she said. 

For example, the CDC’s advice to frequently wash hands may lead those with OCD – who may wash their hands a hundred times a day – feel justified in doing so.

“For individuals with OCD, it’s been a constant state of fear,” admitted Christopher Trondsen, who has been diagnosed with OCD. 

He told 11Alive many can normally talk themselves down when people cough around them. But the sight of people wearing masks, the international travel advisories, and the cases now here in the U.S. raises many individuals with OCD’s anxiety to a new level.

“People are dying from it, and many feel like there is nothing they can do, and they feel out of control about it,” he said.

However, Nicely said there are two things people can do. 

First, she advised people manage their information intake, meaning they should limit how often they check the news or social media for coronavirus updates. Setting a boundaries to once a day or every other day could be helpful, she said. 

She also recommended people keep reminding themselves that following the CDC and World Health Organization guidelines are in their control, and that is enough to keep most people safe.

For more information, visit the International OCD Foundation’s website: http://www.iocdf.org 

The above video features IOCDF Ambassadors Ethan Smith, Shala Nicely, LPC, and Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT for a Town Hall discussion about how COVID-19 is affecting the OCD community. Be sure to watch!

The IOCDF are here to support the OCD community during this difficult time. As such, they’ve created new resources for those with OCD, their family members, and professionals on dealing with COVID-19. Check them out at iocdf.org/covid19, and be sure to watch the above video–a special Town Hall about OCD and the coronavirus.