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Humans 101
Instead of Freaking Out, Pick Up a Broom
A psychotherapist explains how to turn an existential threat into a spiritual opportunity
A recent patient of mine, himself a medical specialist, came into a session (before lockdown) in pieces. He was beside himself, broken down, distraught, and sobbing. He was immersed in worst-case catastrophizing and fully suffering the consequences. (I’ve done this myself, and it must be one of the worst feelings there is.) To myself, I called this Armageddon anxiety. I listened for about 35 minutes. As a doctor, he knew well the pathology of the virus and the numerous ways it wreaks havoc on our biology at multiple levels. In psychotherapy, we aim to hold someone in their distress without invalidating their feelings while avoiding hollow words of reassurance. I waited for a pause and said, “You are dwelling in a cataclysmic future and suffering the worst consequences of what could happen. I cannot tell you your vision of the future is wrong. I can say that doing this will not help how you feel and will not help prevent that future from befalling you.”
After a brief pause, I continued, “Now is the time for focusing on the immediate tasks at hand. You have a lot of people to look after. You have children to care for, parents, your partner, friends, patients…
