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Let's talk about mask anxiety.
A confusing thing is that anxiety doesn't necessarily feel like being nervous or edgy. If you, like me, are claustrophobic, and your anxiety leads to a panic attack, it feels like you're going to die.
Good news: You're not going to die. https://twitter.com/marklewismd/status/1276338122536570881
A confusing thing is that anxiety doesn't necessarily feel like being nervous or edgy. If you, like me, are claustrophobic, and your anxiety leads to a panic attack, it feels like you're going to die.
Good news: You're not going to die. https://twitter.com/marklewismd/status/1276338122536570881
Some of the language used by anti-mask people is pure politics, and that's not great—the polarized reality of politics-as-rooting-for-the-home-team is destructive in ordinary times, indefensible in the time of a pandemic.
But there's another thread I keep seeing in the discourse
But there's another thread I keep seeing in the discourse
People are positive, SURE, that a cloth or surgical mask is somehow interfering with their ability to breathe. There are fanciful conspiracy theories about carbon dioxide, even deadly carbon monoxide (CO poisoning happens because of combustion, like a faulty stove, not breathing)
As a claustrophobic, I know that feeling of terror, your brain falsely being sure you can't breathe. I felt it in an MRI scanner. If you've ever had an MRI, you know about the little squeezy ball they give you in case of an emergency. I squeezed it. I had to get out.
Unfortunately, overcoming anxiety is not just a matter of knuckling down. If it were a mind-over-matter situation, merely being stubborn would be enough to manage it. As a stubborn person, let me tell you: It's not enough.
But, do I wear a mask? Yes. Here's how I managed it.
But, do I wear a mask? Yes. Here's how I managed it.
I bought a few kinds of masks. The ones I bought first were too small. They pulled my ears too much; they were too tight over my mouth and nose. I tried others. My favorites are ones made by Alessandro Mello: https://www.instagram.com/le_mellophoto They tie in back and have a roomier shape.
I practiced. I wore a mask for a few minutes at a time at home when didn't have to go anywhere. Then I'd take it off. "Exposure therapy" for phobias isn't really a thing you should attempt at home alone, typically, but if you're just uncomfortable in a mask, practicing helps.
Remind yourself: Masks are safe, and you're safe. A bunch of doctors on #medtwitter have demonstrated, using a pulse oximeter, that the amount of oxygen in your blood remains stable wearing a mask. Sometimes facts aren't enough, but keep it in mind: You're safe.
(Talking to yourself sometimes feels silly. That's okay! All your feelings are okay to have about this. No one really *likes* a mask, but you're wearing one for a good reason. Remind yourself of this too. You're doing a good thing. Mask-wearing is noble.)
Start with low-stakes outings. Don't throw on a mask and do three weeks of grocery shopping in a big burst. I went outside in the evenings, when it had cooled off, and walked the dog at first. If it started to feel like too much and I was alone, I could pull it off for a minute.
Then I'd put it back on. Wearing one started to feel more normal. Not great! Never really great, but practice helped me not constantly be aware of it. I could think about other things, breathe in and out automatically. (Good job autonomic nervous system!!)
Here's a Psychology Today article about this issue: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/erasing-stigma/202006/how-combat-mask-anxiety
Here's a helpful Ask Metafilter thread: https://ask.metafilter.com/343757/Help-me-wear-a-mask
So, takeaways? Wear a mask. You should wear a mask. It kind of sucks! That's not an excuse not to do it, though. I hate to get all "we live in a society" here, but we do live in a society, and that means being responsible when it comes to everybody's health.
Wear a mask.
Wear a mask.
