Overlooked side effects of the corona pandemic

>> First lockdown: It was a special experience when I went to my ordination on Stephansplatz in the center of Vienna on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, quite lonely. Instead of the usual crowds of people, there is now an unforgettable atmosphere of peace. Shops remained closed and the numerous offices remained empty. My colleagues, including the secretary, were already working from home. All of my patients appeared to have no problems. Nevertheless, I decided to switch my work to remote as well. This was accepted just as calmly and relaxed.
Spring 2021: In preparation for this article, I am looking at the documents from my lecture at the University of Vienna in June 2021 on the topic of psychological stress in society. The mood was now heated, statistics on test numbers, incidences of test positives, inpatient admissions and deaths were presented every day. Fear was stoked.
The media also liked to report on increases in domestic violence, mental disorders and rampant loneliness.
Sowohl die Sprecherin der Frauenhäuser wie auch der Chef der Wiener psychosozialen Dienste, einer der größten derartigen Versorgungseinrichtungen Österreichs, stimmten den kursierenden Berichten über eine dramatische Entwicklung nicht zu (1,2). Die Erfahrungen der ersten Lockdowns widersprachen so der medialen Berichterstattung und sind inzwischen gut belegt (3,4).
The fact that people behave differently in exceptional situations was also not taken into account. There was a lot of solidarity and support for fellow human beings, even in the big city, which also reduced fears.
There was even some relief. Here are practical examples: a student with anorexia experiences relaxation through external deceleration, a civil servant with anxiety disorder regrets the early end of the lockdown, others enjoy time in family life.
Aus medizinisch-psychiatrischer Sicht ba-
sierten die horrenden Zahlen von schweren
Depressionen damals auf Screening-Tests ohne notwendige Verifizierung der Diagnose. Es entstand das Bild, die ganze Bevölkerung sei von Depressionen, Ängsten, Isolation und entsprechenden Störungen betroffen.
Waren wir nun fast alle krank geworden, nämlich nicht durch das Virus, sondern auch noch von den diversen repressiven Maßnahmen, die doch von vielen als notwendig und sinnvoll eingestuft worden waren und teilweise bis heute werden?
In der Psychiatrie erklären wir psychische Dekompensation und Erkrankungen als eine Kombination einer individuellen psychophysischen Disposition und einem multifakto-riellen Stressgeschehen bei Versagen der Copingstrategien über die Zeit.
For some people, this usually only occurred after numerous lockdowns, social discrimination, economic worries, increasing social tensions, etc.
The media then praised the need for therapy, which contributed to a rupture of the dam.
Denn nach gesellschaftlichen Verwerfun-gen entstand so die subjektive Legitimation zur Inanspruchnahme therapeutischer Leistun-
gen (1.2020 -– 6. 2022: ca. + 50%); (5). Psychotherapeutische Praxen wurden geradezu gestürmt, das galt auch für psychiatrische Behandlungen. Anamnestische Untersuchungen zeigten allerdings, dass viele Erkrankungen oder Störungen bereits Jahre bestanden, und es für schwer Erkrankte schwierig machte, noch Hilfe zu finden.
Vaccination: Conversely, there are hardly any studies on the change in psychological stability with the start of the vaccination, as there was now hope for normalization. The political promises were enormous. However, in addition to the relief at possible protection, many people were also very skeptical about the quickly developed miracle weapon and therefore hesitated.
Social destabilization, beginning to lose solidarity: From 2021 onwards, in addition to the existing physical threat of infection, lockdowns and the exclusion of people without vaccination protection were added. Feelings of guilt arose: it was said that grandchildren could kill their grandparents, unvaccinated people were responsible for the pandemic, and the aggressive and discriminatory attribution of those who initially waited to be immunized or were simply unsettled is well known. (6, 7).
Boosters: The third vaccination was now necessary. Those who were only vaccinated twice, as originally planned, were now excluded from social life. The Austrian Medical Association considered compulsory corona vaccination for doctors to practice their profession and required a triple vaccination to enter the chamber.
Compulsory vaccination: With a planned compulsory vaccination, the division finally reached a climax. This was decided in Austria in 2022, but was not executed. But what did this mean for the citizens? A law that is not enforced still de facto means that the unvaccinated people are in the wrong and feelings of shame were provoked.
The break in society and in many families became more and more evident in everyday life, and the disappointment of countless people continued to increase. However, behind the anger, rage and disappointment there ultimately lies a lot of quiet sadness, triggered by the state and politics.
Bis heute werden in vielen Fällen diverse medizinische Beschwerden nach Impfungen weder gemeldet noch anerkannt. Viele dieser Menschen waren überzeugt, das Richtige getan zu haben und leiden heute sehr unter dem ignoranten oder meist abwertenden Umgang mit ihnen. Dies spiegelt sich in Kommentaren wie diesen wider:
… “I will never trust them again”, … “I will never get vaccinated again”,
... “everything they promised was wrong in the end”.
Aus meiner Sicht haben wir inzwischen tatsächlich ein veritables Problem in der Gesellschaft. Heute sprechen wir über Lockdowns, Infektionsfolgen, aber kaum über die Folgen des politischen Umgangs mit der Bevölkerung und die psychischen Folgen für Individuen und ganze Familien.
It is understandable that most people now just want to forget, but further polarization can already be observed in the current crises. <<

literature
Online: https://t1p.de/4klqu