Ways to control anxiety amidst coronavirus

SALISBURY, Md. – Despite the pandemonium at some grocery stores, health officials are saying there is no need to panic. 47 ABC spoke with a clinical psychologist in Salisbury who says it’s normal to be anxious about this kind of situation.

Dr. Michael Finegan says two main factors cause anxiety: the perception of threat and the degree of control we have over that threat. He says the first step to control that anxiety is to recognize when you have control. That can be as easy as getting accurate information through sources like the CDC.

“We want to have good information to make decisions. When we do that, we have control. We have choice and that reduces anxiety,” says Dr. Michael Finegean, the executive director of Peninsula Mental Health.

Finegan also says emotional threats cause anxiety which some people may experience at a time like this because they are worried about their loved ones getting sick.