Students’ Helpdesk of the Centre of Psychological Counselling

Dear students of the Catholic University of Croatia

A crisis situation is usually sudden and unexpected, followed by a loss of control. It is overwhelmed with emotions, difficulties in one’s cognitive functioning and bodily reactions, which may reflect on one’s behaviour.

Facing the coronavirus has all the characteristics of a crisis situation and therefore it is expected to have an impact on the mental health of individuals.

Possible symptoms include:

Emotional: sadness, anxiety, anger, depression, irritability…

Cognitive: pessimism, catastrophising, rumination, worry…

Physical: fatigue, headache, gastrointestinal problems, insomnia…

Behavioural: obsessive reading of information, including unverified information, conflicts with others, excessive preoccupation with the possibility of infection (constant checking of bodily sensations, steady calls to the physician, purchasing and accumulating unnecessary things…) or on the other hand, excessive relaxedness concerning a possible infection, or lack of care for one’s own or somebody else’s health…

 

What Can Be Helpful?

• be aware that sadness, anxiety, anger and similar emotions are normal reactions in such circumstances and that many feel this way
• seek support from other people
• do things that we do as a rule to help us when we feel down, e.g. exercise, read books, listen to music, talk to members of the family or friends…
• try to organise your leisure time – this may be an opportunity for you to read the books you have wanted to read for some time, review or learn a foreign language, put order in your wardrobe, etc.
• avoid harmful behaviour e.g. drinking a lot of coffee, smoking, consuming alcohol or drugs, overeating…
• be aware that the symptoms may last some time, but will become less severe as time passes
• should you feel the need to get professional help, seek it, e.g. if the stress symptoms affect your functioning, if they become so severe that they become unbearable
• plus the most important thing, FOLLOW AND COMPLY WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NATIONAL CIVIL PROTECTION HEADQUARTERS

 

The Centre of Psychological Counselling is unable to organise meetings but is here for you. You can contact them by e-mail:

• psih.savjetovaliste@unicath.hr
• psiholoskapodrska@unicath.hr

 

If you feel that a close person of yours may benefit from a conversation with professionals from our psychological team, please forward them these e-mail addresses.