The Role of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Spirituality During the Covid-19 Pandemic
This article embodies the psychological impact on a patient of COVID-19. This article presents a case study. In this regard, a patient was selected. Currently, he has recovered. Two domains of irrational beliefs and Spirituality in the process of healing were evaluated.
The pandemic has cast its spread in the entire world. Researches have come up with the conclusion that mental health sufferings will heighten as its adversity. It has resulted in widespread transitions in every individual’s life, encompassing daily timetables to social distancing. Stress is commonly found about not merely health but also job and earning. Daily wage workers find it difficult to make both ends meet. psychological adversities such as anxiousness, fear, pity and Depression are prevalent. The wearing of masks is now deemed as ‘’new normal’’. Several people are not compliant enough in following the safety protocols.
Psychotherapy
The 2nd wave is more intensified than the 1st and consequently requires psychologists and doctors to play an active role in dealing with mental well-being emergencies. Psychotherapies have to be modified per individual needs. Stresses of acquiring the disease, social isolation, career misfortune are dealt with. In such a context, the probability of suffering from psychological adversities is unrestrained. Therefore, the contribution of psychotherapy is inevitable in working out this COVID-19 emergency.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
CBT has proved to contribute an inevitable role in coping with psychological adversities. It relieves the burden by enabling the client to manage stress. This consequently promotes the state of being at ease. Masses experience uncertainty. They are unsure about what needs to be done and the accuracy of their course of action. This occurs due to the pressure and fears prevalent everywhere in society. CBT enables an individual to gain control of life and consequently feel superior. Irrational beliefs, such as denying its existence or taking it lightly. This causes unrestricted apprehensiveness, fear and depressive thoughts etc. This implies the ABC model of CBT, which puts forward the idea that the 1st stage is ‘’Activating Event,’’ e.g., ‘’I am a healthy person, and I don’t need precautionary measures’’, followed by ‘’Outcome,’’ e.g., ‘’due to not following precautionary measures tested positive for covid-19’’.
Spiritual Awakening contributes as an effective method. Religious people were found praying and seeking help from Allah Almighty. It provides them with satisfaction and optimism that they will not acquire the disease and, if acquired, will recover in no time. The other important thing related to Covid 19 is the role of Spirituality in the healing process. Even science is focusing on this concept. When the covid-19 pandemic came, everyone became afraid, and everyone was uncertain about what would happen. So people from different religions started asking for help from Allah. Many people have healed from Covid-19 due to their belief that they can get well by asking for health from Allah. Individuals with positive adapting abilities have been found to have fewer indications of uneasiness and push amid the COVID-19 widespread (Wang et al., 2020). Apart from taking preventive measures, one also needs willpower and faith to survive the pandemic like social stigmatization, irrational beliefs, social distancing and evaluating overall health. The participants overall coping strategies were also noted. The role of Spirituality in the process of healing was also noted.
Methodology
One participant was selected who tested positive for covid-19 and then recovered. The interview was conducted which consisted of 17 questions. The interview was recorded with the consent of the participant. The participant was told that the interview would take about half an hour. The questions of the interview were in different domains.
Interview Analysis
The interview provided a representation of the interviewee’s cognitions and beliefs. He believed in the existence of COVID-19 but denied that it impacts everyone, particularly young adults, as they tend to be active. Fear of transferring it to infant and old parents at home. The interviewee was socially responsible enough to inform those around him to get tested and carry out safety precautions. He managed his pessimistic mood by the use of movies and social media. He opted for balanced diets, steam, and rest to restore his health. He and his family were scared about how they might manage the quarantine in the house. He was deprived of social interaction. In his journey of combating the pandemic, he found undeniable support in Allah (SBW). He prayed for himself as well as his loved ones. His father counselled him to motivate him in dealing with the adversities caused by COVID-19.
Conclusion
The pandemic of COVID-19 has brought transitions all around the globe, and its adversities can never be denied. Social isolation has caused an ample amount of stress. There are probabilities of getting infected and dying. Interview evaluation and discussion revealed that irrational cognitions have propagated due to the pandemic. CBT well addresses this difficulty. Spiritual awakening has proved very beneficial, and science has confirmed this. Future researches have to be conducted to assess the advantages of these two treatment strategies.
Ayesha is a qualified Licensed Clinical Psychologist, based in Islamabad, Pakistan.
With a commitment to mental health, Miss Saeed provides services in English and Hindi/Urdu, including Assessment, Assessment (Developmental), Biofeedback, Conflict Management, Consultation, Dream Analysis, Ukraine Aid, Psychological Evaluation and Training (Life Skills).
Miss Saeed has expertise in Abandonment, Anxiety Disorders and Depression.
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Important:
TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.
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