Mask Anxiety and What to Do About It

Anxiety Road Podcast

There was a news story about people putting on the masks. People mentioned symptoms about heart palpitations, can't breathe and feeling disorientated. Those are some of the symptoms of an anxiety or panic attack. You might have to go through a process to be comfortable wearing a mask. There are a lot of things you can do. In this episode, a look at some of the things you can do to make peace with the mask, if you want to. What am I talking about? Well, some of the things that cause problems is the fabric of the mask, or how it feels on your skin. It could be too light or to heavy a fabric. Or you have feelings that you can't quite express but you don't like it. And that is ok to acknowledge that. Well, maybe not on Twitter. But it is also ok to find ways of making it work for you. As I mentioned in the podcast, I'm not looking to help anybody not wear the mask. This is an adult decision. The reasons have been presented by other sources for and against. But if you want to wear one and are having symptoms when you try then it might be something to do with anxiety with the mask or other issues. That is what this episode is about, to provide sources to make it easier for you to do. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:

University of Wisconsin's UW Health post on Masks Can Cause Anxiety for Some, But There is Help. Toward the bottom of the page are videos with Maura Grasshoff on how to deal with mask anxiety. From The Mighty, What to Do If You Can't Wear a Face Mask.

From BPHope, and post by Julie A. Fast on How I’m Handling Panic and Anxiety from Wearing a Face Mask in Public. Disclaimer: Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.