‘Mujhe itna gussa kyun aata hai’: Covid-19 fuels anxiety, worry, guilt in Kashmir

Srinagar: “Mujhe itna gussa kyun aata hai?” How often have we questioned ourselves like this during the endless lockdowns of pandemic? Anger and aggression just like uncertainty came out of the blue with the emergence of Covid-19 in Kashmir.

The Covid situation presented us with unprecedented challenges which interfered unrelentingly with all our lives. Social isolation may be the best tool to keep the virus under control, but this clashes directly with the need for social interventions helping us resolve anger and rage when being at the mercy of injustice and uncertainty.

To gauge the extent of aggression levels among the population, a study was conducted by Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Srinagar. Titled, “A cross-sectional study on aggression and quality of health during Covid 19 pandemic in Kashmir”, the 2022 study was published in Indian Journal of Research.

Using an online survey, a total of 192 responses from healthy individuals were recorded over a period of five months.

“It was found that aggression scores were more and quality of life was less when compared to the previous studies,” the study revealed.

Co-Author of the study and Lecturer IMHANS, Srinagar, Dr Rehana Amin said the pandemic presented with a broad range of difficult emotions including anxiety, worry, sadness, despair and guilt, among others.

“But one emotion that stands out above the rest is anger which leads to aggression. When aggression goes in excess, it can prove destructive and result in social maladjustment and pose a risk for various medical problems,” Dr Rehana said.

She said various restrictions imposed in the wake of the pandemic resulted in shrinking of spaces where people would earlier gather and socialise, be it schools, colleges and places of recreation.

“Not only this, many individuals continue to face financial strain or are underpaid as the institution they are working for is facing a financial slowdown. Add to it, there are constant news updates on the virus and increasing Covid cases. In this situation, people can easily feel frustrated, hopeless and helpless. Their tolerance to negative events diminishes and even petty issues can trigger frustration and aggression in them,” Dr Rehana said.

She stressed that constantly suppressing anger can lead to the “pressure cooker effect” of stewing, resentment and unexpected anger outbursts.

Instead of aggression or suppression, practice expressing anger in a healthy way through assertive communication techniques to articulate your feelings, needs and desires, the psychiatrist explained, adding that stepping away from the situation gives time to process the anger and then coming back to the situation when emotions are under control.

“This will help minimise the chance of speaking out of anger. Also, avoid continued rumination on the incident, news article, social media post or conversation that stirred up feelings. Be productive, which means find a chore or activity that you enjoy and be physically active. For example, going out for a walk is a great way to let frustrations out,” Dr Rehana said.