Navigating Corona Exasperation Syndrome: Recognizing Symptoms and Finding Relief
- Apr 20
- 5 min read
Understanding Pandemic-Related Mental Distress and Practical Ways to Cope
"Corona Exasperation Syndrome" (Pandemic-Related Depressed-Exasperation Syndrome) is a psychological and physiological syndrome characterized by feelings of despair, loneliness, and anxiety that develop upon waking, maintain a low to moderate level, and neither increase greatly nor disappear throughout the day. These feelings appear alongside various physical symptoms such as fatigue, hunger, irritability, and disgust with humanity.
The syndrome reaches its peak in about three hours and lasts up to a week, but sometimes it takes longer for full recovery. The syndrome can recur several times a month. People who have experienced it describe it as a threatening, very unpleasant experience. The syndrome can occur at any age but is more common between the ages of six and 86. The frequency of episodes is higher among mothers of teenagers and among the teenagers themselves. One out of every two graduates in Israel suffered from the syndrome during January 2021, and the other was too depressed to report their condition. At this point, I hope you understand that you don't really need to run to a psychiatrist; there really is no such syndrome. On the other hand, if you feel bad during this time, maybe the following list of symptoms and risk factors will help you feel more normal and less alone.
Assisted living in Canada, December. Contact in any format with close people can have a positive effect on the feeling. Photo: CARLOS OSORIO/Reuters
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According to accumulated knowledge, Corona Exasperation Syndrome appears when nine or more of the following symptoms are present:
A terrible feeling of loneliness (sometimes accompanied by wondering: "Am I going crazy? Will I ever go back to being who I was? Is it just me?").
A feeling of disconnection from society and reality (accompanied by difficulty in long-term thinking and an aversion to people who are interested in holding work meetings).
Sadness, despair, and distress, accompanied by a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness (sometimes characterized by fantasies about "leaving everything").
A lack of activity and a decrease in energy. The syndrome is mainly characterized by difficulty waking up in the morning (and can also be expressed by shortening the walk with the dog or eating over the sink).
Difficulty walking away from the refrigerator.
Difficulty disconnecting from Netflix.
Difficulty wearing a garment that does not have elastic at the waist.
Moving face-to-face meetings to Zoom.
Transferring Zoom meetings to WhatsApp.
Transferring WhatsApp conversations to telepathy.
Dislike of co-workers specifically.
Aversion to friends and family members in a spot-on manner.
Bursts of contempt and hatred towards the human race (accompanied by the feeling that people are wasting the person with the syndrome's time and characterized by reluctance to physically touch others).
Anxious and obsessive thoughts about the future, which are accompanied by self-doubt, doubts about courses of action, fear of worsening the situation, and concern for children's mental development (and they are derivatives of the question: "Is this how it will be from now on?").
Bursts of grandiose thoughts, which are expressed in drawing tables, and setting goals and schedules until approximately 2030.
A feeling of being on the verge of crying (or crying in response to a network failure).
Increase in the use of screens, alcohol, and cannabis. Starting use at an earlier hour than usual (accompanied or not accompanied by the thought, "It must be six o'clock somewhere in the world").
Saying the phrase "it's all political," without any specific intention.
Feelings of guilt for each of the sections 1-18.
Difficulty with concentration, memory, and something else.
In addition to these symptoms, culture-dependent symptoms can include thinking it is time to seek psychological or psychiatric treatment, planning to leave the city for nature, spiritual strengthening, or deciding to change careers. Some of those suffering from corona symptoms experience limited days, that is, days that do not include nine or more symptoms but are limited to only five.
Risk Factors for Corona Exasperation
Financial harm, personal or close, layoffs, unemployment, job changes, closure, loss of close people and relationships, repeated changes in the agenda, and exposure to corona data increase the risk of the syndrome.
Other risk factors include:
Leaving the house.
Staying at home.
Browsing the Internet.
Weak internet.
Viewing images of Paris.
Listening to music.
Trying to wear a garment with a zipper.
Birthdays of oneself or close people.
Thoughts about money.
Closeness to a person in their teens (especially watching a child in a Zoom class).
Encountering a mirror.
Sleeping for more than eight hours for an adult, and more than 12 hours for a teenager.
Finding used masks in your coat pocket.
Stepping on a used mask in the street.
Meeting with a policeman.
A conversation with someone who has a tendency to conspiracy theories or refuses to be vaccinated.
Face-to-face exposure, through the media or a third party, to someone who has reinvented themselves thanks to the Corona crisis.
Identifying the date of the current day on the calendar.
WhatsApp group membership.
Reading in "Haaretz."
An elderly couple at home in Spain, last week. It is recommended to go out into nature, even in the most limited way. Photo: MIGUEL RIOPA - AFP
Treatment of "Corona Exasperation" Syndrome
And now seriously, even if this syndrome is not scientific, if you suffer from these common mental distresses, there are some things you can really do to improve how you feel and your ability to deal with this challenging time.
Contact with others. Despite the many limitations and the longing for normal relationships, contact in any format with close people can have a dramatic positive influence.
Meditation (sitting, yoga, or walking). Meditation can help calm the nervous system, strengthen resistant parts of the personality, and change perspective to better handle the intense changes of this period.
Exposure to spiritual content, in any form, can help by providing a sense of meaning, understanding, or access to the global crisis.
Activity. Maintaining previous roles at home and in the community helps mitigate symptoms by strengthening a sense of meaning, connection with others, and redirecting brain activity to reduce anxiety symptoms. In the absence of work, any activity requiring attention, such as baking or gardening, has healing potential.
Sports (or stretching, or avoiding frequent phone use while lying in bed).
Going out into nature, even in a limited way. Walking on the beach, staying on the balcony and looking at the sky, or going to a garden with grass.
Psychological or psychiatric treatment can help by strengthening the ability to handle daily challenges, learning to accept feelings, and moderating them to avoid worsening the condition.
Sex (consensual, in any form).
Art (in any form).
Vaccination against Corona.