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The problem with Y2K and other doomsday dread
FEELING ANXIOUS?

KRISTINE CULP
Special to The Globe and Mail
Wednesday, December 8, 1999

Toronto -- Just 24 days to the new millennium. Are you checking your stores of candles and blankets? Fine-tuning emergency plans? Trying to hold thoughts of doomsday scenarios at bay? You may be a victim of something called generalized anxiety disorder.

Much less exotic, you may be someone dependent on a regular supply of such prescription drugs as insulin. Perhaps you have already laid in a few extra prescriptions. In that case, anxious behaviour can create more problems than it solves, say pharmacists and others in the drug-supply chain. They warn that a last-minute run on prescription drugs by panicky consumers could threaten the availability of medicine far more than any computer glitches.

If every prescription-drug user in Ontario stocked up on an extra month's supply of drugs in December, shortages would occur elsewhere in Canada, says Noelle-Dominique Willems, director of government and public affairs for the Canadian Pharmacists Association.

That, in turn, "could deny someone else a needed drug," adds Ellen Mary Mills, chair of a task force set up earlier this year to iron out industry Y2K issues.

There are enough drugs available to meet normal demand, reports the task force, a group that includes drug stores, drug manufacturers and pharmacists.

For the moment, consumers don't seem unduly panicked. The health-information company IMS Health Canada, which is monitoring prescription sales for the top 250 drugs in Canada, reports "no marked increase" in sales since October compared with the same period in 1998.

"We're hopeful there will not be considerable demand for extra drugs," Ms. Mills says, because "this is not an industry that can turn on a dime."

Consumers are encouraged to follow normal advice to get prescriptions refilled five to seven days before expiration. "Most people on medication get refills around Dec. 15 anyway, to avoid the Christmas rush," says Ms. Willems. "That's good until Jan. 15," and should carry consumers through any Y2K problems.

Of course, Y2K worry is not unique to people who use prescription drugs.

Faced with ambiguity, some of us simply cope less well than others, says Dr. Neil Rector, head of the anxiety-disorders clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, who cites research showing higher anxiety levels among these people during the Quebec referendums.

The Internet seems to play a key role in making Y2K fears more contagious, says Dr. David Barlow, director of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. Until recently, someone who felt fearful might discuss the concern with 20 friends and find only one who shared it, Dr. Barlow says. "Now, you can get on the Internet and find some group or other worried about the same thing. . . . It makes it seem more real."

The first day of December was designated Y2K Anxiety Day by psychologist Dr. Kevin Grold, who runs a San Diego-based mental-health referral service.

"We deal with a lot of anxious people all over the U.S. and Canada," he says. "They seem to have focused their anxiety on this."

Dr. Barlow says the people most vulnerable to severe Y2K fear are those who already worry in a persistent, uncontrollable manner. This form of extreme worry, known as generalized anxiety disorder, affects about 5 per cent of individuals.

A certain amount of worry is normal, but when might a healthy concern about Y2K start to resemble an anxiety disorder? A major clue would be if the fear started to interfere with your ability to concentrate at work or sleep at night. Someone with clinical anxiety is "not just thinking about [the problem] from time to time -- they're worrying about it . . . a fair bit of the day," says Dr. Mark Freeston, a psychologist at the University of Montreal. Often anxiety translates into such symptoms as sweating, dizziness, restlessness or irritability.

Typically, someone with clinical anxiety would spend a lot of time worrying but would take little action, Dr. Freeston says. And recent reassurances that major Y2K problems are unlikely in North America won't ease fears for everyone with clinical anxiety -- sufferers often find it extremely hard to deal with any degree of uncertainty.

Richard Davis, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Toronto's York University who is doing research into Y2K anxiety, believes worries will be fuelled by random events occurring near midnight, Dec. 31. Some people call this the Bubba Effect: a drunk driver hits a telephone pole on New Year's Eve, causing a hydro blackout. "People are going to attribute that to Y2K, when really it's just this guy Bubba who ran into a telephone pole."

Separate real concerns from catastrophic thinking. For legitimate concerns, take active steps to fix the problem. Worry is never productive -- act, which will in turn ease your anxiety.

Practise letting go of worries over which you have no control.

Remind yourself of ways that you have previously successfully coped with change.

Keep in mind that the year 2000 is an arbitrary number. On the Chinese calendar, it is year 4698, and on the Jewish calendar, it is year 5760.

Get physically active. Exercise helps your body physically process anxiety.

Understand that negative thoughts can create anxiety. Each thought carries its own chemistry. Our feelings are tied to our thinking.

Recognize and interrupt negative, anxiety-producing thoughts by saying to yourself, "Stop!" Refocus on something positive.

Call a team of mental-health professionals available by phone at 1-800-843-7274, as well as by E-mail, videoconference and Internet at http://www.1-800-therapist.com



-- Frazier Crane (frazier@crane.org), December 08, 1999

Answers

So I guess Mom was right...this means I am nuts....

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), December 08, 1999.

So... is there a pill I can take to cure these Y2K blues?

In Venesuela when they "discovered" Y2K - and how much they had to do in way too little time (of course this was before Bill Richardson declared them Y2K ready).. they promptly hired... a fleet of Y2K super-geeks? ... nosiree... they hired themselves a psychiatrist.

Prozac... the Y2K silver bullet.

Lights? Water? Food? Who needs 'em... I got my magic pill... I ain't worried.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 08, 1999.


"Recognize and interrupt negative, anxiety-producing thoughts by saying to yourself, "Stop!" Refocus on something positive."

Yup... that's just what I do. Whenever I read some doomer report I just refocus on something positive... like another trip to Costco.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 08, 1999.


This rubbish is totally offensive. Typical DGI-Liberal spew. When they can not or will not refute the facts, out comes the mud slingers, the name calling and in this case, sweeping allegations of mental illness.

BTW...the bit about the Chinese and Jewish calendars is almost as absurd as the rest of the article.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), December 08, 1999.


The Internet seems to play a key role in making Y2K fears more contagious, says Dr. David Barlow...Until recently, someone who felt fearful might discuss the concern with 20 friends and find only one who shared it, Dr. Barlow says. "Now, you can get on the Internet and find some group or other worried about the same thing. . . . It makes it seem more real."

Sound familiar to anyone here?

-- Niles Crane (niles@smarterbrother.net), December 08, 1999.



Generalized anxiety disorder? So if you follow their advice, wait to refill your prescriptions, and find out there are none left for you in the JIT pipeline, what do you have then?? Specialized anxiety disorder??

-- (normally@ease.notnow), December 08, 1999.

People actually make a living by making statements such as the following?

Richard Davis, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Toronto's York University who is doing research into Y2K anxiety, believes worries will be fuelled by random events occurring near midnight, Dec. 31. Some people call this the Bubba Effect: a drunk driver hits a telephone pole on New Year's Eve, causing a hydro blackout. "People are going to attribute that to Y2K, when really it's just this guy Bubba who ran into a telephone pole."

-- I know psychobabble when (I@hear.it), December 08, 1999.


...people most vulnerable to severe Y2K fear are those who already worry in a persistent, uncontrollable manner. This form of extreme worry, known as generalized anxiety disorder, affects about 5 per cent of individuals.

A ton of threads have been started on this forum about chemtrails, nuclear war, earth shattering comets, New World Order, incurable viruses, etc. etc. etc. Would anyone dispute that those who initiate these "worry threads" are among that 5% who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder?

-- CD (not@here.com), December 08, 1999.


Well, I saw my mental-health professional at Sam's buying 50lbs of beans.

-- John Malone (paranoid@mybunker.com), December 08, 1999.

Praise God and pass the ammunition.

Better than a shrink



-- if you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999.



"Stop!" Refocus on something positive.

Translation, "Stick your head in the sand and everything will work itself out!"

Ahem... There's a bit of a deadline here, doctor.
Kinda need to tend to this now...

-- meme (me@me.me), December 08, 1999.


"Generalized anxiety disorder?" Was that what I had when I was SCUBA diving some years ago and ran out of air? Or when my handholds (and footholds) gave away and I fell about 30'? I'm not sure that it is "crazy" to worry when things are going badly...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 08, 1999.

Is there anyone more arrogant than a 'mental' health professional?

-- (...@.......), December 09, 1999.

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