Pushpa Priya

The coronavirus disease or COVID-19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has not only threatened the survival of human lives on this planet but has also affected severely mental health of the people who have been forced to live with the disease. Regular rise of COVID-19 positive cases has increased psychological burden among the people across the globe.

Discrimination
This writer has noticed several COVID-19 patients suffering huge discrimination. They are looked by the society as if they are culprits. Some infected patients are regularly posting in social media about the way they feel, which do suggest they are torn into pieces and have been struggling to build self-confidence in order to stand against this fatal disease and social discrimination.
This write-up intends to discuss different factors that determine the level of self-confidence. The key to fighting the infection is increasing one's immunity level, which can also be enhanced with the enhancement in one's self-confidence.
There are possible relevant factors that assist in addressing stress response among victim of COVID-19. They are: family’s moral support, social support, spiritual connection through meditation, healthy food rich in protein and micronutrients, positive thoughts, reasons for living, emotional balance etc. These factors really help them for self-love and for enhancing self-confidence level.
In fact, victims of COVID-19 confront variety of psychological stresses in the form of fear and anxiety. This often results from the worries of different things at a time such as occupational damage, uncertainty of future and family, social discrimination and, most importantly, the fear of death.
Fear intensifies once the victims see death approaching them. Due to high level of stress, they start adopting unhealthy habits that often lead to irregularity in sleep pattern and thus place them at higher risk. Md. Abdul, a research professor, in the Journal of Advanced Biotechnology and Experimental Therapeutics, has mentioned about mental challenges that COVID-19 patients encounter and self-confidence as boosting factor for strong immune and understanding of its connection to CNS (central nervous system) and endocrine immune system.
Central nervous system stimulation releases several hormones like catecholamine, adrenocorticotropin and it is usually experienced by stressors. Excess secretion of these stress hormones lead to a hyper activation of immune cells resulting in deregulation of an immune response.
Family, Social Support
Psychological stress can be alleviated by self-confidence, a function of strengthening mind power or will power to deal any devastating situation. Positive attitude of an individual is a fuel carrying tremendous capacity to control stress-mediated immune dysfunction. Love has a power to heal any kind of disease and it starts from family.
Family support is one of the most important factors in imbibing confidence to the victim.
Likewise, social support is essential too, people should know COVID-19 is highly contagious disease and it is spreading like a bulging fire and can be caught with anytime to anyone. People should be empathetic towards the victim as it helps them to have a reason to live life.
Similarly, healthy food rich in micronutrients should be maintained to boost immunity system. Most importantly, in order to have emotional balance, patients should engage in regular exercise and meditation.
Religious connection to higher level of consciousness and through religious rituals such as fasting, having strong conviction in supreme power have various health benefits such as developing will power, strong immune system by boosting up immunity, suppressing aging process and develop capacity in dealing with stress (Rickenbacher A, et.al,2014)
Self-Confidence may have therapeutic effect on both vulnerability group of people and COVID-19 patients. In addition, it helps everyone to cope with COVID-19 fear. As there has not been invented any medication to fight against COVID-19, the only means to survive from this disease is strengthening immune system through self-confidence.
Immune system is closely connected to the neuroendocrine system. Any kind of psychological stress causes immune dysfunction.

Strongest Weapon
High stress level results in a low self-esteem degrading immune system that places victims at high risk.
Media should also display different programmes related to boosting immune system. It creates good awareness among people about the ways to care oneself and to others; especially to the COVID-19 patients. Psychological counselling should be attempted by psychiatrist and psychologist in hospitals while treating COVID-19 patients maintaining distance and protective equipment.
This pandemic has brought a different battle-field to human lives, where the will power is one of the strongest weapons to fight against this danger.

(The writer teaches English to college students)