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“56% of Americans feel it is a large or moderate risk to return to their pre-coronavirus life right now.”
—Ipsos Poll, February 8
“The frequency, intensity, and duration of stress exposure are not the same for all groups of Americans …”
—American Psychological Assn. Report on Health Disparities, 2021
Normalalia. Concern that you find self-quarantine oddly pleasant and will discover that you really don’t like other people once this is over.
Omegaphobia. Terror that omicron is just one in a series.
Canaclingia. Fear that the bichon is getting too accustomed to you working at home and will become anxious and eat the carpets when you are back in the office.
Desperatia. Worry that your new romantic partner considers this a relationship of desperation, and will dump you once things reopen.
Agorafreakia. Anxiety that you are being stampeded into dining in restaurants.
Praetentiosis. Concern about running out of stockpiled home test kits.
Auparia. Worry that the au pair is lying when she says she doesn’t go to clubs.
Spousegrousia. Apprehension that you and spouse will not be able to agree on HBO series.
Anfitriosis. Fear that just-departed dinner party guest who you don’t even like will test positive.
Plumbaphobia. Worry that the plumber took off his mask while working in the bathroom.
Destinaphoria. Anticipatory grief that son’s long engagement to woman you finally like will end after the destination wedding in Fiji had to be canceled.
Plastiquia. Concern that nonessential surgery keeps being postponed and you’ve had to delay planned work on face twice.
Nasdaquia. Anxiety that inflation will crash the stock market and devalue your portfolio.
Anoramaxia. Apprehension that you think too much about your next meal, and are gaining weight.
* * *
Anoraminia. Apprehension about how you are going to pay for your next meal.
Precaraphobia. Fear that the day care will close due to COVID resurgence from premature de-masking, and you have to stay home with the kids and lose your job.
Evicsiaphobia. Worry that you are laid off, can’t pay the rent, and will be evicted.
Warehousia. Concern that the warehouse where you work doesn’t practice social distancing or masking, and even as COVID eases co-workers are getting sick, but you can’t afford to quit.
Caring Syndrome I. Anxiety that half of your nurse-aide colleagues are still out with COVID and that more of your patients will die.
Caring Syndrome II. You are in anguish, torn between your responsibility to your patients and your responsibility to your own mental and physical health.
Suicidality. See Chapter 17.
