PORTLAND, Maine — As more people become eligible for the COVID vaccine or a booster shot, psychologists are starting to notice a trend.
Dr. Colleen Cira said beyond the physical protection of the vaccine, many of her patients are seeing benefits from it on their mental health.
"COVID has put anyone who takes it seriously in a state of chronic nervous system dysregulation," Cira said. "Essentially, our nervous system serves to keep us safe. So whenever we experience something ... threatening or dangerous, our stress response goes off. This is essential when we are experiencing acute and imminent danger, but when our nervous system never has a chance to turn off and reset — like in the middle of a global pandemic spanning 18+ months — it can wreak havoc on our minds, bodies, and souls."
"The constant worry about the health and safety of the people we love and ourselves has been incredibly taxing, saturating our bloodstream with chemicals that become toxic when the nervous system is constantly going off," Cira said. "So when someone becomes vaccinated and believes (as the data shows) that they now don’t have to worry about hospitalization or death — that COVID is now reduced to a bad flu, bad cold, or possibly even no symptoms at all — that relief is real. It’s real emotionally because it’s also real chemically."
There's been a shift in her patients, she said, after they've received their vaccine.
While watching case numbers rise throughout the country due to the delta variant, many of the vaccinated seem to feel a sense of relief knowing they're better protected.
"Our nervous system finally has the ability to let its guard down, turn off, and reset, which gives our bodies the opportunity to recover and ultimately heal from 18+ months of toxic worry and chronic stress," Cira said.
"This trend will continue for anyone who gets the vaccine who understands and listens to the science/experts about the dangers of COVID and the real safety and benefits of the vaccines. For these folks, the vaccine is an absolute gift, allowing people to take a big, deep breath for the first time in a long time," she said.
On the other side, there are still many people who worry about the side effects of the vaccine or don't like being told by their employers or by government mandates what to do.
As for them, Cira said, "For people who get the vaccine out of obligation or because of a mandate, who don’t believe the science/experts, who don’t take COVID and/or the vaccine seriously, we will likely see no improvement or regression in these folks’ mental health."
She explained their mental health will likely improve once they see or feel the benefits of their vaccine, for example, when they're exposed to someone at work, and they don't have to quarantine because of it, or if they contract COVID and have more mild symptoms or none at all.
For a better breakdown from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID vaccines, click here.
To learn more about Dr. Colleen Cira and the Cira Center for Behavioral Health, click here.