Fear, Covid-19 And The Psychology Of Running Out Of Toilet Paper

By: Brian Murray LMHC, NCC

We are born into an unpredictable and weird world.

For centuries we have been building a pattern of how life should go, in order to create a sense of normalcy. We are born, go through school, perhaps college or join the military, get married, build a family and work on our career or craft. Occasionally events happen that disrupt this flow such as a recession or a virus pandemic. So, what does this have to do with running out of toilet paper? Actually there is a simple reason that involves a more complicated answer. The simple reason is fear. The complicated answer to why shelves were emptied of toilet paper during Covid-19 has more to do with our first 2 years of life than it does with Covid-19 itself. 

 

When we are born, we are in a constant state of trying to figure out the world we live in. Basically, an infant is trying to figure out if their world is safe. This sense of safety is achieved when they cry, and someone comes to their aid. It could be mom, dad, aunt, sibling or whomever, as long as someone answers their cry consistently and gets them fed, changed or held. The baby feels cared for, thus secure. When this happens hundreds, if not thousands of times, the baby begins to develop a secure foundation and they learn to calm down.

 

From this foundation, the infant begins to build structure in their life. Think in terms of a building or a house. The structure is built on the foundation that was laid down. A secure foundation and a good structure are built out of a sense of trust and security that has already been established. This is also known as secure attachment. This will also give the infant self-confidence.

 

Over time as the child grows, this secure attachment and self-confidence gives them a sense of control over their lives. As this develops further into adulthood, the grown child develops the ability to self-govern, whereby they can take care of themselves in a confident way. This leads into self-direction, organization and a routine that leads to a daily life that has good structure. All is well. Until...a big pandemic breaks out.

 

Toilet paper flies off store shelves right along with Tylenol, meat, dry goods and produce. Panic and fear break out and people are hoarding supplies and medications in record amounts. What is going on? Has everyone lost their minds?

 

To some degree, yes, they have, and here is why. Let us go back to the early life foundation stage. When the pandemic broke, out it shook the secure foundation and questioned the structure of everyday life. That security is not secure anymore and suddenly life feels out of control. It’s like an encroaching fire is coming your way and the panic of an uncertain future begins to take shape.

 

The panic-buying is not based on the fear of running out of toilet paper but is more about control. When we go into survival mode, the first thing that we try to do is regain some level of control in our lives. It’s an attempt to feel secure again. We can’t control the virus, but we can control how much toilet paper, chicken, eggs and veggies we have in the house. This provides a sense of security that we lost at the beginning of the pandemic. 

 

The second reason why we panic-buy is the fear of missing out (FOMO). This is a psychological term that is commonly used by news media, marketing, and social media. It’s what drives you to keep scrolling and looking at posts or photos online. These industries are experts at presenting information in such a way as to make you feel like you need to keep looking or you are going to miss out. FOMO is now considered in some psychology circles as a legitimate anxiety problem. If everyone is down at the store buying up all the toilet paper and you start thinking there might not be any left, then you might start feeling like you are going to miss out if you don’t hurry up and get yours.

 

What happens in our brain is that when fear shows up and we begin to feel anxious or panicky, our brain sends signals to our adrenal system to go on high alert. This happens because our foundation is shaken and we feel scared and vulnerable. The world has just become a scary place. At this point, the brain starts working from a place of stress instead of a place of calm. When it does this we begin to lose our ability to think rationally and make good choices. Our brains actually begin to operate at a lower level of functioning.

 

Metaphorically it mirrors a story where a fire broke out in a theater and people started running towards a particular exit. When the others in the theater saw this, they ran to that same exit, and a panic stampede left several people dead. The sad part is there were 3 other exits in the theater that were not used. For some reason everyone thought they must get through that one exit. What happened is they saw the crowd getting backed up by the door and then panicked that they might not make it out. If only they had taken a moment to look around and see that there were 3 other doors, they could have easily escaped.

 

So, in these unpredictable, panic-driven, buy-up-all-the-toilet-paper days, there are some things we can do to bring some calm into our lives. Remember the theater story; just stop for a moment, look around and take inventory of your environment. In other words, don’t freak out. Ask yourself what is really happening and think of your choices. Do I have to freak out like everyone else? See if you are falling for the FOMO. By the way, the TP fiasco was driven by the news media producing “must buy” lists on their shows. Water cleared the shelves too, even though there is plenty coming out of our faucets and refrigerators.

 

If you can, sit for a while without distractions and just focus on what you’re feeling at the moment. Learn how these feelings are just a part of the experience you are facing. When we understand what we are feeling, it allows us to take ownership of ourselves, which helps us to feel more secure. It’s a return to working on our foundation. Here is an example of what this looks like; “I am shaken, and my future feels uncertain at times. I don’t know what to do about it, but I will take this one day at a time and do the best that I can.”  

 

You will get through it.

  To schedule an appointment with Brian Murray,
  Please call our office at 407-647-7005.
  www.lifeworksgroup.org