People with anxiety disorders engage in “safety behaviors” in order to ward off anxiety attacks. For example, a person with an anxiety disorder may wash hands every half hour or check if the gas is off several times before leaving the house. During the pandemic we are now experiencing, many people with anxiety disorders are hoarding months worth of toilet paper and Purell; washing their groceries three times before putting them in the refrigerator; sanitizing their doorknobs every hour although no one has entered or left the house; and washing their floors daily. And if they do not get the virus, they will credit their safety behavior for the non-catastrophic outcome. Hence, their safety behaviors and magical thinking will remain intact or be reinforced. Being prudent and using “safety behaviors” are not the same, but during a crisis like the pandemic, they may look the same.
