Q&A: helping a loved one with anxiety; Ozempic hair loss; lung cancer screening; & heart rate variability
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ICYMI 👉
The first question (about supporting a relative through anxiety) is free for all subscribers. Questions 2-4 (on Wegovy/Ozempic hair loss; lung cancer screening; & heart rate variability as an indicator of aging) are for paid subscribers only. If you would like a paid subscription but it’s not in your budget, please message me directly.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed here are entirely my own. They do not reflect those of my employer, nor are they a substitute for advice from your personal physician.
The following subscriber questions have been lightly edited for clarity & length.
QUESTION #1: SUPPORTING A RELATIVE THROUGH ANXIETY
I have a relative who is in their early 50s and relatively healthy who, for four years, has not seen the rest of the family more than once, gone shopping in a supermarket, or seen a friend. They continue to be petrified of catching covid, and only leave the house for essential appointments. My family is so concerned about their wellbeing, but we feel helpless. We have watched our loved one’s life get smaller and smaller. I am concerned they will not be able to move on with their life and it is excruciating to see them suffer so much. Thank you for anything you can suggest.
- Catherine
Dear Catherine,
I’m very sorry to hear about your relative. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. The pandemic accelerated many people’s pre-existing anxiety—and not just about COVID. Of course it’s completely understandable for some people to have difficulty moving past their fear after a global pandemic. The loss of social connection, everyday routines, and our a sense of safety and security put most people in a heightened state of alertness. And for some people that translated into a full blown anxiety disorder.
But given that COVID is here to stay, and given the social-emotional costs of ongoing vigilance about COVID, most people have been able to appropriately shift their mindset to one of risk mitigation—one where they balance the risk of getting COVID with the downsides of canceling “life.” Sadly for some people, anxiety has made this mental frameshift difficult if not impossible.
To be clear: no one wants to get COVID; some degree of anxiety about getting sick is normal; and each of us is entitled to our own tolerance for risk. However, in 2024 the risk of COVID is on par with that of other seasonal respiratory viruses. The COVID vaccines have taken the claws and fangs away from the virus, and have helped make long COVID exceedingly rare.
So when a person’s anxiety is out of proportion to the degree of actual threat, it’s time to address the anxiety as its own medical issue. In other words, the solution for any kind of sustained, outsized anxiety is not reassurance, cajoling, or providing more facts; it is for you and your family to maintain an empathetic, non-judgmental posture with your relative, to validate their experience, and to seek professional help.
Sometimes psychotherapy is enough. Sometimes the combination of therapy and medication works best. Sometimes focused trauma therapy is most effective. And sometimes a person’s COVID anxieties evaporate when they get COVID and realize they’ve fully recovered. Of course, I’m not recommending getting sick in order to overcome a specific phobia; my point is that treating health-related anxiety involves a multi-pronged, bio-psycho-social approach with professional guidance.
I wish you and your loved one all the best.
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QUESTION #2: OZEMPIC/WEGOVY HAIR LOSS
I am a Diabetes Nurse Practitioner and have been prescribing many GLP1 Agonists such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and the new GLP1 & GIP - Monjaro and Zepbound. I have found they cause mild hair loss. What are your thoughts regarding these medications that are now consuming our time with Prior Authorizations and have become almost a request with every patient with or without DM for weight loss. -Terri
Dear Terri,
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