This interview was originally recorded on March 29, 2020. In this episode, Dr. O’Connell talks with Dr. Houston about herd mentality and how fear and anxiety are affecting people’s emotions and actions during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Houston also offers advice on how to maintain mental wellness during these atypical situations. Questions discussed in this episode include:Why aren’t people buying like items like fruits and vegetables?What part of the brain is involved in the herd mentality?What is driving the need/desire for people to keep watching the news even if it makes them fearful?Your host is Dr. Ted O’Connell, family physician, educator, and author of numerous textbooks and peer-reviewed articles. He holds academic appointments at UCSF, UC Davis, and Drexel University's medical schools and also founded the Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Community Medicine and Global Health Fellowship, the first program in the U.S. to formally combine both community medicine and global health. Check Ted out on Instagram (@tedoconnellmd) and Twitter (@tedoconnell)! Dr. Mitch Houston is a PhD clinical Psychologist. Dr. Houston has been on staff with Kaiser Permanente for 34 years. He is the Clinical Director of Psychiatry for the Vallejo and Vacaville medical centers in California. Dr. Houston is a part of the Behavioral Medicine faculty of the Family Medicine training program at Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano. He is also in private practice in Berkley, California. Dr. Houston specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Submit Your Questions for the PodcastSend an email to [email protected] or check out covidpodcast.comWhat Can You Do? You can help spread commonsense about COVID-19 by supporting this podcast. Hit subscribe, leave a positive review, and share it with your friends especially on social media. We can each do our part to ensure that scientifically accurate information about the pandemic spreads faster than rumors or fears. Remember to be vigilant, but remain calm. For the most trusted and real time information on COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic, both the CDC and WHO have dedicated web pages to keep the public informed.The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.Producers: Madison Linden and Christopher Breitigan.Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD.Special thank you to Iminotech for supporting credible information about Covid-19.

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