topic Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions in Depression

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Tue, 26 May 2020 05:17:27 GMT

Does anyone feel their depression worsening because they are not afraid of the virus and don't agree with the lock down? I can't stand the isolation and hate the restrictions on my freedoms. I was isolated before this started and now it's worse. I feel that the isolation will actually kill me if it goes on for much longer and I am spiralling downwards. This is made worse by the fact that the reasons for the lock down are no longer in existence. I know that on 1 June things will get better, but it seems like a lifetime away just now. Isolation is used as a form of torture in some countries and solitary confinement is a punishment. I feel that this is being imposed on me, even though I haven't committed any crime. Some people cope better than others with these sorts of conditions. You tube videos, baking cakes, and knowing that flowers will eventually bloom doesn't make any difference. It would be nice to know if there are others who feel the same way. If anyone else out there thinks the same, please post a response.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Leisa68 — Tue, 26 May 2020 06:19:58 GMT

Hi Tangney,

I feel the same. To manage my depression I need to be able to visit anywhere I need to. In particular to visit art galleries, movies, and restaurants. Even the library (one of my favourite places to go) is only open for books which are on hold. And even then you are not allowed to browse or borrow. I'm a little confused as all the kids in Queensland are back at schools, why can't we visit the library! And I've never used so much sanitizer. I went to a coffee shop last week and had to give my name, address and phone number prior to eating! I feel like I've done something wrong and wonder if this is ever going away.

However, there are a couple of things that have helped me. Most of the museums across the world have virtual tours on their websites, I have visited the Guggenheim Museum and The British Museum online. I have watched two virtual plays online and have completed a painting online with instructions from a professional. I have also joined an exercise class and commence my new meditation class tomorrow online. Happy to supply details if you would like!

I can understand if you are sick of online activities. It's another near month until June 1st. I agree with you, but in my case, I am trying to not get upset over something I have no control over. I wish you the best and hope that restriction is removed from your area as soon as possible

Kind Regards

Leisa68

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Croix — Tue, 26 May 2020 14:14:31 GMT

Dear Tangney~

To have depression is a truly horrible condition, and even under normal circumstances can be very hard to deal with. When you add isolation on top you may feel the anger, frustration and hopelessness that are all so much part of it.

As someone who has bouts of depression and an anxiety condition I can relate to your feelings. To have curtailed freedom in itself closes so many doors to coping with your condition.

Just the simple fact of taking a walk, which I find helps me take my mind away for a while has been denied, and isolation from other people forestall any distraction or sympathy.

When one’s circumstances change, as isolation certainly has, it may be that having one’s treatment altered to suit could be an option.

May I ask if you have seen your doctor and discussed the situation?

I’d also like to ask, if you don’t mind, if you are completely alone or have others living there with you? If there is then perhaps one or more may be a suitable person to lend support

I cannot deny isolation does impinge on civil liberties, irrespective of the rights or wrongs of that it is unfortunately something we are stuck with for a while - hopefully not long.

You talk of some coping better than others, and are quite right. I do believe that, going on my own feelings, that some measure of coping may be possible. It may not sound exciting but I read to get away from things, and quite look forward to the next chapter set for the evening.

Could you say if there are any matters you might enjoy no matter how small? It may be a book, TV program, pet or watching movies? I believe that is a means of necessary self-reward and actually helps in the long run.

If you would like to come back and say more you would be welcome.

Croix

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

geoff — Tue, 26 May 2020 19:30:26 GMT

Hello Tangney, I can understand how you are feeling and I haven't downloaded the app but ask why wasn't something done back in 2017 where the flu, cold and/or virus was horrific and thousands of people passed away.

If you know someone who has the measles or the overnight bug making you terribly sick, there is no way you would ever get 1.5m away from them, you just wouldn't see them.

Whether or not I agree or disagree, the discrepancies aren't consistent, initially, you couldn't play golf and leave the flag in the hole, but you could walk past someone inches away in a supermarket where staff wore gloves one day but not the next.

The supermarkets have a lot to answer for, instead of the tills overflowing, more sensible control should have begun from day one to stop the panic buying.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Gambit87 — Wed, 27 May 2020 06:30:30 GMT

I certainly understand how you feel!

My depression/anxiety has certainly gotten worse since lockdown/working from home. Thankfully Im back in the office as of today.

Like Leisa68, To manage my depression I need to be able to get out and about and do things, My 2 biggest structures (weekly poker games and taekwondo classes) were cancelled so ive had to find new things to keep me going. I can now say I bake a pretty mean banana bread haha.

Its hard though, so hard but I understand why lockdown/isolation was put in place and I tell myself im doing my part to help flatten the curve and that drives me.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 22:58:44 GMT

Thanks to everyone that posted. Since Monday, I've been back at the library several times and I have also been able to go to church and to eat out, with this being made easier due to easing restrictions. I'm looking forward to sports being allowed to have spectators soon. This has made an enormous difference to my mood. However, watching what has been happening around the world and in Australia this past week with large demonstrations taking place, it reminds me that the issue that imposed all of this isolation on innocent people does not apply to all. Watching videos of police brutality being played over and over again in the mainstream media is really awful. But the media has entirely dropped any mention of social distancing, especially regarding the demonstrations when almost every outlet seemed to be obsessed with tracking down and shaming non-compliant people only a short time ago. My understanding is that the distancing rules are still in place. Does this mean that participating in a demonstration of unlimited numbers was always ok throughout this lock down? Maybe demonstrations are like supermarkets? It's ok to go out and march with 10,000 people, but only 50 can be at a funeral and 20 at a wedding, and some businesses (like gyms for example) still can't open. Cafes are really scared of being prosecuted if they have too many inside and have to take names and phone numbers to be allowed to be open, even if tables are in the open air. The hypocrisy of all of this really depresses me and has set me back. Why have people who did done nothing wrong put through all these awful restrictions? Time will tell, I suppose. Maybe we will have to wait 30 years until the papers are released by the national archive. I intend to be alive to see that.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Croix — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 11:29:06 GMT

Dear Tangney~

I am glad you have been able to do a bit more, it may not be the most exciting in the world, but visiting your library is a great change, eating out too. Being able to actually go to church is very special.

You sound less stressed as a result.

TV can be a mixed blessing, a few days ago it was all about isolation and distancing with a daily count of infections being highlighted.

Now evens have taken over, mostly in the US, with huge and consistent demonstrations. Obviously the media will go with whatever seems the most exciting to them.

You are right, during the dodos social distancing went out the window, though to be fair I think demonstrators I saw on TV in Australia did try.

In the US thogh it was a different matter, and peple, knowing they could be made ill came out anyway. I think it is a matter they viewed things have been so bad with stigma and racial hatred for so long with nothing being done that they were desperate and illness in hte future did not count for so much.

It is worth remembering that even after a Royal Commission and other inquiries black deaths in custody and incarceration rates are terribly high in our own counry.

I hope you can get out to a sporting event real soon

Croix

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

geoff — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 17:11:16 GMT

Hello Tangney, I absolutely agree with you, why are 30,000 people allowed to protest (and I'm NOT talking about why they are doing this) but it totally goes against the principles of social distancing for COVID-19.

No one is going to be fined, yet previously if you were driving and shouldn't have been, you were slapped with a huge fine.

Why aren't at least 30,000 allowed at the races, football or car racing, the discrepancies don't weigh up Mr. Andrews.

Geoff.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

eight — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 08:21:58 GMT

lapd met on june 3rd and allowed calls from angelenos (basically the stream turned out to be 1 hour of pr stunt and 7 hours of citizens saying the cops were bad at their jobs) and actually they were worried about covid. about how the govt never put in curfews that could be used to keep people home and prevent covid spread until its black people protesting about not wanting to be killed by the cops who protect them. about how medical workers were underfunded compared to the la mayor just approving pouring three billion into lapd. how the cities are reopening too soon did you remember those packed memorial day beaches that were two weeks ago. wasn't everyone shrieking on the coping with coronavirus thread not to trust the media but when the second wave hits the us i feel like yall be agreeing when they pin it on protestors

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

blondguy — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 11:32:39 GMT

Hi Tangney

I understand your frustration with the restrictions we have been going through...and yes they have been a pain in the rump for sure.

After having bad anxiety & depression for a long time it has also been difficult for my ongoing recovery as I am meant to get out and about too!.....Its only my humble opinion Tangney...when we were placed in 'lockdown' our government and health authorities didnt know anything about Covid-19 as we have never been in this situation before so they well by doing so.

You made an excellent point about all the social distancing 'going out the window' when the organisers of the protests decided to go ahead despite state governments and Police warnings

I have a relative in the US media who works very hard to bring the truth to the public...I guess its up to us whether or not we choose to view US/Australian news broadcasts..Just for myself I prefer the more transparent news from the US than Australian networks

Great thread and thankyou Tangney!

be gentle to yourself....you deserve it!....Paul

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

blondguy — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:38:23 GMT

sorry for the typo in my post above Tangney....oops

when we were placed in 'lockdown' our government and health authorities didnt know anything about Covid-19 as we have never been in this situation before so they have done well by doing so

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 08:01:34 GMT

Hi everyone. Thanks for your support. Now that these social distancing rules have been shown to be illegal in NSW, I hope that everyone who was fined for going to the beach, sitting in the park, driving in their cars etc, don't pay the fines. I'm glad that people went to the protest marches today because it shows how ridiculous these rules have been from the very beginning and that they aren't even valid. It was only a matter of time before people stopped complying. I'm only sorry that it took this long. Of course, the police could not have arrested 10,000 people as it's not physically possible. There aren't enough police or jail cells. The negative consequences of this outrage are going to be felt for a long time. Cruelty has been unnecessarily inflicted on so many who have been not been allowed to be with their dying loved ones and who have not been allowed to attend funerals, for example. Today, it has finally been revealed to those people that the restrictions placed on them had no legal basis. There was also no need to create a recession and take people's livelihoods away from them. I'm glad that all the people who marched today brought attention to the fact that there are other important issues in the world apart from Covid19 and that some things might be more important. Lets hope that everything will be open next week.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

golden82 — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 09:01:51 GMT

Hi Tangney;

Good to find you in another thread and sorry to read that you seem to have been through a worse patch. Glad that with things opening a bit you are feeling a bit better.

I haven't been doing well either and totally agree the longer it has gone on the isolation and therefore my own thoughts and depression have got worse. Almost everyday I stay in bed and then when it is dark I take a walk. This is because I need to escape my little flat and my thoughts - but can't seem to go out in the day anymore because a side effect of all this lockdown has been that the forced isolation has made my social anxiety worse. Without the occasional 'exposure' to the outside world I have gone backwards and just curled in a ball under covers more fearful of the outside world. And no - not the Covid - but just the social anxiety I was struggling with to begin with. As they say fall off a bike and get straight back on; but without the opportunities to do so I have regressed and now have to take 'baby steps' working back to where I was before...which was not good to begin with.

I agree with you Leisa68 with re to the libraries. I am in SA and although we have libraries open it is limited numbers and just in and out for borrowing. This is not how I used the library - it was my safe place from the world where I could go and be out but feel my anxiety under control. I just hope soon these ridiculous rules end and we can get back to using places the way we did. I have not bothered to go to the library because of this.

And Tangney you write exactly what is on my mind too - re the protests - and what happened to the social distancing and gathering restrictions that were apparently so imperative?? It seems a rule for one and not others. And you bet a lot of those out marching are the exact ones who were singing the praises of needing complete lockdown. And telling us who are alone to suck it up and get through it. It makes me angry too. It is not the fact of what they are marching for - it is the contradiction.

If this virus gets a 2nd wave from all of this we will know why. Meanwhile so many businesses and livelihoods and mental health etc have been damaged. We have slowly been opening things up here in SA and so I have booked myself a pedicure this week to try lift my spirits - I tend not to do nice things for myself. I hope there is something nice you can do for yourself this week - even just once a week treat yourself to something. You deserve it and your posts help me

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:55:27 GMT

Hi Golden82. I'm glad you've found this thread and that you feel that my posts are helpful to you. It's nice to know that my rants are actually helping someone with this isolation! Your posts are always very balanced and thoughtful and they help me a lot. It's good for me to know that I'm not alone in my reactions to what has been going on. I think it's terrible that you have been set back with your illness because of these isolation rules that aren't even legal. Sadly, it's become crystal clear to me that only certain groups get to be heard in this discourse and that anyone in society who has tried to draw attention to the disproportionate management of this virus issue and the very many negative consequences for both individuals and communities has either been ignored, shouted down, or accused of treason and other crimes. I feel for you that the work that you had done to improve your anxiety condition has been unravelled and now has to be begin all over again. This is very real and very unfair. I don't believe you should ever have been put into this position. Your condition is serious and should be treated as such. I wonder when all this is over if there will be any honest examination of how the mentally ill have actually been swept under the carpet and diminished during this time, and how this marginalisation has really affected people. I struggle with the "Are you ok?" message right now, as when I've told people that I'm not ok, and that I don't agree with all these restrictions, I have been berated and accused of all sorts of awful things by people who were supposed to be friends. I was even called "stupid", by someone who I had been friends with for more than 30 years. It shows that despite all the sympathetic talk about mental illness in the community, most of this is superficial and there is very little understanding of what people's lives are really like. I don't know what they were expecting you or I to do when all of the things that we needed to do for ourselves were denied us. I agree with the reasons for yesterday's demonstrations, but I also wonder as you do how many of those who were out there yesterday were the same people who were on their high horses until recently, demanding that everyone stay at home. At least people have finally found a cause that shows that there are worse things than Covid19. Let's hope it's only the first issue that's finally been granted acceptance, but not the last.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

golden82 — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 09:24:57 GMT

Thanks Tangney. I re-read your first post to this thread where you mentioned about solitary confinement as a form of punishment and that is so true. My GP has even spoken about this with me..how things such as human/social interaction and sleep are just as vital as any of the medicines to our good health - and that depriving people of such things is used as torture. This has been near torture for me and this weekend has been hard. It is a long weekend in SA and so that is 3 days of no talking or hearing from anyone. And Friday was the same - didn't even leave the bed. So that will be 4 days - and it feels like 40 days believe me! I know that this weekend would have been the same with/without the Covid lockdowns - but it is harder during this time of so much forced isolation already. And I know it is not the fault of the lockdowns that I am a pathetic unloved human being, but the lockdowns really highlight it for me. I hear nothing ever from my 'family' and my few friends all have families of their own and are really just acquaintances. I might see them a couple of times a year for a coffee. So really all I have is my GP and venturing out to the library or the like for some inclusion in society. With the GP being over the phone and libraries all changed-up...it becomes a life in bed and in my head just wondering WTF is wrong with me that no-one bothers to pick up the phone. I am done with it - because it is always me who does the calling and you hear the usual 'oh, yes we have been meaning to call/thinking of you' blah blah and then the BS at the end of the call that 'we will be in touch soon'. Doesn't happen. I just don't seem to fit into this world. It means I am forever by myself with my thoughts. I have family abuse that I have never got treatment for and this was going to be the year to start psychotherapy for that (I am not into meds - fine for others - just not for me). But just as GP sorting that out - LockDowns and zoom apts. I didn't want a Zoom apt - especially when never met the Dr yet. I need face/face. So all in my head right now. I am an empath who likes my own company yes, BUT need human interaction like we need air - and without this I crumble. As has happened. How the Governments can be okay with this..I suspect they realise overblown but not going to admit it. I noticed the Norway leader has stated her reaction was overblown and wishes she did as Sweden did. I think this is true for many - but they won't admit it. Thanks again.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 12:04:21 GMT

Hello Golden 82, You are actually the one that is ok and everyone else is mental. Please believe that you are brilliant, smart, and wonderful. I hope you're ok. You are can see what is happening in the world when so many can't.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

quirkywords — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 12:28:59 GMT

Tagney

i am glad you have the opportunity to express your thoughts and ideas with others on this thread,

it is important that you feel people are listening and you have a voice.
Thank you

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 12:36:30 GMT

Thanks W

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

Tangney — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 12:49:13 GMT

Hi Quirky I'm not sure what you're on about with respect to me. Thanks for your kind words but it's not about me saying what I think. It's about the truth. I'm sure the Golden82 knows that.

Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

golden82 — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 07:29:56 GMT

Hi Tangney,

Thank you for your supportive post. The weekend was hard. I tried to get out a bit last week - good in some regards, but totally drained the little energy I have. And because I hadn't been on a train for months due to all the Covid - ended up having a panic attack on the train. Like I said I have to rebuild all this social exposure stuff that has been going backward with lock-downs. The weather here in Adelaide is horrid today so my plans for a walk gone out the window and another day in bed. Oh well, will try a walk tomorrow. I hope you are doing well and that you are getting about to the things you used to enjoy prior to lock-downs 🙂