topic Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others! in Staying well

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:58:08 GMT

Hi Everyone

This is a difficult and unprecedented time we are all going through. Out of 10 how has Covid-19 impacted your well being?

Just for myself...I come in at about 8....A brief post will help us help others more effectively!

0 to 5 .......... Low impact...................Coping well and not really worried about Covid-19
5 to 7 ...........Medium Impact.............Concerned about Covid-19 yet is doesnt effect me
8 ................. Frequent Impact........... Very concerned and checking media/news reports
9 ................. High Impact..................Frequently concerned and experience some difficulty functioning daily
10................Very High Impact...........Difficulty sleeping...increased anxiety...loss of concentration and/or feelings of helplessness

The forums are a rock solid safe and non judgemental place for anyone to post 🙂

my kind thoughts always

Paul

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

geoff — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 20:16:03 GMT

Hello Paul, a good thread, because the impact on someone could change on a daily basis, and if any of family, especially if my 2 grandkids, unfortunately, obtained it, then the impact on me would be high, concerned for their safety, whereas now, it would be a low 5, only because the region where I live has been under control.

I can appreciate anybody being in any of the five categories, so which one do you fall into.

Take care.

Geoff.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 20:55:55 GMT

Hi Geoff

thankyou for your kind &helpful post thus helping others by doing so. You have a solid care factor happening considering your grandkids and family the way you do..

I fall into category '8' in the above criteria

my kind thoughts.....Paul

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Matchy69 — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 20:58:54 GMT

Hi Paul great thread topic.When this all started with all the restrictions put in place I was at a level 10 and was very scared and full of doom and gloom.Now as the restrictions have been easing and the case numbers are not like overseas I have dropped back to an 8.Now we are having a surge in Victoria and I am getting very anxious again that this could happen in Qld and our lives will be really impacted again.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 21:24:15 GMT

Hey Matchy

Great to have your contribution and thankyou for the super compliment too 🙂 I havent written a new thread for ages! I hear you loud and clear about being at level 10.....I used to have chronic anxiety for years and dont like the recent spike we have here in Vic Mark. Im a big fan of your care and input on the forums...Nice1..Paul

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Elizabeth CP — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 22:10:06 GMT

I am at a 9. The only reason I didn't choose 10 is it will be even worse if anything happens to my husband. I am less worried about the disease itself although if I caught it I would pass it to my husband who would probably die. i'm more concerned about the impact on the community & supports. If it gets worse then health professionals are at risk of catching it from the community even if extra precautions are in place at work. this then affects out ability to access health care & other supports. I also worry about the impact on family members

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 22:43:59 GMT

Thankyou Elizabeth for helping others by posting from the heart...You have been through so much...I feel like you do as I am trying to provide care for my elderly mum..My best for you and your husband during this time..Paul

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 12:54:40 GMT

Hi everyone

I think the new lock downs (in VIC) are helpful as it will hopefully prevent any further community infection...

just my point of view as I have an elderly mum who is 90 on August 1

my kindest always....Paul

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

geoff — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 18:27:44 GMT

Hello Paul, some people treat their parents as being 'special', and your mum Paul is that to you and to those around her, wrap her up in cotton wool and protect her from this virus.

At the prime age of 90, there must be an enormous amount of history hidden away, but more importantly, I hope she's kept safe and sound, which I'm sure she is.

Please tell her that we are thinking of her.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Matchy69 — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 19:50:44 GMT

Hi Paul I hope your mother stays safe during these tough times.My dad would have been 90 on the 29th of this month.He only made it to 59.I still miss him so much.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Elizabeth CP — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 22:17:35 GMT

My MH has spiralled down with this recent spike & the lockdown escalated this. My husband is vulnerable to the pandemic but more importantly this affects the supports he gets. Last time most health professionals used telehealth or zoom but because of his blindness & speech difficulties this doesn't work well & means I have a lot more work trying to make it work. Recent speech therapy appointment confirmed my fear that his speech has deteriorated (even though he does the exercises with me) due to the isolation. Normal activities he previously enjoyed are on hold because of the high risk due to covid. His specialist recommended looking into surgery to reduce the high risk of complications to his conditions. This was deferred in the first lockdown. The referal was recently sent but now don't know whether it will go ahead. I am planning to cancel my therapy for PTSD because it doesn't work on Zoom. I can't access real help.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

SD0102 — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 22:57:49 GMT

I sitting between 8 & 9 at the moment.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Catie 08 — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 23:44:48 GMT

This is a really interesting thread as I have a slightly different take on covid.

Whilst I was obviously concerned (probably an 8 on the scale) I also feel that the changes that covid forced us into saved me.

The week that we were told to start working from home (yes, I'm one of the lucky ones) was also the week I started having thoughts of self harm. I had been struggling for a while and even having panic attacks going to work. Covid came at the perfect time for me - it meant that I was able to work on me (with the help of a therapist) in the privacy of my own home without having to put on a face for the outside world every day. I still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do (there is talk of returning to the office which scares me) but I'm thankful that covid provided me this oppertunity that otherwise would not have been avaliable.
C.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

quirkywords — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 04:49:19 GMT

Paul

Thanks for this thread,

there has been a lot of time taken to discuss impact of COVID but nit as much on the bushfires.
there was 4 corners program this week on effects of bushfires.
i Understand how hard Covid is for many people but there are many coping with physical and mental illness and /or COVID and or bushfires,

quirky

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Elizabeth CP — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 06:38:52 GMT

Quirky, Covid has had a huge impact on everyone throughout Australia although the exact impact varies dramatically depending on your circumstances. Unfortunately many people not directly affected by the fires are focused on Covid because that affects them.

The difficulty is that people feel unable to do anything concrete to help those affected by the fires.

From my perspective I was really struggling early this year due to multiple stresses & finally reached out for help in Feb but promises of help had to be stopped due to Covid restrictions. Nobody's fault but still difficult. Obviously my situation is very different to yours & others who lost homes & businesses in the fires but it reminds me how difficult it must be for you& others in similar situations. I can't imagine how it must feel being stuck in caravans & other temporary accommodation.

I hope you are getting the support you need. I really feel for you.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Gambit87 — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 07:03:27 GMT

Hi Paul and everyone!

Great thread!

I'm going to rate myself an 8 (maybe an 8.5)

I've never been concerned about the virus itself. Slightly concerned about my folks and my brother (he's a paramedic) but the optimist in me figured if we all did the right thing, helped flatten the curve etc, we'll get through this together and come out stronger on the other side.

What got me was the lockdown and working from home! I thought I would be able to cope being at home for expended periods AND working at home at the same time. Turns out I couldn't. I was unable to separate home from work (even though I had a separate room for working), I was lonely without the office environment and I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself to be more productive because I felt working from home meant you needed to show you're not lazing about, This was not the case at all after talking to my boss about how I was feeling about working from home. She had a giggle at my expense, I should have spoken to her alot sooner.

The other problem with lockdown was that it took away 2 of my major support structures which helped me cope with depression and anxiety. I had to come up with new things to do but I lost motivation. I had to speak to my psych twice in 2 weeks to help me get though the low points.

I've been back in the office now for about a month and things have definitely picked up for me. 1 of my support structures is back up and Im feeling more hopeful.

I've been doing alot of reflecting and I think if I had to go into lockdown again, I would cope better. Obviously I wouldn't put pressure on myself about work, but the main thing would be to develop more structure instead of just 'winging' it.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Guest_10473 — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 07:45:57 GMT

Hi everyone, when the lockdowns happened in March I was probably at a 9 what with juggling working from home, remote learning with the kids, providing meals and groceries for my parents and having to make so many shopping trips to get everything that I needed. School returning on site was a huge relief for me and being able to do online click and collect groceries again also relieved a lot of anxiety and I was back down to a 6.

All of the stuff going on in Melbourne has elevated me to a 9. Taking the kids to a playground last week and hearing them talking to a girl who said she was visiting from one of the Covid hotspots has caused me to return to a 10 😞

Just to clarify the girl said the name of her suburb and that set off alarm bells and I moved the kids away. I hate that I have become that person who is so scared of other people and their potential germs, but I also hate that family for choosing to travel to a regional location free from Covid after their suburb had been named as a hotspot. It hadn’t been locked down at that stage.

My older in-laws live in one of the hotspots and that is also very alarming. Like Geoff said, I just want to wrap them in cotton wool and keep them safe from this virus. My mother in law has health issues which could make her less able to fight off the virus if she contracts it. So yeah, definitely a 10 at the moment.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

Moonstruck — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 00:31:17 GMT

Hi dear Paul.....

sorry to be a thorn in the side of the survey of 1 to 10...but I don't fall into any category....(I realise my position may sound complicated) but I fall into a 10...Seriously High Impact, but not because of fear of the Covid...in which case that comes under a 0 to 5....!!!

So I cant' pick a number.....I'm not, and never have been afraid of the virus....but the erosion of our civil liberties and personal freedoms, the feeling we have been living in a "police state" being told what to feel, how to feel by politicians who admit they don't know what they're dealing with.....has had the Category 10...Serious Impact on me.....sorry to be a nuisance, just trying to be understood!

re being told "how to feel" there is one particular spokesperson in my state who has repeatedly, from the beginning, said on TV press addresses (and even in an advertisement) told us "this is not the time to feel complacent". " we cannot relax just yet".....what??

We are subtly (and at times, not so subtly) being told "how to feel" all through this hysteria...my kind thoughts to you always too BlondGuy......thanks for letting me express myself.

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 10:30:00 GMT

Hi Everyone....all people's input is appreciated and thankyou!

Hey Geoff...thankyou for your understanding post..I will pass on members best wishes to her...Nice1

Hey Matchy69 (Mark)....thankyou for your heartfelt thoughts about my mum...they mean more than you know. On another thread I mentioned my sincere condolences for the loss of your dad. He was only 59..Way way to young Mark....Of course you still and always will miss him...Im sorry my friend...may your dad rest in peace

Hey SD0102....thankyou for helping out with your post! I am also an 8 - 9 too..Great to have you on Beyond Blue!

Hey Quirky...Thankyou for your valued input...I respect your view re the bushfires..Skynews (Foxtel) have been covering the huge amount of donations that still havent been distributed yet. Time allowing I hope its okay if you and I can bump up the moderators Bushfire thread....?
Being the active contributor you are on Covid-19....how do you rate your feelings re Covid? Im just trying to respect all members input and stay on topic 🙂

Coffee time....:-)

Paul

Covid-19's Impact on YOUR well being....Help us help others!

blondguy — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 12:06:50 GMT

Continued...

Hey Elizabeth.....thankyou for helping Quirky as she has been through so much...As per your post Covid and the wildfires are both devastating yet Covid is a global wildfire. Thankyou again for your balanced caring post!

Hey Gambit87....always a bonus to have your input and thankyou for your kind words too! You and I are in the same boat being between an 8.5 out of 10 on how Covid is impacting our well being. I was working in corporate until just before I joined Beyond Blue in 2016....I would also feel somewhat unproductive working from home thus also placing additional pressure on myself....if I had to work through a lockdown..Thankyou Gambit!

Hey Catie08.....thankyou for your helpful input and great to have you as part of the Beyond Blue family too! I am also feel the same at about an 8.5....and thats understandable considering what we are going through

Catie08 mentioned "I also feel that the changes that covid forced onto us saved me" Thankyou for your support 🙂

my kindest...Paul