Agoraphobia

[Janet_B]

Despite being a nurse I am so scared of catching covid 19. I looked after a man that had multi organ failure just as he became covid negative. I’m triple vaxed and my family is double vaxed. My state has been safe from covid 19 till the last few weeks since borders opened up. We now have a lot of cases here. I am so scared to go out anywhere. I had to go to the supermarket Christmas eve to buy some food and as soon as I walked in there was a huge line up at the check outs and people everywhere. I started to panic and nearly walked out but I knew I needed to buy food so I had no choice. As I was walking around the shop I kept on tearing up, luckily my mask hid most of my face. My daughter is due to give birth any day and I’m so scared of her giving birth on her own if we get it and also worry about the baby’s wellbeing.

[yggdrasil]

Hi Janet B,

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and fears - they are all totally valid and understandable. The anxiety and fear you're describing sound like a very natural reaction to all the chaos out there, but if these feelings are having a disproportionate affect on your life or doing more harm than good, perhaps consider speaking to your GP? If you've been experiencing serious anxiety or depression for a while now your doctor may help you set up a mental health care plan, which allows you to visit a psychologist or social worker up to 20 times per year. Many psychs/social-workers will also allow you to meet via zoom or even just chat one the phone if meeting in person carries too great a COVID risk.

I totally understand the supermarket anxiety - I found supermarkets confronting even before COVID. I now do almost all my grocery shopping online. You can set up "lists" for your regular items and it's very time efficient once you get the hang of it. Coles and Woolies will deliver to most places now for only an extra 10-15 bucks, which for me is worth it for the huge amount of time I save each shop. For those last minute essentials you need delivered right away perhaps consider a service like Uber EATS? I delivered for Uber EATS for years, and many of the IGAs are now on the platform offering grocery deliveries, so that could be away to avoid the supermarket stress you experienced on Christmas Eve in the future.

For me personally I have found regular exercise essential for dealing with emotions of anxiety and fear. Is that something that's an option or of interest for you? There are many things you can do on your own, or with significant social distancing, like walking/cycling. I have found pushing my body a little bit helps me get out of my head, and helps me find a sense of control and power in these chaotic times.

I hope you're able to enjoy the next period of the holiday season, and best wishes to you and your family. 🙂

yggdrasil

[Janet_B]

I have been doing my weekly shopping online now but because I made the decision to cancel xmas with the rest of the family this year I had to do last minute stuff for us to have xmas at home.

Even tho I am so careful with everything I do unfortunately my son socialises with his mates and he doesn’t wear a mask when he does. I feel like he’s going to bring it home to all of us despite me being so careful. He’s also a tradie so he doesn’t wear a mask when working.

[geoff]

Hello Janet, it's the day after Christmas and I'm sorry to be late, my apologies.

What yggdrasil has said is very good and agree with her, and have read Janet's other reply and understand her concern, and know exactly what you're saying, the best part is that you are triple vaxed, while your family is double vaccinated.

What we are told by the health authorities is that that's what we need to do for better protection, we never know whether the person next to us has had the injection and we can't ask everybody, but know we have set up our safeguard.

As people in authority say, it's not the number of people infected by this virus but the number who are in ICU or who unfortunately pass away and this has dramatically reduced.

Take care.

Geoff.

[Sophia16]

Hi Janet,

Welcome to the Beyond Blue forums and thank you for being open here. I can see that you are feeling fearful about the COVID situation.

How you are feeling is normal. Especially during this tough time. Speaking to people who go through similar experiences can help ease your situation.

Have you considered seeing your local GP about this? They are there to help you cope with this tough time.

Stay safe and i am here to chat if you need me.

[Petal22]

Hi Janet B,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im sorry you are feeling this way.

Have you thought about speaking to your gp about the way you are currently feeling? You could do a mental health plan together this will enable you to see a psychologist who can give you many strategies for managing anxiety.

I understand the worry would be difficult for you.

[yggdrasil]

It's really understandable the fear and anxiety you're feeling about the case numbers. The pandemic is objectively a stressful thing, there's no getting around it. As difficult as it is, I think it's important to remember that we generally can't change how other people behave.

Have you considered calling the Beyond Blue support line? They have dedicated staff now to talk to people about challenges/emotions etc related to COVID. I've called BB many times - it's really helped me through the really hard times. Sometimes just having a sounding board can help.

I think trying to distract yourself as much as possible from COVID stuff could be a good strategy. I've long since given up watching the news, and am much happier as a result. I just read really long form articles now, and listen to current affairs programs on ABC/BBC radio. I find "slow news" much less anxiety provoking, but just as informative.

Have you heard of meetup.com? I was going to some purely online based meetups during the lockdowns where I live, and found that was a good way to stay social and distracted from COVID.