Coping during the Coronavirus outbreak

[Sophie_M]

We recognise that many of us here in the community are feeling scared, worried and overwhelmed about Coronavirus (COVID19). 

As a result, we created this thread to allow people to come together here during those difficult times and encouraged those wanting to share or seek support to do so here in this space. 
 
It was important with this thread that we maintained perspective and supported each other as best as we could, medical, scientific and public health experts around the world have and still are working hard to contain the virus and treat those affected. 
 
The Beyond Blue Support Service is available via phone 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via beyondblue.org.au/get-support for online chat. 
 
There are some other helpful discussions taking place here within our forum community that you may find helpful to read or participate in: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well/hi-there-i-only-just-joined-and... 

This thread is now closed for further posting. Users are still able to read through and find support through already existing posts.  

[Guest_1584]

Ahh , it's not a wonder people,18mths this craps been going on now , might be longer , just guessing. Must admit, although earlier times oh man , they were bizarre , and just plain cray for sure , who would've ever dreamed it up in this day and age. But did l hear right today they said this is our 5th Vic lockdown, God almighty no wonder people have had enough of this rubbish,me included.

Earlier on back at the start after wrapping my head around the whole thing for a few mths first of all , l was pretty well ok . The biggest most bizarrest thing is somehow happening to the world , we'll just have to ride it out . Our grand parents and theirs, and some migrants and all kinds of people often went through much much harder than this ,and even in this day and age many all over the world everyday lives we couldn't even comprehend we're so spoilt rotten. lt'll be right we gotta do what we've gotta do.

Must admit though , ok , l'm bloody done with this rubbish. For such a small and so isolated population like Australia there's no excuse at this stage and there's l think 6 different vacs in the world different countries are using but it's like even if they had enough to begin with it'd still be the circus it's been anyway when we could've been done long ago and past this crap. l also don't trust anything the Aus gov been gathering on us or lawing and using through all this , and will now have in place to just go on and keep in our lives to control us and our freedoms even more from here on either.So all that really worries me too bc l trust them as far as l could kick them and they won't wanna give up a lot of it up and they won't.

But there are so many angles , peoples MH , businesses , people struggling financially, and so sadly to that it's all gonna just speed up the disappearance of shops to online by10yrs too l reckon and this last 6mths dragging on will just about guarantee it now. Such a shame.

rx

[Guest_1643]

hi all

rx remmber you suggested one more week of lockdown??! u naild it 🙂

Hi quirky, thank u for sharing how u use these forums, ur putting urself in a better headspace this way, i guess we can choose what we engage in. I call Lifeline a bit as well because I know i won't be judged there, or other crises lines related to trauma.

I know what u mean rx watching businesses disolve is truly disheartening. The MH effects are staggering. Today i'm doing selfcare, EM mentioned Radical Self care, and I'm needing to go in that direction.
Today has been face-masking. skin feeling soft. And now sitting by my fire plce and soothing myself into calm.

tomorrow have to get a foodpack from a welfare org, at least it's something to focus on, always surprising what they give you. Here's hoping there's some chocolate 🙂

Hope all are feeling okay

[golden82]

Well said about everything there rx. You have a great way of expression. I hope you are managing okay. And everyone else here too.

Thanks for your message Luna and good to see you popping up here. I too miss our mates from our thread and hope they are all coping. Thinking of you Tangney and Moon et al.

Thanks Sophie. I appreciate your info. But the sad reality is I am across it all and many years now of calling all different helplines and so nothing new there. But thanks though. I find them to be a tad sugary sweet upbeat trying to create artificial positives out of nothing. eg use this lockdown to create a playlist?? Yeah, nah. I have so many and regardless what does that achieve? While away some time perhaps. But it does not change the reality of our situations or the fact of being alone all the time - with no-one reaching out. And with all safe places like libraries closed etc etc it is just me, my head, and all the trauma. And so creating a playlist or baking some bread or anything really is a very out of touch 'solution'. When you are dealing with complex trauma and trying to make sense of everything. Sometimes you just need someone to sit there, be heard and say yeah you know what it is pretty crap for us all - and even harder for some of us (like so many of us on these forums who are going it alone, and even more so when we are struggling with mental health already). I dunno but false positivity just feels a bit off to me. It is what it is. Maybe it helps some ppl. But not for me. I really don't know how to go on. I know I shouldn't complain as Vic and NSW have it worse I am sure; but I am done with this.

[Guest_1584]

Yep , looks like it eh sleepy , damn it.

l don't get a lot of it this time . Like l know it's the bloody delta ra ra , but we've got everything locked up up here now for this one. This is the first time through it all , everything except the essentials has locked up most stuffs stayed open right through up here. But now even the hardware is closed for the very first time. So why this time but no other time before ?

l knew NSW closed construction but l didn;t think Vic did but maybe it has too.

Anyway , hope you find some choc in there sleepy.

rx

[Mimsy19]

Exactly, rx. And it seems logic goes out the window when people discuss covid. Someone was saying what a bunch of whiners we all are, because look at what they want through in the London blitz. This misses the point entirely. You can't compare a relatively mild illness to the blitzkrieg. I may as well say, those whinging Londoners during the blitz - haven't they heard of Black Death, which wiped out a third of the world's population? It's apples and oranges, and telling people that a) their pain doesn't matter because there are worse things and b) any government action is justified because covid is the worst is a terrible contradiction, but they try it on anyway.

I'm going through ups and downs - was on an up two days ago, now I'm down again.

[Doolhof]

HI Everyone,

My household has found itself not just in lock down but in mandatory home isolation quarantining for 2 weeks as a family member spent 5 minutes in an exposure site.

Yesterday we waited almost 8 hours for a Covid test and have to do the same on day 5 and 13. Next time we will be better prepared, more food and drinks and maybe some books or games to play in the car.

My biggest problem is where do you go to the toilet if you are supposed to be isolating!

The testing centre had 2 porta loos a very kind policeman told me. It was a long walk there and back. My husband has an injury and couldn't walk that far.

At least in lock down you can still go out. In quarantine the only outing allowed apart from a medical emergency is a covid test.

I'm thankful I have a large enough garden to walk around in. After 2 weeks I might make a bit of a goat track!

I really need to make the most of each day! That is my plan. I know how quickly I deteriorate into a dark place.

I know a lot of you have been there and done that already. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here for me to learn from.

Sending you all kind greetings and hope you find some peace. Regards from Dools

[Summer Rose]

Hi Sleepy 21

Totally agree with you that the MH effects of lockdown are “staggering”.

I’m not trying to diminish anyone’s pain or trauma (I have experienced Covid anxiety myself and so has my daughter who was suicidal at times last year), but want to gently point out that there would be MH affects if we didn’t have lockdowns, too.

Every time we went out the door we would have to deal with the very real prospect of catching Covid. Every person infected with the Delta strain infects at least four others. The reproductive rate is significantly higher than with the original virus. For some people this risk from movement and living life would cause high anxiety.

If we did become infected, we may also have to carry pain for infecting the people we love the most and others for the rest of our lives. Look to the 2 Covid positive removalists from Sydney who just lost their mother to Covid. She was only 52 years old.

If you look to death rates in the UK, India, Brazil, USA, etc, it is entirely possible that we would lose someone we love, again pain, loss and grief.

Children and teens would have to live with anxiety that they could lose a parent or grandparents. And they very well may lose someone they love.

We or someone we love may be denied a necessary surgery or cancer treatment because we can’t get access to our hospitals. That would have a huge impact on our MH.

Our nurses and doctors and others at the front line would face disproportionate risk of illness daily. We would be putting every vulnerable Australian at high risk of serious of illness or death. I think we all might know someone with diabetes, or who is over weight or who is being treated for cancer and is immunocompromised for one reason or another.

What is the MH impact on us for not caring for others who are vulnerable ?

I could write more but you get the idea. I think the reality is that this pandemic is staggeringly bad for our MH.

Kind thoughts to all

[Guest_1584]

Today about Vic they were talking about an extra wk. l dunno if they were referring to this extra wk or a wk 3 after this one , does anyone know ?

Anyway , we better brace for it , another 22 today , not a good sign for next Tues at this point , sorry people.

rx

[Guest_1643]

HI rx,

oh no, do u think it'll be another week? i didn't watch the news today. No chocolate in my pack today, but some cute things 🙂

[Guest_1643]

from what i'm looking at it looks like its the same 7 days as original - til tue july 27 at midnight, b ut I could be wrong