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.  

[quirkywords]

Welcome silver lining,

Thanks for reaching out and making your first post.

These are strange times and people are worried as life keeps changing. Coping with uncertainity is very stressful.

I think you are being careful. If you read some of the posts on this thread they will give you support, ideas and hope.

Feel free to post here as much as you like.

[quirkywords]

Hello all

I have written before that all views are welcome on this thread even if some of us disagree. This is a difficult time and people become worried that maybe restrictions want change and their freedoms will be curtailed. People worry their health will get worse as they anxious. These are feelings they share with others. Being able to speak freely on forums is vital.

I like the way that everyone posting on here has respect for others and their views. We are all facing changes and we can support each other even if our ideas are different.

[Hanna3]

A post which advocates that it's wrong to protect elderly people at the expense of younger people with longer to live Sleepy. Anything which advocates that one part of society is worth more than another is dangerous. What next, certain races or religions too? This is a slippery slope and dangerous talk.

[eight]

i've had to retype this three times bc of the forums and my computer crashing out on me so i'm Cranky but those people talking about "we should let the elderly die because i'm depressed :((" even if it isn't already awful to say ya lol we should just kill off old people its such a faulty point too. everyone's for some reason super electrified over how there's mental health talk going on but what disabled people keep talking about is "i begged on my hands and knees for my school/work to let me do online classes/work from home/do another accommodation and they laughed in my face and said it was impossible but suddenly when its their able-bodied students/employees at risk they can arrange the very same things i asked for at the drop of a hat" and how they expect itll be back to square one trying to get what they need after the pandemic. sure its great now but sympathy has an expiration date; mental health is grave and serious when everyone is in self isolation but as we come out of it and they bounce back and you don't because you're chronically mentally ill you're still going to be treated like a freak for showing symptoms or struggling to function. how worth it is letting the elderly and immunocompromised (not your friends who are elderly/immunocompromised, goodness no, just the ones that are other people's problems) die painful needless preventable deaths just to be back to exhausted sighs and rolling eyes and "you're still depressed?" after all of that?

[Hanna3]

Thank you eight! I have two elderly friends who survived the Holocaust and fled Germany and Austria for Australia - they are in their early 90s and the stories they can tell about living under the NAZI regime are fascinating and horrifying... they are valuable people, not worthless! I know their time left is limited, but I love them dearly and don't want to see them dying a horrible death with covid19.

And what you say about disabled people is horrifyingly true. We could have enabled them to work from home if they wished to, long before this! Good on you eight!

[Hanna3]

And yes, the unemployed, women who've been suffering domestic violence during this, and those with MH issues are going to need a lot of help and support as this virus isn't going away for a while.

[quirkywords]

I think that what the people in charge are trying to do is make sure we are all healthy no matter what our ages are. To do this there are guidelines so that people wont get sick. Everyone is entitled to be healthy and free from illness.

[Speak Your Truth]

Some of all these posts are ???? Such a wide variation of interpretations what the PM, the Premiers or Ministers say and maybe what other posters say. We’re all entitled to our opinions of course, but some of them are hard to figure. Some people take great offence and reject, some understand and accept.

I responded to someone’s post on my thread and that seems to have upset the person concerned as it has not brought a reply - so I’m wondering if they have misinterpreted what I said and are put out, or did I, not intending to, say the wrong things ? I sometimes feel it would be easier to stay in bed all day, away from the world and ‘reality’

Are a lot of people so stressed out, wired up and hypersensitive because of Covid and that’s what is causing these reactions ? Sigh 😔

[golden82]

Hello All. I wasn't sure whether to post a reply given that a couple of contributors have responded to my post with their own emotive interpretations and extrapolated upon these.

Firstly, nobody has said the comments we are being accused of "just let the old people die" and the like. And nobody is saying that older people do not have value or that their lives are less important than the life of a younger person. However, it is a fact that a 95 yo has already had most of their life, whereas a 5 yo has not. This cannot be argued. Any life lost is sad, but some are more expected than others - we are not designed to live infinitely.

Secondly, everyone should be entitled to express their viewpoint from their unique experiences that shape the situation they are in. They should feel safe to express that without judgement. Whilst we all have differing views - we can still agree to disagree and remain respectful of each other. Some of the tone and suggestions have been bordering on aggressive and not helpful for a forum such as this one.

I can only speak openly and honestly from my own experience as a person who is isolated and struggling even before the Covid. Although, I do have empathy and can see how it impacts many others in society too - as Moonstruck has described well. I have worked in the medical profession, aged care and also have suffered domestic violence myself and met other survivors of this. To have blinkers on and think it is only the direct deaths of Covid itself is not realistic. Unfortunately there will be many others now and into the future as an indirect result.

It is not the economy versus lives that gets talked about...it is actually lives versus lives. Because the economy is lives in a myriad of ways. If you are interested in this there is an economist Gigi Foster who makes this point much better than I can.

Also, as someone that suffers from depression and debilitating anxiety I can attest that my mental health/illness is an illness just as much as a physical illness. Despite it being invisible for the most part...it is most certainly a disability. Furthermore, I am immunocompromised myself - and so it is really saying something that I believe the cure to be worse than the disease. Health is not just physical but mental too - and I thought that this of all places would be a safe space to discuss your feelings and thoughts.

The federal health Minister is onto this fallout from Covid re mental health - I think that speaks volumes. Regards

[calmseeker]

Hi all,

This may be an over simplistic view of things but I truly believe that there are many things we can do to get the economy up and running again but you can never bring someone back to life. I really do see it as that cut and dried. Jobs will re emerge, the economy will come back but a death from covid-19 can never be reversed. Therefore I cant see any other alternative than to social distance and shut cafes/pubs/shops etc. My personal thoughts are we are reopening way too soon.

I understand that this view may not be a popular view with some people. I have felt agoraphobic myself at times through all of this but I don't care, I am prepared to feel uncomfortable because without a vaccine its all we can do.

My heart goes out to those who have lost employment recently. Thank god we live in this country during these times and not certain other countries who just let their people financially fall to pieces after the economic shut downs. At least in this country there are some social welfare lifelines.

I hope everyone is doing ok and is as well as they can possibly be at the moment. Calm vibes to you all xo