Depressed due to isolation and civil liberty restrictions

[Tangney]

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.

[Guest_1643]

Hi all,

We have been let out of ld early, curious to see how others feel about this all.

I wouldn't have even known, aside for a chatty a neighbour....which is always weird. To think you could wake up tomorrow and have a whole new set of rules, and if Ur a bit isolated like me, u wouldn't even know. I ask please if ppl disagree not to tell me off, I choose not to follow the news 5o stay sane, so sometimes I am a bit behind . Much care to all

[lunastone]

@benanie: wave. i wanted to reply but didn't get a chance. it will be a long post so will save it for another day as i should get some sleep.

@W: everything is politic. Every state has its own rules. 😞 And i am getting very impatience with our dear WA premier who refuses to make a road map out. Goal post shifting all the time with a vague percentage of Vax rate. QLD just released the roadmap today. It seems pretty conservative but at least it is something. I hope peer pressure will get WA moving forward just a little. I don't even want to call it a leader. More like follower who just wait and see what others are doing.

I personally would like a date because it is counter productive atm. He is protecting the people who don't want the vax and continue to punish the people who gets the vax and who just want to move on. There is no excuse of not getting the jab as we have plenty of stock now in WA. I am so angry....A local who i met told me that she wants the border close because she and her husband want to wait for novavax. They are 70+ so is high risk and yet they dont' want any mRNA or viral vector vaccine BUT novavax. First world problem hey. The dinner convo got heated up with another friend few days ago. She also wants the border close because life is good fly in and fly out for the job in mining. She is not yet vaccinated and doesn't want it. If covid gets into the mine site, then the operation would have to shut, it will affect the economy in WA. I explained to her that we are just delaying the inevitible. Plus, shut down is optional. It is the policy that prevents it to operate. We don't shut down a factory over a flu case, do we? That's why vaccination is important so no one gets super sick. Europe must have figured all these out?! I feel like sometime it is people own responsibility to take care of their own health. Now we have the vaccine that can prevent death, people don't want it (freedom of choice) then fine. Their own choice. Holding us all back just to protect the unvaxed is making me very angry. I wanted to cry the other day when i was on the phone with my family......2 yrs is a very long time. And it will go on longer with our premier who refuses to make any plan to rejoin the world. If anything, the mental toll on people is yrs to be paid.

[ecomama]

Hey Sleepy and a wave to everyone,

It's sanity-saving not watching the News constantly, I support your decision 100%. In fact it's exactly what I did over a year ago. Keeping whatever MH gains I've made is my major goal.

I agree with W, it's same same, no 'leaders' knowing what they're doing, so yes "headless chickens" indeed lol, great analogy.

Aaaand the one constant in so many people is anger.

Pure waste of my energy and I won't subscribe. Constant anger creates physical ill health, let alone eroding our well-being. Nup. Not doing it.

Apparently we had our "Freedom day" - what a ridiculous term. You can feel the depression in the community, it's tangible.

Our family is doing well. We keep our focus tight, within what we CAN do.

Hope you can all create peaceful moments in your day,
Love EMxxxx

[Bananie1234]

Hi @lunastone,

100% agree with you.
i honestly don’t see why the rest of us need to suffer to protect those who refused to get vaccinated. It’s not like they’re looking out for us either. (Of course I’m putting those who can’t get it aside).
i think it’s the end date that people want to see. Ever since Victoria announced the roadmap (with rough dates) i felt like there’s an end of the tunnel, i can see the light and now we can’t wait till Friday 😊

Hope you are feeling better xx

[Hanna3]

Hi everyone

All due respect to the opinions here but we have to protect the people who haven't yet been fully vaccinated but want to be - because obtaining vaccines was done too late by the govt and the vaccines take weeks to months in the case of astra zeneca between shots and people aren't sufficiently protected during this time. So part of the problem at the moment is that many people still haven't been sufficiently vaccinated. Also there's about a two week lag from 2nd shot to optimum immunity.

And then we have to protect the hospital system because as the unvaccinated - and unfortunately a few fully vaccinated - people get sick they can overwhelm he hospitals.

And yes I think people who don't get vaccinated when they should have to understand they run a very real risk of getting very seriously ill. They also pass on the virus more readily to others than people who have been vaccinated.

I think it's just difficult for everyone. I'd hate to be making the decisions on public health issues these days it must be a tough gig!

Things where I live now are starting to get a bit easier thankfully!

[lunastone]

@bananie: about your previous post on protest and vaccination, i haven't had a chance to reply. I agree with you that the protest in melbourne was a bit....There was no good reason to attack health care workers etc. Well, it also got me thinking about the whole mandatory vaccine idea. It is difficult to comprehend. I don't like the idea of mandatory as Aus is certainly going into the direction of totaritarian. As we have seen, once the govt gets the power, they wouldn't let go. In the meantime, i want the community to be protected as much as possible. Yes, i think about my kid who can't be vaccinated just yet. However, i have decided to put that conflict feeling aside as too much on my plate right now. I'm jabbed to protect myself and people around me.

@moonstruck: i see your post on the main thread. Wave! i hope you are well. Perhaps the consolation for QLD is that your dear premier actually sets a date and roadmap to live with covid. WA has NO plan. It really frustrates me and some of my friends who haven't seen our family for 2 yrs. and it seems like it will go on for another 6 months? We have a vague percentage and somehow it is OK to disagree on the national plan to use 12+ as a milestone. Today, we are rolling out booster. Seriously? What's the use of the vaccine if we are just going to keep the virus out indefinitely? Even the epidemologist said that NSW and Vic are doing it right. Max the vax efficiency when opening up. We all would get it eventually in the next 5 yrs. Just face it...can't keep the scare campaign going on. It is not a rocket science to project a date based on the first shot coverage as of today. They need to give incentive to ppl who have been jabbed. Let's them see the family. Have some compassion. Bring on the test. Let's move on! A plan is what i am asking. We can't hold out people's life for the ones who dont' want to get jabbed. Yes, i understand that there would be double jabbed old people with underlying conditions who could still die. You know what? I know a few, including my parents. They know how to protect themselves. Common sense as they told me. In a country like the US where there is no restrictions, the old people i know are now triple jabbed and are still very cautious. Don't we always hear that you are the one responsible for your own health? And I would keep my kid home if the virus goes rampant and a concern to me. Again, the world has moved on.........we have to think about the mental health of ppl.

[HamSolo01]

G'day all

I do hope we have seen the end of this oandemic and that life will start up again

Thanks to all who have shared on here through successive lockdowns.

I do hope your lives go forward from here

[Moonstruck]

Once Qld reaches 80% vaccinations.....people can go anywhere, do anything pretty much....Yay!

But not everyone. Our Premier Anna is punishing those who are not vaccinated, by not allowing them into....cafes, restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres, sports stadiums, museums, art galleries, Theme Parks..etc...they will also be banned from visiting hospitals and aged care homes..{ If their mother, or perhaps their little boy or girl are sick...sorry, can't visit them)...they can only go to necessary places like supermarkets for food and other necessary shopping.

If a wedding includes people who are not vaccinated, the guest list is limited to 20. Otherwise you can have as many guests as you like.

[lunastone]

@moon: I had such a high hope early this year. Trying to be optimistic that this year was going to be better. Covid has divided the society more than ever. I'm not pro-vaccine mandate but it in fact saves life (no, we can't save everyone just like every other disease). So am not sure what to think of the mandate. I'm vaccinated so perhaps it is the reason that i don't feel strongly other than worrying about my child who can't be vaccinated just yet.

As for your statement, I am actually feeling the opposite atm. QLD premier has done the unexpected given her hard stand on covid zero strategy. WA is adopting a strategy that's punishing the vaxed and protecting the unvaxed. A group of us rushed out to get the vaccine back in June with the hope that we could all move forward, be ready when the virus leaked in and could see family for christmas for people with family interstate. It turned out that a group of my friends, who dragged their feet with the idea that there was no virus here, were making the right decision to get the vaccine more recently. Because by the time WA is projected to open in late jan/early feb, we (early jabber) are needing our booster. if anything, it would have been the worst time to open up when the virus is actually here and the majority of us would have waned immunity and children are not vaccinated. Swift approach like Vic and NSW is certainly working better to maximise the vaccine efficiency while letting the virus circulates. The goal has always been minimizing the hospitalisation not the cure. Ha...and WA only just planned to have 200+ bed ready in Aug 2022?! I hope the pandemic would be over by then! I feel sorry that the vaxed are being punished for missing out the xmas with interstate family yet another year. I would also like to be proved wrong that we could actually reach 90% 12+ here. There are always ppl who don't want it. If anything, my partner pointed out that even with the vaccine, we are actually going to have more restrictions next year with the WA road map than during the peak of the pandemic in 2019. European countries (like Denmark) did lift some restrictions as the vax rate goes up. Here, we have more, not less. It gets me angry to see the WA ad, 'if you want to travel, get the jab', such a lie. I have lost trust in our govt. Sure, i don't disagree that there would always ppl who can't vaccinated due to medical. But it is the same with other illness. Time to move on and be responsible for yourself.

[lunastone]

@ham : thanks for popping back in here. I'm not sure where you are. If eastern states, I hope you are doing better now that lockdown is easing. Yes, i can only hope for the better.