Mental health and CoVid-19

leahyl

eviltwin wrote: »

Thought I'd post here cause I think I need the support. Like everyone I'm finding this whole thing tough. We lost a family member and a close friend to Covid during the year, the family member was elderly and had long term health issues so it wasn't a huge shock but our friend was an otherwise healthy 50 year old and it just floored us. I just miss him terribly and wasn't able to attend the funeral and that's had an impact too...I don't feel like I got closure.

I'm still working and grateful to be so but working in social care with vulnerable people is extremely challenging at the moment. It feels like we are fighting a losing battle with hygiene and I am starting to dread going into work. Added to this I have two people at home with a chronic illness and another child referred to mental health services with his own anxiety.

We have a great workplace therapy scheme here but its inundated with requests for support. All this reads very negative, I've a lot to be grateful for but I've had a week of it with various things and just need to verbally vomit it all out.

So sorry to hear what you've been going through eviltwin.

I don't think there is anyone who hasn't been affected either physically, emotionally or both in some cases. Everyone is affected in different ways too so nobody is immune (for want of a better word).

In the last month or so, work has become ridiculously busy for me; I also live at home with my parents who are in good health but are in their 70's and I am a worrier by nature so that has been playing on my mind for the last 6 months. At the weekend I actually got a weakness and collapsed in the shower and then got up and tried to get out of the shower and fell again, banged my head off the wall. I'm getting my bloods taken next week but I'm hoping that it's just the stress of the past 6 months finally getting on top of me. I got such a fright and so I'm trying to slow down a little and just do what I can do.

This year has been an absolute disaster

hayoc

eviltwin wrote: »

All this reads very negative, I've a lot to be grateful for but I've had a week of it with various things and just need to verbally vomit it all out.

Dont be afraid to express even if you feel its negative.

I am guilty of saying nothing rather than being negative too and its not good. Ive spoken to a couple of people in the last few days who are really struggling but had said nothing.

Its an incredibly difficult time right now. I feel like we are back to March again. The government announcements are unclear and confusing. A part of me feels like "what was the point?" - 6 months of deprivation and its not made any difference, numbers still going up, lockdown still going on.

is_that_so

Hector Savage wrote: »

I find Lyric FM great, I listen to it a lot, just music, no talking about covid, I love George Hamilton's show ..

Agreed on Lyric. He's OK, I find him a bit lightweight and sometimes he sounds like he's still commentating!

Beholders

Ok I haven't read any other posts in this thread, cause I want to come from a clear point of view, Yes I know it is affecting our Mental Health, it has from the get go. My job is as a documentary film maker, and although you would think this is an ideal thing (which it has to a certain degree) for me (I'm used to isolation when I'm editing) But I also need people to create that art form, and be honest and safe with me(right now documentary has both sides of the conversation) and my ears are constantly open. (f*ck I'm scared)

But I also live and love with people, that are really scared. Really what I have observed is people are scared, I talk to family members and if it's not them it the people they care about that are scared about them meeting up.

Ok the scarcest thing I every saw, (and I'm a huge horror fan) was people coming out of a coffee shop, EXIT and sighing a sense of relive. Something so normal, we all have to think about, and I know it was a sense of relive because it was me who exhaled it first.

So as far as I can see we are basing everything on fear, and that is a horrible way to live. But one thing we need to understand is everyone in the world has this cloud or this fear hanging over them, in that we are unified no matter wher e we get our facts from.

So basically what I'm saying try to understand that we are all scared, we don't understand someone else (stuff going on) in the shops, or whatever they are doing but please understand they are scared from a 5 year old to 103 year old they have the same fear. (just shown differently)

So what I want to say to people in this difficult time, you aren't alone, the whole world is with you, (for once the world is unified) and when you get scared, you aren't alone, cause it the only common thing I can see from people online and in person, we are all actually really scared, about our family's and loved ones ,about ourselves, about people we know.

I would also like to point out to everyone, that we are now the new journalist of today, when we post something on social media, have the ethics of pervious journalist and do a little research on your source (cause there is a lot of miss information and a simple google search will show that to you) be the best poster you can be.

So i wish everyone to keep themselves safe and happy (cause this is a pandemic) just remember everyone in the world is feeling the same anxiety and depression to do with this, you are so definitely not alone.

s1ippy

This has easily been the worst week of my life.

Graces7

Beholders wrote: »

So basically what I'm saying try to understand that we are all scared, we don't understand someone else (stuff going on) in the shops, or whatever they are doing but please understand they are scared from a 5 year old to 103 year old they have the same fear. (just shown differently)

We are not all scared by any means. Facing the reality and doing all we can to live within this situation will negate fear and we can all do that.

There is no fear in me; there is concern and caring and doing all I can for those I know. But fear? No, not one iota

NB there was some fear in me a while back in a life threatening medical emergency . But this? No .

Also; it is not mental illness or a mental health issue to react as we are doing to a pandemic; it is normal , natural and healthy. The ones to worry us are those who refuse and are in denial and attack measures we take to avoid infection.

Fear disables. Ignore it. Action disables fear. FInd some way to care in a positive way for others as I know many are doing. LIVE! ENjoy what we can still enjoy, especially that we are alive.

bobbyy gee

Find therapist a supervisor would have more experience a lot do it over zoom now


https://iacp.ie/Terms-of-Use-Online-Therapist-Register

bobbyy gee

bobbyy gee wrote: »

Find therapist a supervisor would have more experience a lot do it over zoom now


https://iacp.ie/Terms-of-Use-Online-Therapist-Register

Hi, just on this point about supervisors They don't necessarily have more experience than therapists who aren't supervisors. For example there are many therapists who have decades of experience behind them but who choose to not train as supervisors.

GoneHome

Graces7 wrote: »

We are not all scared by any means. Facing the reality and doing all we can to live within this situation will negate fear and we can all do that.

There is no fear in me; there is concern and caring and doing all I can for those I know. But fear? No, not one iota

Also; it is not mental illness or a mental health issue to react as we are doing to a pandemic; it is normal , natural and healthy.

Fear disables. Ignore it. Action disables fear. FInd some way to care in a positive way for others as I know many are doing. LIVE! ENjoy what we can still enjoy, especially that we are alive.[/B]

This exactly, you have put it very well Grace, people are doing far too much navel gazing, people just need to get on with life in the different world and way of living that we now find ourselves, look after themselves and their loved ones, take all the necessary precautions. We've both been working from home for months now and it's the best thing that has ever happened us. We keep our social contacts to an absolute minimum and enjoy our own rural idyll, and the way things are looking we won't be back in the urban office setting for quite a few months to come

Beholders

Graces7 wrote: »

Beholders wrote: »

So basically what I'm saying try to understand that we are all scared, we don't understand someone else (stuff going on) in the shops, or whatever they are doing but please understand they are scared from a 5 year old to 103 year old they have the same fear. (just shown differently)

We are not all scared by any means. Facing the reality and doing all we can to live within this situation will negate fear and we can all do that.

There is no fear in me; there is concern and caring and doing all I can for those I know. But fear? No, not one iota

NB there was some fear in me a while back in a life threatening medical emergency . But this? No .

Also; it is not mental illness or a mental health issue to react as we are doing to a pandemic; it is normal , natural and healthy. The ones to worry us are those who refuse and are in denial and attack measures we take to avoid infection.

Fear disables. Ignore it. Action disables fear. FInd some way to care in a positive way for others as I know many are doing. LIVE! ENjoy what we can still enjoy, especially that we are alive.

I will be honest with you, the fact you chose <bold Font> says an huge amount about you post, otherwise I agree with most of what you are saying, except with what I put in Bold. Fear is a very natural thing, it happens when we have doubts of the unknown, in generally it doesn't disable us, it allows us to react to a certain situation (it is called flight or fight) ie, our adrenal glands go berserk and generally moves us forward to are own goals. And yes that is natural. Acting on Fear without a sense of self is actually Courage.

On a side note I'm not talking about mental illness, that is another topic and yes of course should be dealt with. Mental health is very different and should be chatted about in this thread. As an example I'm not that unaware that a certain percentage of our population will come out of this pandemic with PTS (Post Traumatic Syndrome) Until that happens it isn't a mental illness, it is part of mental health, So we need to making sure the well being of who we care about is paramount, regardless of the doubt and fear we feel (for once in our lives we can all become the hero's to the others, we love and care about)

eviltwin

GoneHome wrote: »

This exactly, you have put it very well Grace, people are doing far too much navel gazing, people just need to get on with life in the different world and way of living that we now find ourselves, look after themselves and their loved ones, take all the necessary precautions. We've both been working from home for months now and it's the best thing that has ever happened us. We keep our social contacts to an absolute minimum and enjoy our own rural idyll, and the way things are looking we won't be back in the urban office setting for quite a few months to come

To be fair, a lot of people have had their lives turned upside down by this thing. Its natural they are stuck in a negative mindset. I'm going through stages where I feel very down about it all and I'm trying to stay positive but its hard when you are worried about your loved ones, doing a tough job made tougher by restrictions and all your normal self care options are curtailed. Its not navel gazing, its genuine worry and fear for a lot of people about what the future holds.

hayoc

GoneHome wrote: »

This exactly, you have put it very well Grace, people are doing far too much navel gazing, people just need to get on with life in the different world and way of living that we now find ourselves, look after themselves and their loved ones, take all the necessary precautions. We've both been working from home for months now and it's the best thing that has ever happened us. We keep our social contacts to an absolute minimum and enjoy our own rural idyll, and the way things are looking we won't be back in the urban office setting for quite a few months to come

Thats nice for you, both.

My husband left me just before xmas and I found out that he not only had a long term mistress but was using prostitutes from a specific fetish website and had in fact been living a double life for years and was also financially abusing me. I knew him 30 years.

He refused to leave so I moved out, alone.

Covid came a month later and I have been completely alone in the world since then. I have no family of my own, and his whole family ghosted me. I have crippling anxiety, PTSD, suffer hallucinations, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts, an intense feeling of being unsafe - all the time, and other symptoms.

I am an extreme example, but for many reasons it is not a good thing for some people to have become completely isolated as a result of lockdown.

I could die right now and no one would know. Someone could walk in and murder me in my bed and no one would know. I am totally alone. I dont have a rural idyllic and even if I did, it would be extremely difficult to be in it severely traumatised and alone.

After the worst shock of my life I was forced to stay indoors alone. Even counselling didnt happen for months. Luckily I had seen my GP before Covid so she knew what had happened because there were no in person appointments for months and I was not in a state where I could have talked about how I felt on the phone.

Its not navel gazing for someone who is struggling to think about their circumstances. Its impossible not to think about them. And there is nothing to do to distract from them at the moment. Every support I tried to help me through this time was taken away from me due to covid. Counselling, classes, gym, socialising, none of it was available to me.

I remember sitting in floods of tears, alone, listening to one of Leo's early speeches on lockdown and being hugely panicked. Think of an injured wild animal trapped in a cage - that was me.

nannerbenahs

https://off-guardian.org/2020/09/29/open-letter-belgian-healthcare-workers-call-for-end-to-lockdown/

growleaves

Accompanying a care-taker, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visited some sick elderly shut-ins on the outskirts of Rotterdam on September 8, 2020. Above, she chats with Adrie Busink, 80 years old, who has a pulmonary infection in addition to Parkinson's disease.

The elderly lady was very pleased and surprised when she opened the door to her daily care-taker and found Queen Maxima at her side. After offering the Queen a cup of coffee, the lady related her difficulties.

Because of her age and infirmities, she is unable to care for her house or go the grocery store. The coronavirus complicated the picture even more, since the authorities forbade her family members to visit her.

The Queen also visited other aged persons in the town of Ridderkerke, below, where many elderly have died since the beginning of the epidemic.

By carrying out these noble actions, Queen Maxima set a very good example for us to follow. An example that the Catholic Church calls a work of mercy: to visit the sick and the prisoners.

Do visit the elderly and sick, especially during this epidemic.

Link

fin12

Has anyone experienced sleep paralysis? It happened to me the other night, was terrifying cause I was convinced someone was chocking me, felt so real.

voldejoie

fin12 wrote: »

Has anyone experienced sleep paralysis? It happened to me the other night, was terrifying cause I was convinced someone was chocking me, felt so real.

It's a horrible experience. I used to get it very badly at a child/teenager, but as an adult only when I'm badly jet lagged or stressed.

What helps me is when I realise it's happening, just focusing on staying calm and trying to count until I feel I can move again. Still be very shook after that mind, but definitely once you can accept it's happening it seems to pass more quickly.

4Ad

fin12 wrote: »

Has anyone experienced sleep paralysis? It happened to me the other night, was terrifying cause I was convinced someone was chocking me, felt so real.

Someone explained to me that what happens is the mind wakes up before the body, not sure if this is true but it is what I want to believe !
Only got it again last week, horrible horrible experience, shouting out for my Dad to come and save me...the huge relief when I woke up.

4Ad

hayoc wrote: »

Thats nice for you, both.

My husband left me just before xmas and I found out that he not only had a long term mistress but was using prostitutes from a specific fetish website and had in fact been living a double life for years and was also financially abusing me. I knew him 30 years.

He refused to leave so I moved out, alone.

Covid came a month later and I have been completely alone in the world since then. I have no family of my own, and his whole family ghosted me. I have crippling anxiety, PTSD, suffer hallucinations, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts, an intense feeling of being unsafe - all the time, and other symptoms.

I am an extreme example, but for many reasons it is not a good thing for some people to have become completely isolated as a result of lockdown.

I could die right now and no one would know. Someone could walk in and murder me in my bed and no one would know. I am totally alone. I dont have a rural idyllic and even if I did, it would be extremely difficult to be in it severely traumatised and alone.

After the worst shock of my life I was forced to stay indoors alone. Even counselling didnt happen for months. Luckily I had seen my GP before Covid so she knew what had happened because there were no in person appointments for months and I was not in a state where I could have talked about how I felt on the phone.

Its not navel gazing for someone who is struggling to think about their circumstances. Its impossible not to think about them. And there is nothing to do to distract from them at the moment. Every support I tried to help me through this time was taken away from me due to covid. Counselling, classes, gym, socialising, none of it was available to me.

I remember sitting in floods of tears, alone, listening to one of Leo's early speeches on lockdown and being hugely panicked. Think of an injured wild animal trapped in a cage - that was me.

Thats awful, so sorry to hear. Have you anyone to talk to ?? Are you working and have anyone there to talk to ?

Graces7

Beholders wrote: »

Graces7 wrote: »

I will be honest with you, the fact you chose <bold Font> says an huge amount about you post, otherwise I agree with most of what you are saying, except with what I put in Bold. Fear is a very natural thing, it happens when we have doubts of the unknown, in generally it doesn't disable us, it allows us to react to a certain situation (it is called flight or fight) ie, our adrenal glands go berserk and generally moves us forward to are own goals. And yes that is natural. Acting on Fear without a sense of self is actually Courage.

On a side note I'm not talking about mental illness, that is another topic and yes of course should be dealt with. Mental health is very different and should be chatted about in this thread. As an example I'm not that unaware that a certain percentage of our population will come out of this pandemic with PTS (Post Traumatic Syndrome) Until that happens it isn't a mental illness, it is part of mental health, So we need to making sure the well being of who we care about is paramount, regardless of the doubt and fear we feel (for once in our lives we can all become the hero's to the others, we love and care about)

NB I did not choose bold font! I am abed and in constant pain and my fingers have a will of their own these days.. only just realised it was bold font ! Sorry about that

Very revealing though that you jumped on that to open your disagreement!!!!!

Old saying; F.E A R = false evidence appearing real. This is what is happening here and it is obstructing health and progress.

Adjusting is possible. It really is. And it is vital. Less talk of mental health( dreadful phrase!) ; and I do not agree with your definitions by the way! it has such negative connotations ; Imagine eg those who climbed Everest talking like that! It scares folk too in many ways that word " mental" and gets used as an excuse.

I have been in permanent lockdown since way back as my serious incurable illness means my immune system is down and the smallest infection could finish me. Even although headed for 80 I am not ready to quit yet!

I live simply but get huge pleasure in the smallest things. And am busy as I can be with my limited strength. Just now I can barely walk and that gets challenging! As this whole situation. is, and we all need to rise to the challenge. Do what is needful.

And hey! We have the internet; access to books, films, to each other.
My life is firmly rooted in reality. My extended faith family work with eg the homeless and abandoned babies in India. It gives a sense of proportion.

Graces7

hayoc wrote: »

Thats nice for you, both.

My husband left me just before xmas and I found out that he not only had a long term mistress but was using prostitutes from a specific fetish website and had in fact been living a double life for years and was also financially abusing me. I knew him 30 years.

He refused to leave so I moved out, alone.

Covid came a month later and I have been completely alone in the world since then. I have no family of my own, and his whole family ghosted me. I have crippling anxiety, PTSD, suffer hallucinations, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts, an intense feeling of being unsafe - all the time, and other symptoms.

I am an extreme example, but for many reasons it is not a good thing for some people to have become completely isolated as a result of lockdown.

I could die right now and no one would know. Someone could walk in and murder me in my bed and no one would know. I am totally alone. I dont have a rural idyllic and even if I did, it would be extremely difficult to be in it severely traumatised and alone.

After the worst shock of my life I was forced to stay indoors alone. Even counselling didnt happen for months. Luckily I had seen my GP before Covid so she knew what had happened because there were no in person appointments for months and I was not in a state where I could have talked about how I felt on the phone.

Its not navel gazing for someone who is struggling to think about their circumstances. Its impossible not to think about them. And there is nothing to do to distract from them at the moment. Every support I tried to help me through this time was taken away from me due to covid. Counselling, classes, gym, socialising, none of it was available to me.

I remember sitting in floods of tears, alone, listening to one of Leo's early speeches on lockdown and being hugely panicked. Think of an injured wild animal trapped in a cage - that was me.

***********************************************

Your response to such dreadful events WAS ( and the word IS " was" )totally healthy and normal ; I endured many many years of that " No one knows where I am. If I died no one would know," And I was utterly alone... " No one loves me and no one cares for my soul" .is an ancient word . Familiar through long centuries
,
The only thing that kept me alive, literally, was the Samaritans. They gave me a Befriender who visited me occasionally and became a support and a friend . I would not have survived else after the terrible death of the last of my family

They are a resource rarely mentioned here?

We are not talking about this being " navel gazing" but about quite a different matter. Of seeing it as permanent ? Dwelling in it?

You came through it and that it what matters. You experienced and endured it and that is strong and wonderful and totally normal. And you are all the stronger for it.

You did what we all have to do when things are as bad as now; pick yourself up and walk on. Or hobble if that is all you can do.

If a dilapidated old crock like me can come back to LIVING !

Just means rethinking priorities. Life is never going to be as it was. But it is still life.

And there are many folk here in Ireland who have no one. So much scope to reach out and support them. Shake yourself up!##NB we did not h ave "counselling" in my day and I think we were all the more resiilent as we helped each other. No referring to folk outside the situations. Not thinking we cannot support and help each other

A danger too in using an emotive label like " mental health" for very healthy and normal and essentially healthy responses to situations . it is more emotional than mental.Adds power Responses we need in order to cope with these things.

More emotional and spiritual health than mental; our emotional and spiritual response which actually is totally healthy mentally. Nothing to do with mental health which carries us through when our emotions go under

off back abed; with strong painkillers.. dratted aged body! lol, Stay safe; stay well and pm by all means. Here for thee

uli84

Nearly everything closed again and depression is just settling in line with that, i pray every day for this to finish or for people governing us making more sensible decisions

Denny61

Do you actually pray or jst a figure of Statement??

GoneHome

uli84 wrote: »

i pray every day for this to finish or for people governing us making more sensible decisions

I can't see your prayers being answered on either score there I'm afraid

uli84

GoneHome wrote: »

I can't see your prayers being answered on either score there I'm afraid

Have you got mental health issues? If not, do everyone a favour and move on to a different thread, thanks

fin12

First they lock us down again, now all day today talk of fines and restrictions on how much alcohol someone can buy... they are just sickening, they release all this sh*t to the media and we’re all left to wonder what’s happening cause no decisions made.

is_that_so

fin12 wrote: »

First they lock us down again, now all day today talk of fines and restrictions on how much alcohol someone can buy... they are just sickening, they release all this sh*t to the media and we’re all left to wonder what’s happening cause no decisions made.

It is best to assume that it is not aimed at most of us. Some people do need a bit of a reset in what they are doing although I don't agree with the fines idea at all.

fin12

is_that_so wrote: »

It is best to assume that it is not aimed at most of us. Some people do need a bit of a reset in what they are doing although I don't agree with the fines idea at all.

But it’s everything, last time was we are going to Level 5 leaked to the media.

I don’t agree with being told how much alcohol I can buy. Just sick of it, they are making up this sh*t as they go along.

Then there was some TD going on about how everyone should go out now and start their Christmas shopping like implying like we are going to be in level 5 after this. It’s like threatening us all the time. I do think that Tony Holohan is a mad man and the fact he’s back now isn’t good.

PTH2009

fin12 wrote: »

But it’s everything, last time was we are going to Level 5 leaked to the media.

I don’t agree with being told how much alcohol I can buy. Just sick of it, they are making up this sh*t as they go along.

Then there was some TD going on about how everyone should go out now and start their Christmas shopping like implying like we are going to be in level 5 after this. It’s like threatening us all the time. I do think that Tony Holohan is a mad man and the fact he’s back now isn’t good.

the mans head is not right with whats going on in his family life, he should take a step back and give up the CMO role

verizon

With the ambiguity around it all that comes out every evening and a wedding at the end of the month we are trying to move it forward so we can get away from studying the numbers and trying to predict what direction they're going to go.

Our heads are 100% melted since Sunday.

fin12

https://text50808.ie/get-help?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI98a58vCj7AIVmLPtCh1pKQ31EAAYASAAEgKxjfD_BwE

Has anyone used the above service?