Lockdown is so damn hard.

[goodbanana]

I'm finding this so hard. I'm a lone parent to a toddler who spends 12 hours a week with his childminder. The time in between I spend working from home. I can now see my mum which is nice, and speak to the odd person when doing my shopping. Can chat to people on the phone but it's not the same. My mental health is suffering and it doesn't matter how much exercise or activities I do, I'm feeling so anxious. I can meet with friends for a walk or chat in the garden but it seems harder to do in lockdown and people are busy with their own stuff. I am suffering a lot. I'm on anti anxiety medication already but find myself either in tears or feeling completely neurotic about minor things every day. I have OCD, and PTSD from domestic abuse and don't like being on my own. I'm starting counselling tomorrow but it's via zoom. The well-being lady said she thinks counselling isn't enough and I need specialist PTSD trauma therapy.

I just have so much in my head, and a toddler to look after, and it's all made so much worse by lockdown. I hate it. I hate it so much.

Is anyone else struggling to cope?

[goodbanana]

Probably the wrong time of night to be posting...

[Boulshired]

I am struggling but I was struggling before lockdown and now it’s just worse. I have a disabled child and life is hard. I am living one day at a time but at the end of the night I remind myself that I have done well getting through the day. You have already been through so much and you are still fighting.

[PumpkinP]

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time.

I’m a lone parent to 4 so definitely struggling, oldest is 9 youngest is 3. They don’t see their dad so I’ve had them the whole of lockdown with no break. I don’t have any family help. It’s hard. You are not alone.

[SherbertSaucers]

You are not alone. I’ve had crippling OCD and intrusive thoughts since the lockdown started. I’m stuck in thought loops constantly. I started counseling, too - it’s over the phone rather than Zoom, but it’s been helpful. I hope yours goes well.

Just remember that this will pass eventually. The anxiety will lift. I’ve found random TV shows have helped soothe me now and then - specifically old cookery programmes on iPlayer. Is there anything that helps you with stress relief?

Sending you strength. We will all get through this.

[SnuggyBuggy]

I'm struggling. Almost every aspect of my life is now harder. I think I was pretty mentally healthy before, I have a 2 year old and we had a good routine of different groups and going out and seeing friends. If I had a bad stressful day I could try to make the next day different.

Now I have nothing to alleviate the negative moods, I spend a lot of time in tears. I've not seen my family in months. We struggle to get to the supermarket with the queuing and restrictions so our diet is crap.

I feel really resentful of how much our lives have changed. Even when this is over we've no idea of what we will have left.