Can I ask how Covid has changed you

[oldandscunnered]

I do conveyancing and since the pandemic the property market has gone through the roof. Lots of people moving to surrounding islands (on the West coast of Scotland). They are mostly southerners who do not want to live in crowded places. People also want a garden. For me it's made me realise life is short and I want to see as much of the world as I can while I can. I am going three holidays this year to different places abroad. They are not that expensive but I'm doing it now in case I can't in the future. What have you all changed?

On the plus side, we were very lucky compared to many and only took a small hit to income. I hated working from home. Me and dh teach and both want to be with the kids we teach and care about. It was painful worrying about them all, especially the emotionally fragile ones.
Kids and youngsters have really fucking suffered and I think it's almost unforgivable arm. Perhaps in time, but they are owed a huge debt.

Not really much difference as i'm an introvert and a home person anyway. One difference is I now feel middle aged and ageing whereas at the start of 2020 I was 35 but still felt young. When I go out now I just want to sit down in pubs/bars and avoid noisy/busy places.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag for us.

DH's job has been made more secure by covid and he has had a couple of promotions, so we're better off financially, which also meant we could afford for me to reduce my hours at work. DH now wfh the majority of the time, which has been a game changer for us. Previously he was lucky if he got back in time to put the kids to bed twice a week.

I had an operation that I'd been waiting many months for cancelled due to covid. I was then due to see my consultant for a review, but he got covid, so I was seen by his colleague, who contradicted everything my regular consultant has ever told me and decided I didn't need surgery after all. He then discharged me (without telling me) so I've had to be re-referred by my GP and will basically start the whole process again. I've been told that due to the pandemic there's a massive backlog and I could wait 12 months to see the consultant again...to discuss whether or not I can have surgery that would already have happened if it wasn't for the pandemic

Being in lockdown has definitely made me appreciate our home, garden and the lovely area we live in, and that feeling of gratitude hasn't worn off yet. I don't think it's something I'll ever take for granted again.

I went into work through both lockdowns and although it was stressful at times, there was a real sense of community spirit and everyone mucking in together that is still very noticeable at work now. We became closer as a team and there are a couple of colleagues in particular who were acquaintances pre-covid that I now count as being among my best friends. My attitude to work has also changed massively. I'm much more boundaried, assertive and protective of my work/life balance. I had to be, or I'd have lost my sanity!

I've finally realized what makes me anxious and how to deal with it. I like quietness and being alone. Lockdown wasn't so good for me because I never got to be alone because kids didn't Go to school and DP didn't go on any business trips.

3 stone lighter..which I’m pleased about.

But I have zero patience now, feeling really stressed but everyone around me seems the same especially in the work place.

@Lilifer

I've completely lost faith in science, the media, the government and the judiciary.

Science was policitized during the pandemic and so I no longer trust that it is impartial and objective.

The media lied, government abused their power and the judiciary stood idly by.

^^^ This, I feel we were lied to and betrayed by those we should have been able to trust, I thought, perhaps naively!

@Badoukas

I cant be arsed to socialise as much. I'm less tolerant and find people more irritating.

This is me exactly. Starting to worry now that I might not have any friends at all soon if I don't get over it.

I've completely lost faith in science, the media, the government and the judiciary.

🤣🤣🤣 oh bless you that's literally the best laugh I've had in weeks. The end of innocence.

Are you fucking kidding?
Science (the vaccine) is what has saved millions of lives globally, and has got us out of the lockdown cycle. Yes it’s not perfect, no there’s not global vaccination cover which is a huge risk for future variants to come but for fuck’s sake. Science has saved us.

Ilovemycat13

I'm so sorry to hear that. I cannot begin to imagine how awful it's been for many in the NHS 💐

I have a list of things I either can't smell or taste at all, or which now taste or smell 'funny'. It's been over two years so I think I'm stuck like this.

I feel very angry and my tolerance/empathy is very low. I felt my profession (teaching) was treated very badly and it was made very clear that we weren’t important enough to be treated with care but should be prepared to put ourselves at risk for a society that didn’t give two hoots about us. This has affected how I deal with people and what I will do for them. I put myself first as no one else did or will. I would go out of my way to help people before Covid and now I would deliberately walk the other way because I can’t be bothered. I hope this changes as time passes by as it’s not nice but it’s definitely how I feel right now.

In a more positive mindset, I will take every opportunity to travel after feeling trapped over the last few years. Experiences are important!

I clarified that I'm a coward but I suppose I've started to make peace with that.

I'm not afraid of Covid. I am afraid of telling everyone they were insane to get so terrified about Covid. Some friends still have ongoing huge caution about Covid. They don't know I think they're being fairly ridiculous. So I'm a coward.

Also I have a Libertarian streak. Never in a million years would I have predicted that. The authoritarianism govts applied/apply to control Covid, don't complain when that gets used for an issue you don't agree with. You gave them permission and complained they weren't Draconian enough in last 2 years. I feel sad that people don't understand or care about this.

Also, people don't understand science. Scientists say one thing and people hear another. I suppose that's a revelation but not about me.

Not much really. I had a baby just before the first lockdown so we already knew we wouldn't be going out as much, no cinema, no eating out etc so it was as planned, just for a different reason. Same with long distance travel - wouldn't have been going for a few years anyway.
Neither of us like people so it made no difference to us not being able to see family (we don't have friends).

It cost us a lot of money when they closed the property market right at the beginning as we were running two houses and needed to be living together for the baby.

Since everything lifted we've met up with an acquaintance once and seen family a few times since our second baby was born a few weeks ago. Did make me realise it would have been nice to have family help after my first horrific birth.

Also, I really don't want to go back to work. I mostly worked from home between my pregnancies and I don't want to go back to the office and travelling round to various parts of the UK. I have no choice though.

Where to start?

I've completely lost trust in:

. politicians (liars, cheats, scumbags. From saying they were prepared for Covid in 2019 to 'two weeks to flatten the curve' to PPE contracts to Partygate - an endless stream of lies, corruption and utter BS)
. the political system (no debate at all within mainstream politics. The 'opposition' rubbed stamped the gov and in fact called for even tougher measures)
. devolution (politicians in Scotland and Wales have clearly used Covid to amass more power to themselves and to stick a middle finger to Boris/England)
. public health bodies (flip flopped 101 times e.g. masks don't work/do work, by their own admission they deliberately stoked fear in the public, and they lied repeatedly e.g. that only the old/vulnerable would get the vax, that the vax stops transmission etc).
. big pharma (pushing the vaccine on everybody regardless of whether they need it, covered up adverse reactions etc.).
. the police (enforced these draconian rules with glee - many clearly loved the power).
. the NHS (despite decades of pandemic planning was apparently about to fall over any second unless the rest of society shut down. GPs, hospitals etc uninterested in non-covid matters. Apparently this is the envy of the world?!)
. the Met Police (stood back and even encouraged BLM protests but came out with batons and handcuffs for anti-lockdown protests. Clearly they're now a political, biased force).
. the courts (upholding obscene fines e.g. £10K for student house parties).
. the mainstream media (lies, bs, unquestioning adherence to the government's view. Completely one-sided sensationalist reporting. Demonisation of anyone opposed to lockdown as a granny killer/covidiot/conspiracy theorist etc.)
. the lockdown class (loved working from home whilst saving £££ whilst others became unemployed, lost their business etc.)
. my fellow citizens (many clearly LOVED the chance to dob in their neighbours for breaking lockdown rules and the chance to moral grandstand. Many clearly have zero critical thinking abilities and will unquestioningly follow anything authority figures tell them to. Most disturbing is the relish many took in hating and demonising 'the unvaccinated', calling for their rights to be stripped and turned into 2nd class citizens, or even forcibly jabbed. Truly terrifying and not something I'll forget in a hurry).
. parents/teachers (forcing their kids to wear useless masks, ruining their education.)
. the western 'liberal democratic' world and our supposed superiority (Aussie police shooting rubber bullets at anti-lockdown protesters? Canada freezing the bank accounts of the trucker protests? Austria bringing in mandatory vaccines? France's Macrons saying he aims to 'piss off' the unvaccincated and that they 'are not citizens').
. the future of the west (clearly we are headed in the direction of China - less rights, less freedom of speech and probably some sort of social credit system.The odious vaccine passports are effectively a digital ID and though now being put away the infrastructure is now all there, ready for the next 'crisis').

So yeh, great work guys. 👏👏👏

Severe health anxiety

My mental health hit the floor in lockdown and although I was well supported by the mental health team I’ll never be the person I was. I’ve gone from working full time and being financially independent to working part time and relying on UC and disability benefits.

@beattieedny

Like others have said, I've lost all faith in medical institutions and office holders like the CMOs and the WHO. The media too. I trust none of them them now, especially after the summer where we were told it was fine to go in demos despite the spectre of covid looming over us. People having outdoor coffees together being told they are killing people. The whole thing. Utterly disgusting behaviour on behalf of the police too. Not all, obviously. Not being able to worship in temple / church / mosque etc, yet able to go to the shops. Euff.

I have a bit of this distrust too. Where previously I would have trusted official NHS or public health advice, I now find myself questioning it and comparing how things are done in other countries (not specifically covid, I mean other health issues too)

@purpleplatypus2022 - Brilliant post - agree 100%.

@purpleplatypus2022 Agree. I am also shocked by how many people swallowed lies.

And by how quickly people gave up once-treasured rights and freedoms.

Before COVID I was quite anxious about germs to the point where I was essentially living my life like I was in a pandemic anyway. Bizarrely COVID has made me realise I need to be less anxious during times where it's not necessary. Life is too short.

I feel no different. I followed the rules and now I’m back doing everything I done before.

@IDidntKnowItWasAParty

I feel like I'm going through a long, drawn-out, permanent, slow-motion mental breakdown. Real struggle to hold it together on a daily basis, the basics of life feel like an overwhelming/insurmountable effort.

This. Exactly this. No NHS assistance forthcoming after being referred for counselling in November 'because Covid'. The cat is my only joy.

I also think people are really thick for going along with the madness, and being horrible to others