To think there's a whole mental health aftermath to the pandemic which isn't really being addressed

[crackerscandycanes]

Just looking at people I know, people seem to be really struggling at the minute, and of course the cost of living is a big part and all the bad news etc, but I also think that some of it is the aftermath of the pandemic and everything we had to go through being locked indoors for all that time. It seems as if we're not supposed to mention it now or reflect, but I think there's a lot of mental health issues on the back of it.

YANBU OP. And since then we’ve lurched from one crisis to another. It’s felt relentless at times

You could swear some of the lockdown enthusiasts had never heard of Pandora's box.

I'm currently on my seventh infection. I can assure you, covid is a problem, even if it doesn't kill or disable you.

The fear and worry over whether this will be The One that sends you to hospital or worse when you test positive, particularly now they've limited antivirals and I can no longer get them; worrying every time you inject your immunosuppressant drugs that you're brewing an infection or you'll pick one up in the coming days; being ill every couple of months on top of your existing health conditions - it's fucking hardcore, believe me; the lost weeks; being unable to commit to any plans, or book anything, because there's a chance you'll be ill... I could go on for days.

I don't think we should ever lockdown again and restrictions generally absolutely did for my MH. But a little bit of acknowledgement that for some of us covid is still a very real threat would be nice. It's not just a cold for everyone, we can't all treat it like any other virus and yes, it's a massive problem, even if it doesn't kill us.

My life is unrecognisable to the one I had three years ago; I travelled, went to gigs, was hardly ever in the house. I've lost all my confidence, I've put on three stone, I only go out when I need to. Mentally and physically I'm done in. I would give anything for my old life back and I get really emotional thinking about how I used to be compared to how I am now.

This sounded much cooler in your head, didnt it?

No. It didn’t. Pfizer themselves have openly admitted recently that the vaccine was never tested or designed to stop the spread. And it didn’t.

We have lost 60 members of staff on our ICU since Covid. Moved on, couldn't stand the stress any longer.
I'm in two minds about the severity of the lockdown response. I experienced some tragic incidents on our unit, deaths that should never have happened, running out of medications, rationing oxygen, people admitted chatting, dead within 12 hours. Cardiac arrests happening in the midst of proning people and intubations, staff stretched to the limit, all the time stuck in bloody awful PPE where you are struggling to breath and sweating like a pig. I also caught long covid, ended up in A E, off work 9 months and now permanently on b blockers.
I hated all the name calling. Especially that Anti dementor stuff as it belittled what we were going through. Fair enough break the rules but don't boast about it as if you are freedom fighters..

“It seems as if we're not supposed to mention it now or reflect” @crackerscandycanes

My experience - IRL and online - is that people never stop talking about it!

Yes it did. Pfizer said it didn't test for transmission but other studies found vaccines did lower transmission anway. However, all vaccines were less successful at stopping Omicron when that came about (but 'less successful =/= 'not at all'.)

Pfizer was always clear it did not test whether the vaccines reduced the risk of transmission among already-infected individuals. But the trial did show the vaccines reduced infection risk in the first place, so reduced the risk of onward infection.

fullfact.org/health/coronavirus-vaccine-pfizer-transmission-test/

Thank you SirMinge, interesting. I have looked up the Guidance for the £1 billion young people. Withdrawn Aug 22 I notice!!

I feel differently to most on this thread. But that is because, We admittedly were not badly affected. Dh went to work, I worked part in the office, part at home. Ds's because they are a bit older, were fine, did all school work, played x box with friends, made videos of toilet roll keepie uppy's with their football teammates. All 15 families from football team took turns to run a quiz. I was never scared, just got on with it. Stopped watching the news some days, because I just "can't listen to this drivel anymore". Never broke rules, went out walking with friend, and moaned and put the world to rights, when allowed.

Even now, I don't mind having a good moan about how it was handled, but at the beginning, no one knew what they were dealing with. Whilst reflection has it's place, I still feel that we just need to get on with it now and make the best of the current situation.

Cash. Money. Investment into mental health services. More therapy, more mental health nurses, more community initiatives.

Does anyone know what happened to this?

research.senedd.wales/research-articles/the-nhs-covid-pass-in-wales/

Money for what resource?

who wants to do the job, especially with NHS bureaucracy. Psychiatrists have a high suicide rate in terms of their profession. I'm sure support workers will do too.

I used to volunteer for community stuff. Now I don't because clearly communities, or people in general, don't give a crap about people like me.

"Cash. Money. Investment into mental health services. More therapy, more mental health nurses, more community initiatives."

But we all know that is just NOT going to happen. We all know that. No Government has ever done it, nor will.

You are not unreasonable but it depends on individual circumstances. It must have been terribly hard during lockdown if you lived in a flat with a young child or children and no nearby green space also if you were disabled or ill and finding it difficult to access help. Some with sick relatives whom they could not visit and maybe died, resulting in a funeral where the few mourners wore masks. I certainly think those experiences would leave scars.

Most people seem to have managed. It made little difference to me as a retired widow who has everything delivered anyway. My neighbours were fine. A couple of younger people I know enjoyed lockdown, one (who lived near quite nice open spaces), with a young child who benefited from lots of individual attention and is now at nursery, extremely poised and bright aged three +. Someone else found all sorts of things to do at home, including new ventures and being creative.

I've read that many who worked from home prefer doing that (I would have hated it, loved going to work back in the day).

It varies. However all over now bar the shouting.

"However all over now bar the shouting."

is it? I'm off to the care home, have to be tested outside and wait 20 mins, as do staff. If mum tests positive, she's not allowed any visitors. As she is negative atm, she is allowed one per day, because of Covid on her floor. I am not allowed to take her outside her room.

it will be like this all winter. Fingers crossed to get her home on Weds.

@MeetPi A previous username of mine was HelenaDove Go serach and then fucking call me right wing.

Oh hello! We talked a lot on threads over the pandemic. You always made a lot of sense, I thought.

I hope you're doing okay.

Oh, and I can confirm: Right wing you most definitely are not!

More therapy, more mental health nurses, more community initiatives That would be helpful but with the current cost of living crisis etc it isn’t likely to happen. What I don’t find helpful is the idea of just publicly acknowledging it and talking about it more. I just think it prolongs the trauma.

oh and i havent failed to notice how quickly people went back to the default setting of slagging off social housing tenants and pensioners on here after the "we are all in this together rhetoric" Because some are only interested in these groups when they can use them to emotionally blackmail and guilt trip others.

I was talking about therapists for adults not for children or adolescents. There are fewer CYP therapists, which is maybe why they don't have availability. I'm an adult therapist and am on SM groups where many therapists talk about offering low cost places. I have a few people on lower incomes paying £30-£40. I also offer 60 minute sessions, as 50 minutes doesn't seem long enough. I also have several clients that come fortnightly or even monthly as that's more affordable. I have colleagues that offer similar.

I have heard it's a problem where therapists don't even bother to respond. I have no excuses for that, it's very unprofessional. I also think people should put on their profile if they aren't taking on new clients. But for adult therapy there are plenty of people with availability.

It helps massively when they're being gaslit and told they're weak and wet and all they had to do is stay inside their cozy homes for a bit. It was even worse in the middle of it. I've read threads by people in crisis or suicidal being told to just get over it and suck it up, anything else was selfish and they were killers.

@SingMeToSIeep thank you im doing ok I hope you are too.

I was assuming OP meant in general. In terms of MN threads, yes, talking about the longer-term effects is helpful and cathartic. People are not just bouncing back and carrying on regardless, and life in many respects has far from returned to what passed for 'normal' pre-2020.

Aside from communities helping each other as several people mention here, I saw a great deal of community policing both on and offline. People slating other people for going out of doors, a parent reporting to the school when families were seen out of doors with other families, resulting in snotty memos being sent to tell parents off, people in the supermarket peering into others' shopping baskets to check that their purchases were 'essential', people sending rude anonymous notes to those households who didn't clap for the NHS, &c., ad nauseam. A whole spectrum of behaviour associated with the whole sorry mess must have made some people feel more important than they had since their prefect days.

I avoided the COVID-specific section of this site like the plague. It was thoroughly toxic.

EmmaAgain, bless you. I am sorry to read that and hope the situation doesn't continue much longer. I understand that, to you, the covid crisis is not all over; however I am sure there are people who care about you, Emma. Services were at an all time low with restrictions and many staff being sick.

When it all started a very close relative of mine, now 43, was involved in a work project on the continent. He and colleagues were sent home from France in the February following the outbreak (there they stayed for many moons which they did not anticipate). He was fortunate not to have caught the virus but two colleagues did, one of whom was extremely ill and still suffering effects.

Later a friend of his, whom I knew, went to A&E with severe head pain and dizziness. She was investigated and it was found she had a brain bleed after which she was sent home and told to come back if she felt worse! All resources had gone into covid. She died a day or two later. Her funeral, which was attended by a few but distanced, was on the internet. Close members of her own family were not allowed to attend.

Covid is still around and we have to remain careful but for most of us the restrictions are few now.
...............

I meant to say in my previous post is that, during lockdown, I found ways to help others remotely (& discreetly). Thank goodness for the internet, I was pleased to find things ; I could do which would make a positive difference but not draw any attention to me; I can say that on here where I am anonymous :).

Yes. Calling Jennifer right wing or CT is just incorrect.

Jennifer and I have always managed to have constructive, civil debate from opposing viewpoints, going back a long way. Definitely one of my fave MNers, was very relieved to see you pop up on the other thread as I'd been worried.