Why is nobody listening?

[cantata]

I have lost my job, my income, my physical health and my mental health as a result of this lockdown (to which I am adhering, before anyone tells me that people will die as a result of my behaviour, and I should just stay the fuck at home. I am staying the fuck at home, because I want this to end).

I am not the only one in this situation. Why is nobody listening to us? Why is everyone going along with this narrative about "the British public is happy to be in lockdown"?

Some people might be. But could someone please, please listen to those of us who are not?

[B1rdbra1n]

If you are one of the people who landed on your feet post this bomb blast then you can probably work from home and your living situation is reasonably harmonious, that gives you a secure base from which to try and cope with the ongoing stress of living through a pandemic.
But if you were only just managing to keep all the plates spinning and then you wake up to find yourself in a dystopian sci-fi movie 🤯😳 that is just freaky none of us was prepared for this ....not really surely?

[LilacTree1]

I think a lot of people thought a pandemic was overdue

But what I never thought was that governments would do nothing to quarantine those ill and potentially infectious and instead lock down the majority.

[B1rdbra1n]

I think that's partly to do with the infectious period tending to start before symptoms are apparent so even quarantining those who are ill wouldnt be enough to contain outbreaks (I'm not necessarily defending their actions though)

[LilacTree1]

It is - but it’s indefensible, especially in context of failure to quarantine sick people or people coming from Italy etc.

Anyway OP, sadly I think it will take massive economic shock for people to care about us. Only when Tarquin’s parents are on UC and can’t pay school fees and those people have years of cushion.

[SouthsideOwl]

@LilacTree1

"Anyway OP, sadly I think it will take massive economic shock for people to care about us. Only when Tarquin’s parents are on UC and can’t pay school fees and those people have years of cushion."

I understand the sentiment but I've found MN v skewed in this regard. I get the impression (or have seen confirmation) that a lot of vocal posters are SAHM, husband's make a bunch etc. Apart from playgroups, shops and visiting people they're day to day hasn't changed too much in the grand scheme of things (simplistic I know but so is being told 'whats the alternative???' over and over)

If we visit the other side of the spectrum...eg...the DM comments section (I know..I know...) On any financial based announcement article, people are v much on the opposite side of the global spectrum.

I think the viewpoint is being heard through whatever platform.

No gov was going to be the one to do absolutely nothing and be like 'well, deal with it' - but compassion for the overwhelming 'more likely to die' VS literally every other aspect of life as we know it (and a side serving of kissing political power goodbye for the foreseeable) will sway the governments direction on this over the next month.

[LilacTree1]

Southside, I hope so, but their regulations make it very difficult to get our voices heard right now.

[Widowodiw]

I think the media trying to portray everyone
Happy with lockdown is just a way of them trying to support the stay at home
Message.

Personally I’m fed up of hearing people
Say that if your on furlough your boss thinks a lot of you etc. Nah they don’t they have just got some free wages to pay you for a few months and as soon as lockdown eases there will be a lot of people that were on furlough being made redundant.

[Oblomov20]

I agree with Widow. If you think that being furloughed is good, and we aren't going to see a lot of redundancy, you are misled.

Pandemics like this bring out the worst in people, you see their true colours. And there is a lot worse to come, I'm sure!

[Mimishimi]

It sucks. We're basically living under enabling laws designed to do exactly this - give even more power to large corporate fascists and destroy small business. I'm in same situation - hair and makeup artist - all work gone and not permitted to operate. They want serfs basically.

[user764329056]

Same here OP, have lost exactly the same and feel there’s nowhere to turn. IMO the government has been hugely one-dimensional in their response to CV, you don’t have to be a genius to work out the ramifications of all this, chucking a rock the size of CV into a pond creates huge ripples and from the start of lockdown the daily briefings should have heavily featured resources for inevitable consequences, eg mental health problems, domestic violence, etc, there is barely any mention of anything except the physicality of the virus

[LonginesPrime]

Sorry for what you're going through, OP.

But it's not as simple as our being in lockdown because it's what the public want. This isn't a ploy by the government to gather favour among the electorate - its a global public health emergency.

The virus isn't going to listen to whether people are unhappy taking steps to prevent themselves from spreading it. It's a virus - it doesn't care about our wellbeing or lives.

And I didn't interpret media reports that the majority of Britons support an extended lockdown as an indication that everyone is having a jolly old time - I don't think many people believe that at all. I see it as saying that people are scared and want to beat the virus, and that they're prepared to go along with a longer lockdown to achieve the aim of killing as few people as possible.

My DS17 has had medical issues his whole life, in and out of hospital constantly, and I've never seen him with proper health anxiety before - he normally takes it all in his stride. But he is so terrified of the virus that he's adamant he is going to stay inside for as long as it takes. I shouldn't imagine he's the only one who feels like that.

[ChessIsASport]

Could you temporarily get a job as a delivery driver or at a supermarket or something? That way you would still have an income and be able to go out of lockdown. I know that the turn around on job applications has been pretty quick so you could probably start quite quickly. I know lots of people who are doing this to tide themselves over temporarily.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

Hey. Flame me all you all want. Not bothered. Had my best friend over last night. Her mental health is just as important as anyone else’s physical health. I’m reasonably fine with lockdown but to hell if I’m leaving somebody I love dearly to suffer. It is getting super hard.

[Shitsgettingcrazy]

I think the tide is turning. Theres definitely been more focus on mental health, DV etc

The things that seem to have be forgotten in the first few weeks. In the media and on social media. My team are furloughed but I checked in with them this week and its was something they all brought up.

Spoke to a few still working colleagues and we all realise that we need to keep in touch more. Talking to eachother helped us all. Holding the company together has been the most stressful, few weeks of my entire working life. And I have been doing my part with no support from above and sat in my spare room. Reaching out has really helped.

On mn quite a few posters were quite happy to admit the mental health deterioration was acceptable collateral damage. That people who harmed themseleves would have had issues before and likely to done it anyway. Which is odd because if you suggest someone who died of covid, would have died anyway you are a monster. It was like a badge of honour that you valued physical health to the point mental health was no longer important.

That's becoming more unacceptable. The onslaught of 'your grandparents were asked to go to war, you are asked to sit on the sofa' memes have reduced. For a start my grandparents were not asked to go to war. AND I am not be asked to sit on the sofa. I am still working.

But People forget that isolation, is hugely difficult. People are stressed, afraid of leaving their house, afraid of every cough, every sniff, afraid of people coming too close, bombarded with media about what's happening outside, not able to contact the people who are their support. The war had a huge impact on mental health. And had the whole country being told they could no longer see anyone outside their home, ather than being at war, I suspect they would have struggled as well
Probably more since the lack of technology, meant contact with others was harder.

Last year there was a media campaign to get Britain talking. Acknowledging that isolation is a risk to people. Yet it was forgotten until last week. It's made a come back, at least

Op, it's ok to hate it. Its ok to hate the narrative. It's ok to moan. You dont have to face this with stiff upper lip and pretend it's all ok. We all need to talk.

The lack of talking in the first few weeks created a society that seemed ok with openly judging, slagging off and generally being a dick to anyone who wasnt in your household. Real division. As though people outside you house were your enemy.

We can get back from it by talking. Letting people talk and listening. Let's stop the them and us and get back empathy.

It's ok to not be ok. Most of us a struggling to varying degrees.

[twoHopes]

Can I make a request that people stop coming on these kinds of threads suggesting that OPs get a job in a supermarket? I haven't lost my job in this pandemic (yet) but I know people who have and I would never be so insensitive as to say "why don't you just get a job at Tesco". This is no insult to anyone who works at a supermarket but losing your job is a really hard thing to take, especially if you've worked hard to get where you are and build up a specific skillset. A bit of recognition of that wouldn't go amiss.

OP I'm sorry you're having such a shit time. I also get frustrated by the TV ads and the out of touch journalists. It is not true that we are all in this together. If it's any consolation, unfortunately a lot more of us will be in your shoes in the next few weeks. The furlough thing is a sticking plaster and there will be much more economic damage to come.

[tabulahrasa]

If someone polled me I’d say I’m happy to continue the lockdown for longer. .. because I think at this point it’s the only sensible thing to do.

That doesn’t mean I’m jolly about it though...

They’re two different things.

[Tattiebee]

Sorry youre struggling OP. No way will be locked down until a vaccine, I think those calling for it are deluded and naieve to the effects of a crumbled economy and MH time bomb. It's hard isn't it

[oohnicevase]

I don't think anyone is happy are they? We are just trying to do the best for the greater good .

[MegUffin]

I hear you but It's going to be a new way of life after this, a new ' normal'

Anyone who thinks it's going to be how it was is kidding themselves

It's absolutely difficult for everyone.

All of us and I have diagnosed mental health issues.

[iamapixie]

You are not alone. Even tho I am very lucky not to be in your financial situation I still feel as if I am in a parallel universe where all measured, evidence-based conversation has disappeared, replaced in part by 1984-speak.
And Mimi, yes I agree re global corporations. There will be a number of winners coming out of this - Amazon is already making an extra 11,000$ per second - whilst small businesses end up paying, as usual.

[Fatted]

Hope you're doing as well as you can be OP.

Lockdown is shit and I don't know one person who is happy with it. We are lucky, we're both still bringing in two wages. But I can't see my family and my sibling is dying in hospital and we can't visit.

I do think MN is skewed in its audience though and the people on here generally aren't suffering as much as others. Look at how many people were calling for the schools to close, because they were all SAHP anyway who didn't have to fathom up child care out of thin air if the schools, nurseries and childminders did close. Look at the posts about Ocado/Waitrose home delivery service breaking under the strain of panic buying. These aren't people living on the bread line, pay day to pay day as it was.

[twoHopes]

I do think MN is skewed in its audience though and the people on here generally aren't suffering as much as others.

Unfortunately I think a lot of people are going to have a wake up call. Many economists are predicting a deep and long term economic depression. There's not going to be many of us left unscathed by this. Apart from a couple of doctor friends, I don't know anyone who feels confident that their job will still exist in a year's time.

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

You are not alone, OP.

I thinks there is much more to that though. Isolation and these few weeks are a strange form of limbo. People are feeling safe at home and many have their little family home and staying home is how they deal with it, it's what makes them feel in control in these uncertain times. Many do have their head in the sand and just don't want to face what's going to happen when the cosy sometime is over, and frankly, I can't blame them. So there are threads ramping up the fear because then you can stay home longer and maybe be safe for longer, and there are the posters who have found their calling in telling off everybody for not following the rules, and again, that makes them happy and in control.

It's all smoke and mirrors and a bit shit.

[ChessIsASport]

@twoHopes I normally wouldn’t suggest it but this poster wants to get out of lockdown for their mental health and I thought that this was one of the few ways of doing it.

Lots of people don’t want to stay at home. The people I know who have taken on new jobs are definitely in this category. Plenty of them have degrees or huge amounts of experience in their normal careers. If staying at home is affecting some people this badly then surely getting out by any means is better than that?

[twoHopes]

@ChessIsASport - I get it and I don't mean to pick on you. But I think people in this situation are looking for sympathy not quick fixes. We all know we could get a job in a supermarket/delivery driver if we lost our jobs. We all know we could use up our savings, remortgage our homes and stop buying any luxuries. It doesn't really help people to tell them that, they already know.