Worried about a bleak future

[Wannaflyaway]

I'm in a bad place at the moment. I hate reading that this is 'the new norm' and basically we have to suck it up and get on with it. Dr Fauci said that we should never shake hands again. It looks like social distancing will be a permanent thing of the future and that we will never enjoy the same amount of freedom that we had prior to coronavirus. Will we ever be able to go to the cinema, the theatre, to the restaurant again without severe restrictions in place making it a far from enjoyable experience? Will they even exist in the future? Will school ever be like it was before, how can it be with social distancing? Will it be part-time schooling if/when the schools reopen, whenever that may be, along with frequent closures in order to 'flatten the curve'? What about going on holiday on an aeroplane, will that ever be possible again? The future looks oppressive, restricted, regimented and joyless. I'm so, so sad for my 4 year old daughter and the life she has ahead of her. I can't even mentally escape by watching the tv any more. If I watch a soap, a sit-com, a film, seeing free to go about their lives normally, its too painful a reminder of a life that doesn't exist any more. I'm grieving for the past and absolutely hate, despise, detest what the future looks like. Everyone else I know seems fine, they seem perfectly happy in their family bubbles, posting photos on social media of the amazing time they're having and writing things like 'living our best lives'. I just don't how they seem fine with it all. I don't know how I can get past this. I have never felt so low and such a sense of hopelessness in all of my life.

@onedayinthefuture Totally agree with "people need people". My GP said to me the other day on the phone that we were meant to be like pack animals, being separated is not normal or good for us - obviously necessary at the moment but you get my point.

Unknown that’s not stupid at all. I think a lot of us will need those things to be normal before going out.

Most people need to be able to see their family and friends regularly. Especially those living alone. We call it cruel to leave a dog home alone all day.

People need to have things to look forward to or a lot of people will just give up. There are people with acute mental health crises right now but there must be loads more who are in a slow decline that is going to get worse and worse the longer this continues.

I also don't get how all the parents expected to manage wfh and looking after small children are expected to keep it up long term.

Onedayinthefuture I'm so sorry to hear you had multiple miscarriages. That must have been incredibly difficult and painful for you. I also had fertility problems with several ectopic pregnancies and was in a very bad place and my mental health was made worse reading every article under the sun about it. You're totally right about reading stories about what it 'could' be and how that can take you to a very dark place. I know that with this pandemic I need to step away from the internet. I'm obsessed with reading everything i can about it in the hope of finding good news.

Reading all of your replies has been a big help so thank you all for taking the time to offer your support.

SnuggyBuggy I agree with every word you say.

I think we will see friends and family but there will be a new way of doing it, for now. Don't despair. We can do this!