Worrying article in the Guardian

[SpongeCake23]

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/16/uk-lockdown-causing-serious-mental-illness-in-first-time-patients?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1589620149

People with no history of mental illness are developing serious psychological problems for the first time as a result of the lockdown, amid growing stresses over isolation, job insecurity, relationship breakdown and bereavement, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has disclosed.

Adults and children are having psychotic episodes, mania and depression, with some taken to hospital because of the heavy toll on their mental wellbeing.

Eight weeks into lockdown measures, the Royal College of Psychiatrists is warning that services could be overwhelmed by “a tsunami of mental illness”

Psychiatrists are also concerned about stress linked to the fear of contracting Covid-19. Being cut off from family and friends, and disruption to normal NHS services, are also exacerbating existing mental health problems. Some now refer to the emergence of “lockdown anxiety”

A specialist in the psychiatric care of children and young people said they had seen more under-18s with autism having to be admitted for inpatient care because they were “not coping with changes re Covid” and others “with deteriorating mental health state and increase in significant self-harm and increase in completed suicides”.

Something needs to be done and quickly, in my opinion.

This is going to have a longer lasting impact and more devastating after effects than the virus itself.
We’ve already had a family member commit suicide during the lockdown, because of being in the shielding catogery, but also a struggling alcoholic. I luckily don’t know anyone who has died of Covid, but I know people who have had it and are now fine.

This is a virus with a very high survival rate, I’m terrified for the future, especially for my son.

Imagine what the Iraqis, Lybians, Palestinians and Sryians have to permanently live through. I wonder if they have mental health issues 🧐

Yes, of course they do.

Living in situations of long term, life threatening conflict, being permanently displaced from your home, not knowing if you will ever see your loved ones again and not knowing if you will have power, food or even water tomorrow - these are all extremely mentally distressing.

Coronavirus comes on top of the whole rest of human physical and mental distress around the world.

Bugger off with your divisive tacticts. Nobody can win AT coronavirus but we might all win AGAINST it if we stick together.

My being fine isn't a personal attack on you and shouldn't be considered an affront to any issues you and many others are experiencing as a result of the lockdown.

No one said it was. I just fundamentally disagree with your point.

It’s incredibly tragic that people are suffering mental health troubles because of lockdown. There are those suffering from it easing too quickly too because of the anxiety and worry (not everyone can now stay home if they are at the behest of bosses). My brother is an anxious wreck because he has had to go back in and his wife has severe asthma. My best friend isn’t sleeping with worry and has had mental struggles before - her boss what’s her back in because her five year old can go to school in two weeks. But she doesn’t want dc to go to school. She’s very fragile and I’m worried about her. She had been doing ok till this week.

Some people were already on the very edge of coping and this will push them over the edge. They weren't previously having easy lives. It's hell in some people's homes at the moment.

‘Resilience is just a word used to identify people who have learned to cope in certain situations for one reason or another. It isn't meant to be an identifier of weakness.’

Well it’s antonym is vulnerability. So it refers to whether or not you are particularly vulnerable to coping in a crisis. It isn’t a way of measuring whether one person is more resilient than another because we are not all experiencing the same circumstances.

@PicsInRed I understand what you're saying. You know what you've been through and dealt with, and you know you're get through this too.

Self belief is often one of the things that's gets us through something extremely hard.

It helps many of us but of course we're all different, we're all individuals, and what works for some might not for others.

Why are people saying this might last years?

Because our government are showing no commitment to getting on top of the virus and because this is a pandemic so we are also at the mercy of every other government that shows no commitment to getting on top of the virus and every other government that does not have the resources to get on top of it.

So it will just go round and round for years.

ToffeeYoghurt

That's it, exactly, thank you.
It's not a catch all, it will apply to some people and not others. And as I said, it's only a theory, which has absolutely nothing to do with relative strength or weakness, only the unfortunate happenstance of traumatic experience.

adi yes, many of those people will have MH issues.

@LangClegsInSpace you talk so much sense. Can you run for government please?! Sadly I do not hold out much hope that the mental health services will receive what they desperately need. They were crumbling before this and there wasn't much of an outcry.

Great post @BeetrootRocks

Absolutely, Beetroot.

@Jeffersona Don't know if anyone responded to your question. Young men are more likely to be successful in taking their own lives. They are therefore more likely to be given access to treatment / services more quickly than women. Women are often seen as attention seekers as their methods are not usually as violent.

@PicsInRed I'm with you on this. I've been through some horrendous trauma and just all-round tough times starting in childhood, and it has given me a steely calmness and a conviction that I can withstand many horrible things and still be okay. It's hard to put that feeling into words and many people seem to be wilfully misunderstanding you or taking offence at that notion, but I get it and I feel the same.
I've also suffered from mental health problems and still do to an extent. I can't predict the future but I know i can be strong when needed and that is a comfort.

And also the dimmer switch thing is TOTALLY what I am doing currently, exactly that. Sort of emotionally powering down some areas of life to conserve resources, I don't really understand it and at first I tried to fight it (More zoom dance parties, anyone? Even if you don't really fancy it?!) but now I'm just going with it, it's what I need to do to get through this.

Completely agree @BeetrootRocks.

Great OP. Sadly I think you are spot on.

I said this would happen long before lockdown happened. Once lockdown began, I posted a message of support on a Facebook comment made by a single mother friend of mine who was struggling with WFH and looking after her three children on her own. All
I did was to acknowledge the negative effects of lockdown. The responses I received back were disgusting - someone even me who I wanted in my family to die.

I'm autistic, and a single mum, and I normally manage to cope fine, because I put structures in place that allow me to do just that. But I am crumbling and in a very bad way right now. No respite from my kids (youngest is 4 and there's a lot of screaming, shouting and bickering) is driving me to the edge. I'm experiencing suicidal ideation and have started driving my fingernails into my arms as hard as I can again so that they leave ugly red marks, which I guess counts as self harm.

What has tipped me over the edge is that the kids' school has announced that they're not having Reception back on 1st June, and most of the school mums have gathered round to coo and congratulate the head on her choice. For fuck's sake, if they didn't want their kids going in they didn't have to send them in, but I was living towards that moment! I feel so alone, and that I'm a horrible, selfish bitch for even wanting the kids to go back, but I just can't cope any more.

I literally feel that all these people who I thought were my friends might as well be saying "We don't give a shit about you. We're in our lovely smug couples and we're just fine, and anything that you might be going through just doesn't register with us". This whole school closure thing has been achieved by throwing single mothers and vulnerable families under the bus, and then refusing to even let us have a voice.

It's not news that people suffer with mental health problems when their independence, sense of control over their future, social relationships, income and everyday coping mechanisms our removed. It's been happening to people through chronic or life changing illness/injury, abuse and other issues for years. We are just hearing fuss now because it affects a larger group of people who can't so easily be othered.

@crackofdoom that sounds really bad. Do school know about your problems, or do any other services? If your family situation is vulnerable then your children should be going to school right now. Discuss it with your mental health team or health visitor or the school, please.

I think we need to start working on building resilience in individuals.

This. Resilience seems to be something which has fallen out of fashion. People have to learn to try to deal with problems in a sensible way, not just give in and give up.

I'm sorry you're struggling. There's no easy answer. It's not going to magically be ok suddenly. We can't magic the virus away.

In your situation I'd say your children are likely to qualify as vulnerable. Which means they can attend school. I'd contact someone. MH support worker, social worker, GP, etc, and ask about it.

On the other side of the coin, as PP have pointed out other people are suffering severe MH distress and self harming because of lockdown easing (before infection rate is low enough). Some will be teachers and other school staff including single parents.

I agree @Inkpaperstars
I'm hoping the widespread new concern might be one silver lining. Unlikely, but perhaps in future those preciously Othered might get the support and help they've so desperately needed for years.

Here's the definition of resilience from the MIND website

How can I be more resilient?
Taking steps to look after your wellbeing can help you deal with pressure, and reduce the impact that stress has on your life. This is sometimes called developing emotional resilience. Resilience is not just your ability to bounce back, but also your capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances, whilst maintaining a stable mental wellbeing. Resilience isn't a personality trait – it's something that we can all take steps to achieve.

Nobody wants this to go on for years obviously, if life is pretty much back to normal by July then no one will be more pleased than me,

And talking about PTSD, have you seen the footage of the people who have had COVID survived but have been ventilated for up to 4 weeks. The levels of rehabilitation they will need to recover both physically and mentally.

There aren't any easy answers to any of this,

TBH we as a family are normally pretty strong mentally,but I have definitely seen a change in my children who are all technically adults !! Definitely loosing motivation,sleeping more and fed up with rubbish TV . They are all brilliant at trying to find stuff to occupy themselves but there is a limit!! My youngest is at Uni at Leeds and managed to zone out enough to write an essay...he found it really hard!

I’m not surprised by this my previously happy healthy 15yr old has stopped eating and the doctor thinks she has developed anorexia since this began we have been locked down for two weeks longer than the lockdown due to me being ill before this. It’s killing me watching her waste away and I just wish it was over. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones struggling at the moment.

@crackofdoom my heart goes out to you. Sorry I can't help, I really feel for you