Does anyone feel really uncomfortable seeing people in masks?

[Lissy23]

I do.
It feels to be like their ‘faceless’ beings.
I know this sounds really far fetched, but it’s how I feel.

I also find it very unpleasant being unable to see somebody’s facial expression and to know whether they are smiling at me.
I think I’m on the spectrum, possibly aspergers, I’ve been told by various therapists that it’s a possibility.

How will anyone meet a romantic partner if they can’t see their face? Only their eyes? I know eyes are supposed to be the ‘window the soul’ but I can’t bear not seeing somebody’s entire face.

I went to the pharmacy the other day and the pharmacist was wearing a mask, he was talking to me and I didn’t understand him at all. I didn’t think I relied on lip reading, but I obviously do. He said it twice and I didn’t get it, so I just pretended I had

I know this is all for the greater good. But I feel so depressed and anxious by it all, I already suffer with mental health issues.

I am finding it difficult reading books and watching tv programme or films because they make me tearful and remind me of life before all of this ‘new normal’. I’m wondering if I should speak to a doctor. But I have no idea how to word it.
I’ve already had people calling me selfish and childish (friends and family) for being anxious about wearing a face covering.
It isn’t just other people wearing them, I can’t breathe when I have anything covering my nose and mouth and it often induces a panic attack.

To be honest when you see people doing the shopping and what not with their masks and visors on I feel sorry for them. Must be awful to be so terrified.

I just can't breathe with them on! Seeing as I'm prone to fainting when I'm hot, I'm not looking forward to wearing one at all.

I don't mind seeing them but I ordered at Starbucks today at a motorway services today and they got my name wrong through the mask so I didn't get my order for ages as they were calling the wrong name! (Also through a mask so it was doubly hard to hear)

@enlightenedOwl masks are to protect other people, not the wearer!
But yes OP I find it very strange and struggle to understand what people are saying. The first time I saw someone with a mask at start of lockdown I actually had tears in my eyes. Just felt so alien to be shielding from other humans and it made me terribly sad about the situation.

No, because they are a symbol of everyone working together for the common good i.e. cutting down transmission of Covid 19 as much as possible while we find a vaccine.

A smile only reaches the mouth if it’s false, but it reaches the eyes if it’s genuine.

This is a hard time with so much adjusting going on so its understandable to feel uncomfortable. The issue is that this will be a long process but right now it's not mandatory in alot of situations so you hopefully will see people faces at time. I'm strangely already getting used to it but I dont understand that feeling

@Xiaoxiong

I don't mind seeing them but I ordered at Starbucks today at a motorway services today and they got my name wrong through the mask so I didn't get my order for ages as they were calling the wrong name! (Also through a mask so it was doubly hard to hear)

I had a fabulous moment of entertainment the other day. Customer in mask trying to order a takeaway coffee where person serving had mask and visor on. It was four candles live

I went jogging and ran around the corner and 2 People were in front of me wearing a mask and I screamed!! It caught me off guard and really Freaked me out! That was early on during lockdown now I’m more used to seeing it!

@saucery, I love that

To be honest when you see people doing the shopping and what not with their masks and visors on I feel sorry for them. Must be awful to be so terrified Wow. Patronising much? Maybe they wear them as a socially responsible action that protects others and allows us to keep covid rates lower as we open up. There is growing evidence that widespread mask-wearing in indoor public spaces reduces transmission.

I don't wear one but it doesn't bother me that others do. It's only temporary.

Yes I hate it. I mean, I understand it’s a good thing obviously, but it’s just an in your face reminder of how completely buggered everything is right now.

Yeah, someone knocked on my door before and he had lovely smiley eyes, he might have been my soulmate

@EnlightenedOwl

To be honest when you see people doing the shopping and what not with their masks and visors on I feel sorry for them. Must be awful to be so terrified.

Me and my kids wear masks not because we're terrified, but because we don't want to make anyone who is vulnerable ill.

Well said Thinkingg!

Me and my kids wear masks not because we're terrified, but because we don't want to make anyone who is vulnerable ill.

Why, do you all have COVID?

It makes me feel better to see people wearing a mask, I protect you, you protect me. I also get the feeling of a panic attack while wearing one as it restricts the breath (long term GAD & health anxiety) but I feel more anxious trying to avoid people not wearing a mask.

People wearing masks are acknowledging that they may be carrying it without knowing and are trying to protect YOU. They aren't exactly people to be afraid of.

@userxx

Me and my kids wear masks not because we're terrified, but because we don't want to make anyone who is vulnerable ill.

Why, do you all have COVID?

Don't know, most people are asymptomatic.

I don’t have a problem with it.

If it helps to slow down the spread I’m all for it. It won’t be forever.

I do understand it's difficult but in reality how many interactions would you actually have with someone in a mask on a daily basis ? The awkward moment with the pharmacist is probably a one off. You'll be able to get used to paying more attention to the sound than lipreading. I know a lot of people in the Muslim community who wear face coverings and it's a bit hard to understand what they are saying to start with but in time you get used to tuning in more to the sounds rather than the facial expression.

[quote Agar58]@saucery, I love that[/quote]
Thank you, @Agar58. We’ve so much cultural baggage tied up with masks/face coverings in the Uk, it’s difficult to make that adjustment to why we should wear them now, for this.
It’s not:
Crime
Oppression
Muzzling
Subterfuge
Shame

It’s to stop a virus that could kill any one of us. Not most of us, true. Most of us may be fine. But why should we not care about those who wouldn’t be fine? What does it make us if we don’t care about those people? Not a Society I’m comfortable in, that’s for sure.

OP it sounds like this is part of a wider anxiety for you, and yes I think speaking to a doctor may be a good idea.

For anyone who doesn't struggle with their mental health, sorry this is a silly little western European cultural bubble. There are huge swathes of the world where face coverings are normal - whether Asia for health reasons or Islamic countries for religious reasons. It is perfectly possible to have normal interactions with people who have their mouth and nose covered. It's well publicised that wearing masks is to protect others, so at this moment in time it's not wearing one which is the selfish thing to do (disabilities and medical requirements aside).

No, really it doesn't. I think it isn't a big deal.

Loads of people wear sunglasses, scarves round their heads, religious face coverings, funnel neck coats, none of which bother me either.

I don't mean to be dismissive, but I think this is a non-problem.

It doesmake me slightly sad about the virus, but that's generally around for me e.g. social distancing signs and closed businesses.

How will anyone meet a romantic partner if they can’t see their face? Only their eyes? I know eyes are supposed to be the ‘window the soul’ but I can’t bear not seeing somebody’s entire face.

It's temporary, it's not going to be like this forever. We will get our normal lives back (normal normal not 'new normal').