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.

I find it a sad view too, that anyone who does something is doing so just for the kudos.

EnlightenedOwl

You two can keep saying it, but that doesn’t make it true, unfortunately for you.

If you lack compassion, or are selfish, then yes it’s hard to understand other people’s actions and easy to brush it off as virtue signaling, because their actions make you feel bad about yourself. They go against your world view, or how you want the world to be (no masks = no reminder of covid = safe) So, seeing people wearing masks makes you feel unsafe. So you attack them.
It’s natural! You’re only human! But do try not to judge others by your standards.

Just because you would have to have an ulterior motive for doing something altruistic, doesn’t mean that everyone else does.

“ It’s quite simple. Here, we have to wear masks, so we wear them without moaning and bitching. I’ve not heard one complaint or teenage whinge from anyone. It’s quite refreshing, and then I come on here and I’m embarrassed for so many on these mask threads”

My french friends who live in France have complained about having to wear them because they are uncomfortable; they still wear them as mandated. They lost an elderly relative to complications of Covid-19 but that doesn’t stop them voicing complaints about something they find uncomfortable. My elderly great aunt in the US complains about having to wear a mask, but she does it. They do it, but aren’t uncomplaining.

Threads on here about mask-wearing are naturally going to attract those who feel most strongly about masks, for and against. I really feel for those who cannot wear them who have to hear the cruel comments and worry about being confronted in public. People who are in countries with mandated mask wearing are in a completely different situation to those in England who are not mandated to wear masks.

it's unbelievable the amount of angst masks cause isn't it?

Going to see OWL and ONE DAY going viral raging around CostCo.

@TaxTheRatFarms no I think it's because we can see through the bullshit.

Thankfully Mumsnet doesn't reflect the real world. In my local Tesco today and I could count on one hand the amount of people wearing a mask.

“ it's unbelievable the amount of angst masks cause isn't it?”

You yourself are on a thread about mask-wearing, on Mumsnet. You are basically actively seeking out posts that rile you up. It’s always going to be those who feel most strongly for and against masks who respond to these threads. It is skewing your view of how much “angst” there is. This isn’t about me - I’m not anti-face coverings generally. However I don’t like people being told to shut up when voicing their concerns, and I’m really worried about those who can’t wear masks feeling or being excluded from public places.

Anyone leaving the house was a murderer before, now anyone not wearing a mask is a murderer. What next?

I’m quite taken back by the number of people who have had time to make a passionate argument either way about it. Masks haven’t really been on my radar. I go into public once every ten days or so to go shopping. I only noticed the last time I went that there were a few (maybe 25%?) wearing them. Previous to that I’d have said it was few and far between. And I’ve only seen people debating it here in the last couple of days.

I didn’t realise there were so many people vehemently encouraging others to wear them. This thread has probably pushed me to purchase one to go to the supermarket though. I’d hope that vulnerable people are avoiding the supermarket but I appreciate that isn’t always possible.

I feel really quite angry at some of the threads on here such as the one suggesting people wearing masks shouldn’t be treated for Covid. I’m not walking around licking people FGS. I thought I was being a good citizen by keeping my distance! There was no conscious malice.

Sold in Germany, the words say "I hate masks"
Maybe the wearers want to communicate something, however obligatory the face covers are. I dunno. Could be.

[quote onedayinthefuture]@TaxTheRatFarms no I think it's because we can see through the bullshit.

Thankfully Mumsnet doesn't reflect the real world. In my local Tesco today and I could count on one hand the amount of people wearing a mask.

[/quote]
Well, bullshit in your opinion

got that wrong, ok, words say "I hate people".
Right, I'll get my coat.

but I'm tired of reading "it's fine absolutely everywhere else and only Brits don't like 'em". That claim doesn't make any sense.,

@onedayinthefuture

Anyone leaving the house was a murderer before, now anyone not wearing a mask is a murderer. What next?

I think you should tone down the hyperbole. You're being overly dramatic. I don't think anyone is going round screaming "murderer!" at mask-less people.

I went to a large Sainsbury's in a northern city yesterday and I'd say 50-60% of people I saw were wearing masks.

World views again innit.
Change is scary.
You’ve made your mind up about what to believe because it helps you feel safe. And as a bonus you get to feel all superior because you haven’t “fallen” for the massive scam that the blinkered, muzzled lefty sheeples have.

The human mind is a heck of a drug.

Thankfully Mumsnet doesn't reflect the real world.

I think this but in opposite direction. Everywhere I see consideration, on here a few posters stand out as not and making a lot of noise about it.

Interesting

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've worn a mask since lockdown whenever indoors in shops. It's not because I'm frightened of getting Covid-19 I just don't want to get it, or pass it on. I can't wear a mask at work, so if I picked it up there and pop into the shop on the way home, would you like to be standing in front of me in the queue if I happen to cough EnlightenedOwl?

Perhaps there is a socio-economic element.

I was shopping in Cambridge this week (generally affluent) and at least 50% of people were wearing masks/face coverings both in the shops and on the street.

@mencken - while we are mask wearers it's hardly ethical to not treat someone who doesn't wear one - as a nurse there's no way I would not treat someone and allow them to become very ill or die no matter the reason. Otherwise where does it end? Who else don't we treat?!

@EnlightenedOwl

Interesting

In a medical setting. But I’m not going to attempt to intubate anyone in the supermarket

Enlightenedowl yes, those masks do not stop YOU from catching COVID. But there is evidence to suggest that they stop you from infecting others. My mask protects you, yours protects me type scenario.

The only masks that stop the wearer from contracting it are medical grade and should be reserved for front line workers.

@EnlightenedOwl - that's hardly news. We all know masks don't protect the wearer - they protect others.

It won’t be like this forever you say, but when do you think we can stop wearing masks? I don’t see how this will ever change, or is there a level of spread at which mask wearing will no longer be required?

Some of us struggle a lot with face masks. My daughter has asthma and doesn’t cope very well at all. I was surprised at the level of panic I feel when wearing one. I had to stop scuba diving due to panic attacks (used to love it, was a Padi advanced open water diver, but one day I panicked during a dive and that was it) and unexpectedly the face mask does a similar thing to me. I have no idea why this is the case and I don’t know what to do about it.

@Snaptheirfingers

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've worn a mask since lockdown whenever indoors in shops. It's not because I'm frightened of getting Covid-19 I just don't want to get it, or pass it on. I can't wear a mask at work, so if I picked it up there and pop into the shop on the way home, would you like to be standing in front of me in the queue if I happen to cough EnlightenedOwl?

I'm not a neurotic fearful trembling snowflake. Not bothered

Oh look Owl

Here’s what an infectious disease specialist has to say about masks. I am choosing to believe someone with years of training and expertise over you random internet photo

One category of evidence comes from laboratory studies of respiratory droplets and the ability of various masks to block them. An experiment using high-speed video found that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a damp washcloth. Another study of people who had influenza or the common cold found that wearing a surgical mask significantly reduced the amount of these respiratory viruses emitted in droplets and aerosols

He also says:

*Do masks protect the people wearing them or the people around them?

“I think there’s enough evidence to say that the best benefit is for people who have COVID-19 to protect them from giving COVID-19 to other people, but you’re still going to get a benefit from wearing a mask if you don’t have COVID-19,” said Chin-Hong.

Masks may be more effective as a “source control” because they can prevent larger expelled droplets from evaporating into smaller droplets that can travel farther*

www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent