Mentally I cannot survive another lockdown

[Kirstymonkey3]

The last one was so tough. I have lodgers so didn’t have a support bubble but I wouldn’t have chosen to lockdown with them. I’m not mentally strong enough for this

Oops formatting didn't work - just scroll down and you'll see it, it's very easy to do.

Thank you, SaskiaRembrandt

I'm struggling to. My baby boy is 4 months old I love having my family to be able to support me whilst my husband is at work! The thought of not seeing my parents even for a month makes me so sad. My FIL is also terminal it might only be that we lock down for a month but he doesn't have many months left 😩😩

I feel the same.. I might make it halfway or even to the end... but after the first lockdown I'm finding the aftermath is horrible. Other folks in my family scared to have grandparents in their home as they might 'kill them' , so many hunkering down still in family bubbles, normal things like libraries closed.. not able to plan things to look forward to.

It is making a big dent on mental health. And I'm a single parent. Please everyone and anyone... dont close schools. It is not healthy for children to be raised in an enclosed space, by only one adult.

Flyonawalk I don’t think you are interpreting the data correctly. Indeed you may have sourced your comments from a daily mail article rather than the actual ons release?

I think this graph shows the figure you quoted in context.

www.statista.com/statistics/1115077/weekly-deaths-in-england-and-wales/

This article also explains why quoting the 64,000 and 22,000 figures in an argument that Covid isn’t a pandemic is representing the data.

Sorry, but people using statistics incorrectly to win an argument is a real bug bear of mine😊.

fullfact.org/online/october-2020-flu-covid-pandemic/

Misrepresenting not representing

Pressed too soon! Many dissenting voices, I was going to say. We need to hear a conversation about statistics being grossly misused by those in power. LockdownSceptics and Recovery are trying to address this.

@Flyonawalk

Pressed too soon! Many dissenting voices, I was going to say. We need to hear a conversation about statistics being grossly misused by those in power. LockdownSceptics and Recovery are trying to address this.

But you are misquoting the stats??

My earlier post disappeared! I was in the middle of typing that misrepresenting statistics is a bugbear of mine too, Ideas. Especially when it’s done on a national level because a limited range of scientists are being listened to. Imperial’s disaster-predictions have been listened to and not other scientists with dissenting views.

I don’t have an agenda either way. Just to clarify. But people shouldn’t throw figures around they clearly don’t understand.

Government are misquoting stats. When questioned about actual covid deaths mid-summer, the total was revised down. Still, the same person testing positive in two different weeks is counted twice in the ‘how many positive tests’ analysis. It is impossible to trust those in charge at the moment and I believe we are being grossly mislead.

But don’t you see you just misquoted the stats? To win your argument?

I feel the same, OP.

My MH has gone through the floor already. DH is of the mind that being upset won't make things better so just get on with it, and if I try to tell him how I feel he tells me to stop being so ridiculous and that crying won't solve anything. We have no friends or family so I can't talk to anyone else. I have a little cry in the shower so he can't hear me (he's wfh so we're together 24/7) but that's my only outlet.

It doesn't help when people post stuff like 'there are people far worse off than you' and 'count your blessings' on threads like this. That's not how mental health stuff works. You can't just snap out of it. And even if you did, we'd still be in this situation with months and months (if not years) of it stretching ahead.

No one is winning any argument, Ideas, because government are doing what they will and no one regards what you and I write on here. I quoted a stat which I found online because I believe it is worth flagging up that we have had greater death tolls than through covid without much attention being paid. 78,000 deaths in U.K. per year due to smoking, for example. 3 million deaths worldwide due to alcohol abuse. Not much notice paid and no lockdown suggested.

Sad that you’re finding it tough, Ophelia

I agree that saying it could be worse doesn’t help. I think we are all just finding a path through in our own way.

Btw Ophelia, I don’t think we will be in this situation for years. There has been panic this year but we all get used to risks long term. I think society will soon accept covid as another unpleasantness, like other diseases or indeed road accidents. We get used to threats and carry on doing our best.

Okay flies 😂. But you have undermined your own argument here.

I always fact check stats, regardless of who is throwing them around.

Smoking and alcohol Abuse aren’t contagious- I guess that is the difference. I agree laws have stopped short of banning both. But there are plenty of laws in place to control their use.

I’m not clear you have fully though through your arguments, and maybe you need Research your position and get a firmer grip on your understandImg of The evidence Underpinning you’re position.

Again, I don’t fall down strongly on either side of the argument, so no agenda here. Just want people to be informed.

@OpheIiaBaIls

I feel the same, OP.

My MH has gone through the floor already. DH is of the mind that being upset won't make things better so just get on with it, and if I try to tell him how I feel he tells me to stop being so ridiculous and that crying won't solve anything. We have no friends or family so I can't talk to anyone else. I have a little cry in the shower so he can't hear me (he's wfh so we're together 24/7) but that's my only outlet.

It doesn't help when people post stuff like 'there are people far worse off than you' and 'count your blessings' on threads like this. That's not how mental health stuff works. You can't just snap out of it. And even if you did, we'd still be in this situation with months and months (if not years) of it stretching ahead.

Sometimes it helps to vent. I do this and get told it won’t change anything! I know this. I just want to have a moan without being told it could be worse, etc, etc! I know that. It doesn’t stop me feeling rubbish tho! Here if you need to vent at any time

Ideas, I am obviously not suggesting a lockdown to unlock the tragedy that is substance abuse. However it is inconsistent when people claim that life is precious and needs protecting in the time of covid, while damning public services, education and other health provision. We know there are other dangers out there besides this virus.

Surely it is clear that the response to covid is not about following statistics. We know how small the death rate is among almost all the population. The media have whipped up a storm of fear and outrage and the government seem unable to risk more unpopularity.

Again not disagreeing or agreeing with you in your views on the policy response.

Merely pointing out the evidence you are using to further your argument is wrong, and your comparisons aren’t particularly relevant. Misinformation doesn’t help anyone At times like this.

op is struggling, lots of us are. It’s really hard, and winter is a rotten time to be isolated. I will, find this harder than the spring summer (and that was bone crushingly lonely).

OP it will get better I promise, we will get through this to the other side. It’s perfectly normal to find this hard. I just want to hug my mum. I haven’t since March. 🌸. But I will soon.

Please ask for help from local primary care mental health services if you need it. Obviously I can't speak for all areas but services are open for business, the service I work in has good capacity at the moment and we want to hear from people.

@Flyonawalk

Ideas, I am obviously not suggesting a lockdown to unlock the tragedy that is substance abuse. However it is inconsistent when people claim that life is precious and needs protecting in the time of covid, while damning public services, education and other health provision. We know there are other dangers out there besides this virus.

Surely it is clear that the response to covid is not about following statistics. We know how small the death rate is among almost all the population. The media have whipped up a storm of fear and outrage and the government seem unable to risk more unpopularity.

Hey fly, I couldn't agree more. It seems to me that people have lost all sense of perspective and understanding of risk. Quite extraordinary.

For those, like OpheliaBells, who say they don't have any family or friends, it is very easy to become isolated quickly. Whatever reason for not having friends now, (moving town/country etc), please take this time to get in touch with old friends, or reach out to charities to volunteer. We have a window of a couple of weeks before winter nights and bad weather really set in.
Get routines in place, create WhatsApp groups and pre-schedule zoom chats to keep communication going.
If you don't feel vulnerable to the virus, or at risk of passing it on, consider getting a massage now, if you can afford it. Challenge yourself to walk 5km per day whatever the weather and count it on your phone apo. Find a neighbour's dog to walk. Do whatever it takes to get through to March. This won't be our lives forever.

I have found audio books are great company on a long walk.

Also, I have a cat and I know it sounds daft but she has helped with the loneliness - just having her run about the house and demanding my attention has eased things a little.

I am of course not proposing getting a pet just for this time period, but if it’s something you could commit to in the long term, it is very calming and has really helped with my anxiety.