Why the hatred of masks?

[Ohchristmastreelove]

I don’t actually mind wearing one - I’ve bought several nice cotton ones from Etsy that wash and dry really well. Particularly in cold weather I would often go out with a scarf over my lower face anyway. I’ve kind of realised how grim strangers’ breath all over me in shops etc. is so I actually do feel more protected from ‘germs’ more generally wearing a mask in public.

Ok, wearing a mask when I had my hair done the other month was a bit annoying. And I wouldn’t like to have to wear one in my friend’s house when I go round (when it is allowed again! Not right now!)

But wearing a mask doesn’t make me annoyed or make me feel unwell. I honestly wouldn’t mind too much if they remained advisory for public transport etc.

I know this is an unpopular opinion!

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of restrictions I am really hating and struggling with but masks is not really one of them.

I'm profoundly deaf and manage to communicate on a one to one basis by lip reading. It's actually very scary not to be able to 'hear' whats going on around you. Before masks I could judge people reactions by facial expressions, know when someone was speaking to me. Now I'm a deer in the headlights as I have no idea what is going on around me. Full of anxiety.

How nice for you Op

I actually find it really hard to communicate the depth of my hatred for them and all the seemingly nonsensical government rules. It’s like a burning pit of hatred, this sort of fear driven anger that you can imagine a cornered wild animal would have, to lash out and escape, but totally futile as there is no where to escape to and no way out.

It’s really really not good for a lot of people. I’m complying or at least avoiding life where I can, but it’s taking me all my will power!

And yes it’s absolutely a result of PTSD, can you imagine having a MH condition created by being trapped, convinced what you believe to be reality isn’t and violently hurt, then living in a world where reality just totally changed and you’re being controlled by someone unseen arbitrarily every single moment of every single day?

Well that’s masks to me.

I strongly dislike masks. I won't wear one where it's just "requested", but I do wear one where it's legally required. They're awful.

Good for you if you like wearing them - you can carry on with that, without the rest of us being forced to when it (finally!) ceases to be required.

Massive PTSD trigger for me. I try to wear them because I hate the stares and comments but they send me into an awful state. I can just about cope for a short time, and zero other triggers but if something extra happens I can lose it, which is just so humiliating. The last time I tried to go to a the supermarket my glasses got fogged up and I couldn't see and started to panic and then stopped and someone bumped into me from behind and snapped at me and I just keeled over. I lost feeling in my legs and arms and dropped. I ended up with this awful little circle of people around me asking me if I was alright while I sort of made weird keening noises.

I haven't been into a shop since and I don't think will be able to until this is over which makes me feel quite vulnerable. And it's shit. I had worked so hard to get myself functional after a long period of being v unwell and in and out of hospital and made a load of progress and now I'm almost back where I started. It feels like the guy who abused me has basically won.

I also hate all the comments online and on social media about how non mask wearers are selfish and lying about how difficult it is and are the reason people are getting sick. Because my PTSD is linked to sustained abuse and exploitation which comes with a load of shame already it's really hard to read without a lot of my horrible inner negative feelings about the abuse being my fault and a reflection of my being a terrible person.

I can't really say most of this anywhere except MN which is anonymous. I come across as fairly adult and professional and together irl. Few people know about the abuse or PTSD and I don't know how I'd cope with them knowing so I've had to distance myself socially from people. I can't meet up with a friend for coffee as that involves wearing a mask (which risks a public scene) or wearing a lanyard which feels like a "look at the crazy bitch" badge. It's shit.

Sorry for the essay.

For those talking about impeding communication - apart from lip reading where obviously asking any question in a shop etc would be a problem, how much do you communicate when you go to the shops or go on a train etc. really? The places where you are wearing a mask, how much do you communicate usually?

It's not just about not being able to ask the odd question in a shop - it's about not being able to communicate with my family when we're out in public. Quite a big thing really!

I like to breathe rather than gasping for breath. Oh and I can even hypervrntilate in a visor within 5 minutes. Marvellous.
I like my face to be dry, not covered in condensed breath in seconds.
I like to clearly hear what people are saying.
I like to lip read and use facial expressions to fill in the gaps that I miss.

I suspect there's a dose of birth trauma in there too because it's fucking freaky seeing those awful, awful surgical style ones anywhere that is not a clinical environment. It wasn't much fun trying to work out if baby had been born, if it was alive and why was it being taken off to NICU before seeing it and knowing if it was a boy or a girl. Fortunately he is a very healthy boy with no lasting issues from that department many years on, but it was a shit day ending up in HDU on my own wondering WTF happened. Having had a relative be substantially brain-damaged at birth, the fear was very real.

I utterly, utterly loathe masks.

The past 5 months have been like being an arachnophobe trying to function as normally as possible in a society that thinks it's important to wear a tarantula on your face in public.

They are isolating and errode society by wiping out so much human to human communication and visual contact.

I long to look people in the face again, not staring at the floor or using my short-sighted eye to make the world as blurry as possible to try to keep functioning.

And it doesn't help that I'm really not convinced that most of the hankies being worn by the public are actually that effective and that they are more of a token gesture and a stick to beat people with a faux morality. They certainly have no effective purpose on a windswept school playground.

I love mine! I have different colours for every occasion, though I have to wear medical ones at work - nhs. I enjoy picking out the mask of the day like I would a scarf! For the most part I can't be bothered to keep a pleasant expression on my resting bitch face so they suit me fine. Have largely stopped wearing glasses tho and wearing contacts much more.

Op didn’t stick around for long then!?

They make me feel panicky very quickly, I’ve always hated having stuffy air (as a kid couldn’t hide under blankets). I don’t like not seeing people’s full faces, it creeps me out (was very frightened as a child by Muslim women fully covered with just their eyes showing in Harrod’s as a child). It’s just not natural to not be able to see others’ faces and to not have fully fresh air coming in. I hate the bloody things.

It's much harder to communicate. And it's uncomfortable.

I feel like I can't be heard and struggle to talk through the mask. Also don't seem to hear people as well, my hearing isn't 100% and this just makes it harder. I have allergies and the slightest bit of dust makes me cough uncontrollably, and wearing a mask seems to trigger that. They're dangerous going down steps as I can't see where I'm going properly.

I'm not convinced they're much use, not unless they're proper N95 masks. But I wear mine if I have to go out, out of respect for others, but I hate the bloody things!

I don't mind my masks and I'm glad to see so many people wearing them here (central London).

I don't think they impede communication that much. For instance, I always smile at babies and they always smile back, even while I'm wearing my mask. They can tell that I'm smiling by the expression in my eyes.

My glasses only steam up if they aren't sitting on top of my mask.

So it's hard to understand the fuss some peole make but they obviouly do feel strongly.

“ For those talking about impeding communication - apart from lip reading where obviously asking any question in a shop etc would be a problem, how much do you communicate when you go to the shops or go on a train etc. really? The places where you are wearing a mask, how much do you communicate usually?”

Not going out and about with small children much, are you?

I don’t find the mask a bother really when I’m on my own. When accompanied by a baby and toddler it is a complete pain. I know on here I’m supposed to be all breezy “I barely notice my mask!” and “toddlers are wearing them in other countries and make no fuss!” but I find it makes communicating with my baby and toddler much more difficult and therefore restricts the places I go with them heavily

“ I don't think they impede communication that much. For instance, I always smile at babies and they always smile back, even while I'm wearing my mask. They can tell that I'm smiling by the expression in my eyes.”

You’re not having to do much more than smile at them though, are you

Unless you have bought proper medical masks nothing else works.

Masks reduce the spread of coronavirus.

I don’t mind wearing masks, I do find I can’t hear people very well because my hearing is awful and I seem to be shouting when asked a question or saying pardon a lot .

“ I don't think they impede communication that much. For instance, I always smile at babies and they always smile back, even while I'm wearing my mask. They can tell that I'm smiling by the expression in my eyes.”

They do impede it. Ds has learning difficulties and asd and much of his understanding and the ability to be calmed is through watching facial expression and the sound of someone's voice. I can manage with a mask with him for short periods if he is calm but if he is anxious or getting upset, I have to remove it to communicate.

@Tavannach

Masks reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Disgusting to cough or sneeze into someones face. Disgusting to cough and sneeze into what is effectively a dirty handkerchief and wear it against your face all day (breathing in the splutter and expelling the splutter as you breath out). Cough or sneeze into a tissue and bin it!

So change your mask if you've coughed into it. It's not rocket science.

@Billie18
You realise you have completely misunderstood that post don't you?

I'm autistic.
I struggle to understand the meaning behind what people are saying enough when I can see their mouth, now I cant see mouths I'm in a permanent state of not knowing if they are joking/angry.

I actually can't wear a mask, its a sensory thing and not just uncomfortable, it hurts and sets me in to sensory overload. I'm also hyper aware of the stares, glares and comments. I struggle with the lanyard almost as much as a mask and it doesn't work a lot of the time anyway, I still get the stares, glares and comments.

Glasses fog up and I can't see.

@BethlehemIsInTier1

Unless you have bought proper medical masks nothing else works.

Not in the least bit true