Sainsbury's and Tesco have joined the bookseller, Waterstones, which has said customers should wear masks to protect staff and other shoppers.

[UndercoverToad]

Good.

Chopping off my arm would be over in minutes but I don't much fancy that either .

@JaniieJones

'Nice empathy bypass.'

Totally empathise. I did in fact say yes they can be uncomfortable but to make out wearing a thin face covering would make the experience worse would seem far fetched.

My empathy is also, or actually mainly, with staff having to deal with mask refusers tbh.

Not a legal requirement from Monday but I hope we have tannoy announcements encouraging people to please have consideration for others and continue to use them in high flow areas.

You 'totally empathise' yet dismiss a woman's own experience of having a smear and her concerns, and claim that smears are not painful and to suggest otherwise is being dramatic. Doesn't sound very empathetic to me.

And use your imagination, for heaven's sake. A rape survivor who finds smears deeply traumatic anyway may be further traumatised by having to wear a mask. I know you've said often that you don't believe many exemptions are genuine, but your comments on this are a new low even for you.

@JaniieJones

'had a panic attack during my smear a couple of weeks ago because my face mask made me feel like I couldn’t breathe through it'

I'm sorry to hear it . You can breathe though them though or else how do you think hcps mange 12 hour shifts in them. I do understand irrational fears aren't easy to manage though.

I hope you can access cbt or something to give you some strategies to cope because screening is vital. Also, I would say any treatment is far worse than the screening bit. Good luck.

I know I can breathe through them, I’m not in fact an idiot. Do you think panic attacks are rational? It was a boiling hot room, I was in a lot of pain and I was trying to breathe deeply to get through the pain but the fabric was being sucked into my mouth and caused a panic attack. I’m also aware how vital the screening is and how painful the treatment is, due to being treated for cancerous cells in the past. That still didn’t stop the panic attack. But thank you for your (faux) concern.

And I've also had previous cancer treatment and a great deal of pain so mine is also an informed decision.

'protect the church of the NHS by not having them so no need to worry. A face covering would make it worse for many women. Im now beginning to see very little point in the vaccines tbh'

You see little point in the vaccines .

We are up to 50,000 positive cases, like Jan numbers but then we had thousands of hospital admissions a day and nearly 2k daily deaths but you see 'little point' in vaccines. Jesus.

Please tell me you've had one or are you relying everyone else to do their bit so you don't have to?

Oh and I was put on the waiting list for CBT last year as I wanted help with my panic attacks while wearing masks (contrary to some people’s beliefs, struggling to wear a mask isn’t actually fun, as you either have to wear one and struggle or not wear one and be subject to dirty looks, tutting and occasional verbal abuse) but I’m still on the waiting list.

@Ifitquacks it really is faux concern. So faux it actually sounds more like the passive aggressive nastiness it really is.

Now be off with you and get CBT which will no doubt make your anatomy much better able to cope with smears and make them completely painless, just like @JaniieJones says smears really are. She's so full of empathy, y'see.

@JaniieJones

I threw up in the doctor's bin first time I had a smear test due to a panic attack.

Not sure how wearing a mask would have helped in that situation.

Grow some empathy

'Chopping off my arm would be over in minutes but I don't much fancy that either'

But why would you do that, screening saves lives you see. Bit like vaccines but maybe you're like the pp who 'sees very little point in them' 🙄.

I'd like some of you to actually have a conversation with a hcp, someone who wears ppe for hours you know the tight uncomfortable sort, someone who has had months of looking after critically ill people and tell them there's little point in vaccines.

@JaniieJones We were being told how the vaccines would get us all out of this. Im seeing a lot of anger in RL.

@LizzieSiddal

Your halo is blinding me with its dazzle

It doesn’t mean I have a halo, it means I support those in retail and put their health above my own feelings about wearing a mask for 15 mins whilst I pop into a shop.

Lots of people working in retail absolutely hate wearing a mask all day as they can't breathe, sweat buckets and generally feel uncomfortable all day long. Not every retail worker is a fan of masks .

I said Im NOW beginning to see very little point in the vaccines. And i am far from being the only one.

'but I’m still on the waiting list.'

Oh there's loads of stuff online. It isn't faux concern I do feel sorry for anyone having panic attacks but waiting on waiting lists won't help, there's a plethora of stuff you can access.

'We were being told how the vaccines would get us all out of this. Im seeing a lot of anger in RL.'

Lockdown is over you know that yes? So in that respect we are out of it. Inconveniently the Delta variant is surging but thankfully the vaccines are mitigating the impact.

@JaniieJones

'but I’m still on the waiting list.'

Oh there's loads of stuff online. It isn't faux concern I do feel sorry for anyone having panic attacks but waiting on waiting lists won't help, there's a plethora of stuff you can access.

Yes again, I am not stupid. I have utilised lots of resources available to me. I’m now at the point I can pop into the supermarket with a mask on without a panic attack. The smear unfortunately as a step too far, despite the ‘online resources’, which although great are limited in their usefulness. But thanks again for all your valuable advice, I would have no idea how to navigate life without you 👍.

@JaniieJones

'had a panic attack during my smear a couple of weeks ago because my face mask made me feel like I couldn’t breathe through it'

I'm sorry to hear it . You can breathe though them though or else how do you think hcps mange 12 hour shifts in them. I do understand irrational fears aren't easy to manage though.

I hope you can access cbt or something to give you some strategies to cope because screening is vital. Also, I would say any treatment is far worse than the screening bit. Good luck.

HCPs are not having smears and panic attacks for 12 hours at a time though.

'But thanks again for all your valuable advice, I would have no idea how to navigate life without you'

No need to be sarcastic. I think online is as good as in person anyway and possibly all that will be on offer for a while.
Just try and think of the life saving side of screening. Perspective helps more than any cbt tick lists tbh.

@Ifitquacks

Perspective helps more than any cbt tick lists tbh

Dear god.

'HCPs are not having smears and panic attacks for 12 hours at a time though.'

You've no idea what mh issues many will be struggling with after this year so please don't be so dismissive.Try some empathy.

@JaniieJones

'But thanks again for all your valuable advice, I would have no idea how to navigate life without you'

No need to be sarcastic. I think online is as good as in person anyway and possibly all that will be on offer for a while.
Just try and think of the life saving side of screening. Perspective helps more than any cbt tick lists tbh.

Again, I know the ‘life saving side of screening’ as it has in fact saved my life in the past. Doesn’t stop the panic attack though, despite the online support I have accessed, because although you think it’s just as effective, it actually isn’t for me. Because whaddya know? We all have different life experiences and react differently to things!

If ‘perspective’ stopped side effects no one would have them, would they?

Urgh I mean if perspective stopped panic attacks.

I think online is as good as in person anyway

It really, really isn't

@JaniieJones

'HCPs are not having smears and panic attacks for 12 hours at a time though.'

You've no idea what mh issues many will be struggling with after this year so please don't be so dismissive.Try some empathy.

Having seen your recent comments, that is a bit rich coming from you.