Conspiracy rantings from friends?

[julieca]

I am not interested in hearing conspiracy views around coronavirus on this thread.
Does anyone else have friends who believe in some of the conspiracy theories around coronavirus? I have one friend who is lovely, and this has taken me by total surprise. She is generally liberal, a bit left-wing and as a brown woman a bit suspicious of government. But I have never heard any conspiracy theory stuff from her before.
Now she rants on social media about vaccines and what they might be injecting us with, the nefarious reasons they are trying to make us have a vaccine, and how it is all about controlling us to introduce a fascist state.
I just find it really difficult. I suspect she is very anxious and this is a way to deal with it. But any gentle enquiries about her mental health just lead into a rant about how I am living in fear and she is shocked that I would fall for this hysteria and submit to authority.
Is anyone else dealing with this? How do you respond or deal with it? I feel in a way like I have lost a friend. Its such a weird situation I would never have predicted could happen.

A woman who I wasn't close to as such but considered a friend and was part of a specific social circle is a total nut job on this. It's not just that she's ranting about conspiracies and rights etc, it's that her arguments are circular and contradict each other. It's awful because it's pretty clear that there will be no more social engagement as a group because of it. It wasn't just the conspiracy stuff that got me it was the callousness - eg back in the summer of 2020 her view was that old and fat people should be self isolating all the time and the rest of the world just get on with things.

The one I find most difficult is a cousin of DHs. She posts things like, "I have 5 friends who have had relatives die after the vaccine" and I'm like, "wtaf?". I don't think she's lying but she is clearly getting the weirdest information either. Another of DH's cousins unfriended me on facebook so at least I don't have to see her stuff anymore.

I am being stalked it feels like by someone on facebook who has always been an antivaxxer and who has started commenting on all my posts as if we were besties which is weird as we haven't spoken in 20 years. That's weird but I think it's because she has also written long essays on my facebook when I've commented on vaccines and she's trying to subtly get me on side? I don't know. It's odd. I totally should delete her but there's a car crash element to it that makes me just want to see what happens next.

@spotcheck

My sister, who is one of the people I was closest to has fallen down that rabbit hole.

You can't reason with them. You can't logically debate. There are so many websites, channels etc dedicated to this shit. They wander into an echo chamber, and some get hooked in

We've agreed not to talk about it. It's really sad, because we can't have a normal conversation anymore- it's so stilted. She is absolutely tunnel visioned.

My sister too. We are no longer talking. My choice.

Fortunately I don’t know any of them. I think it’s actually a useful marker for other personality traits that are less than favourable.

My partners best mate. He’s always sharing conspiracy shit and thinks the pcr tests are laced with poison at the tip.
I definetly think there’s a link between stoners and conspiracy nuts

I know one who is vocal and I have to tell him to stop when he starts (My Ds is vulnerable). My parents have neighbours - extended family of kids parents GPs living in the house. Daughter was vehemently opposed to vaccines, convinced the whole family. Husband is in hospital, one GP has died. I'm not sure how I would be able to live with myself if I were her.

A friend called me yesterday to give her take on the latest situation and boosters. She’s one of those very odd anti-vaxxers who has had the vaccines but believes that they’re going to kill all of us at a set date in the future when we reach a particular age. Her “theory” is that this is a managed cull because the world can’t afford “all these old people” and that we’re being jabbed with something that will kill us on x birthday so we don’t become a burden on society.
She’s a very intelligent, very successful businesswoman who works in the health sector and should know better. She’s furious that she’s not going to be able to enjoy the fruits of her success in old age because she’ll be killed when she’s 70 (or whatever the cutoff is).
Barking.

I deleted two people on FB because of this - one an old school friend who has always been into next-level alternative stuff and is also an anti-vaxxer, who was posting absolutely crazy stuff, and an old colleague who I really liked and was completely blindsided by when he started making comments on my posts, about conspiracies and vaccines. He's since tried to reconnect through multiple channels and mutual friends but no. I didn't say anything to either of them, it's not worth engaging.

My anti vax friends were mostly normal pre Covid (one works of a double glazing company, the other for the Met Police, both vaccinated their children normally and are happy to take antibiotics etc) Oddly my next level alternative healing nature loving yurt living freeman of the people dog on a string home schooling friend is volunteering at a vaccination centre.

@IcelandicCabin that is so tragic.
I have deleted a few people off facebook that were just acquaintances and into this stuff. But it is harder when it is actually someone you are close to.

@Littlecaf yes that is ironic. I work with someone who is an old fashioned hippy and very into alternative therapies and healing potions she makes herself, but she thinks the covid conspiracy stuff is crazy. I agree its not the people you think it will be.

I have a close friend, middle aged. Reasonably well educated, (grammar school) Has stuck by all the rules, masks etc. All for the vaccine before it came out but now refuses to consider having it.

She has friends nearby, two sets of couples, who are anti vax. I can tell that over time these people have influenced her not to have the jab

One couple, one of whom is a HCP, are hippyish nature and holistic remedy types. Go in the woods, pick berries and mushrooms with magical properties, spoonfuls of turmeric in everything, your body is a temple.

Other couple are full blown conspiracy nut jobs. Rothschilds, 5g, covid isn't real, refuse to even have a LF or PCR test because Gov't surveillance. Particularly vile & nauseating is the holocaust denial they spout. My friend admits they're loons, but I know she is influenced by some of their covid vaccine 'evidence".

My mil has been known to call us all sheeple. I thought we had agreed not to talk about it as we just can't see each others point of view but she usually has to have a little one liner to make her feelings known.

@Softwonder she wanted to cure her child of autism. Wow just wow.

i am totally not all its a conspiracy etc etc but you do wonder at the fact restrictions are soon clamped down and seem hard to remove completely and despite ferment to get everyone vaccinated there seems no end in sight.

@EventOfTheSeason

My mil has been known to call us all sheeple. I thought we had agreed not to talk about it as we just can't see each others point of view but she usually has to have a little one liner to make her feelings known.

I've realised this behaviour is relentless because it's a compulsion. The people who are caught up in this are "driven" by their thoughts, rather than being able to conduct them.

"Sheeple" is a prime example of projection in action. Clear as day.

One couple, one of whom is a HCP, are hippyish nature and holistic remedy types. Go in the woods, pick berries and mushrooms with magical properties, spoonfuls of turmeric in everything, your body is a temple
I was hospitalised with covid (double jabbed) and a fellow patient was exactly like this. She was a lovely person but sadly wrong in the expectation that her healthy lifestyle was enough. She was very seriously ill but survived and eventually went on to get vaccinated (I know because we kept in touch).

[quote Northsoutheastwest76]@Softwonder she wanted to cure her child of autism. Wow just wow.[/quote]
It was something to do with reversing the mercury poisoning that came from the MMR vaccine (which caused his autism she said) using Homeopathy and cuddle therapy, so that the autism would be reversed.

I would sit and listen to her and feel such sadness for her. I used to cry all the way home, having listened to this utter tripe and not argued with her (how could i have?), as she was so desperate and so hopeful and in the end so utterly crushed that these people had taken all her savings for the "treatments" that did absolutely fuck all. She was so vulnerable to them, the bastards.

But she wouldn't have any of it, wouldn't listen to me about anything, such was her determination to "cure" her boy of his autism.

This was 10 years ago nearly. I often wonder how she has resolved it in her head now, or if she's still being sucked in.

[quote Northsoutheastwest76]@Softwonder she wanted to cure her child of autism. Wow just wow.[/quote]
Why the wow just wow comment? ,I'm not derailing the the thread ,but autism is a huge spectrum and extremely disabling for many people including my own non verbal severely autistic child

@milly74

i am totally not all its a conspiracy etc etc but you do wonder at the fact restrictions are soon clamped down and seem hard to remove completely and despite ferment to get everyone vaccinated there seems no end in sight.

The OP said she's not interested in hearing about conspiracies.

@Rade

I don't directly but a parent of one of DC's friends apparently spouts this stuff. Her DC are mortified by it and my DC won't visit the friend's house.

I was wondering is this a new phenomenon where huge numbers of people get sucked into fake beliefs? I can't think of a similar example on such a huge scale.

Apparently there was a similar problem during Spanish flu.

Several close friends and a cousin were very suspicious of the whole Covid situation early on, one of them had it very mildly so her experience suggested it is no big deal. They have all now been vaccinated - I guess they needed to see with time that people are not dropping like flies from the "rushed/ insufficiently tested" jabs. They are all lovely and I did not fall out or argue much with them.
Currently few close friends are into some of the conspiracies and wont take the mRNA jab. I don't blame them, they live healthily otherwise, are fun and don't insult us with "sheeple" talk so we respect their choice too and don't engage much in Covid conversations.

My entire family. Mum, dad, brothers, sisters in law, their children. It's constant and inescapable.

I know three people but only have to engage with one. She has always been quite alternative and has ramped this up for Covid. I just ignore all the nonsense and laugh at her. We have been friends for decades and often tease one another. One of the others posts stuff about drinking water from healing springs to ward off Covid 🙄. The third has mental health issues anyway so I presume he can rant to his private therapist at £75 an hour.

I had a friend who believed that European countries would eventually force vaccination on all citizens under threat of huge fines that could easily amount to financial ruin.

Nutcase.

This seems to be a recurring feature of pandemics. During the plague, there were all kinds of daft cults, prophets, quack "cures", etc. As PPs suggest, it is probably fear, denial and a wish to feel in control.
A further small minority are actually mentally ill with various forms of paranoia, and latch onto vaccine fears as a focus.