What grief stage are you at with the pandemic?

[IWannaWishYouANutNutsChristmas]

It's been a rough couple of years for most of us.

Where are you in the pandemic stages of grief?

I have been angry about it since it started, and nothing has changed.

None of the above.

I went through:

• Excitement/enjoying the novelty of being off work
• Fear of catching it and causing harm to my fetus
• Boredom of being stuck at home
• Relief that restrictions eased
• Anger that I missed so many milestone events because my kid had started coughing
• Ambivalence due to the belief that we'll all get it eventually so it doesn't matter anymore.

I'm now at incredulity that restrictions are threatening to ramp up even though the newest variant is apparently the least dangerous yet.

Acceptance.

Depression

Depression. I can’t see any way out of it. I mostly feel depressed at the ongoing impact on our children and fear about elderly parents.

@fadingfast

Depression. I can’t see any way out of it. I mostly feel depressed at the ongoing impact on our children and fear about elderly parents.

We know how to combat an airborne virus, and we have excellent vaccines doing 3/4 of the work for us.

We have controlled covid in this country at times and some countries have controlled it for two years.

It's doable.

We just have to do it.

Masks are a part of my life now so ordering some rainbow disposable ones, just live with it now.

Better graphs:

Depression. Well Depression/Acceptance. Yes this will end but the cost to our physical and mental health is depressing me

Anger - I have a very bleak view of human nature now. And deep sadness.

Nutnuts, Taiwan and NZ have border controls that are completely unsustainable long term, and nobody really knows why Japan lucked out (I live here. No, it's not just "people wear masks". They are doing all the same things in South Korea and cases have gone bananas over there. And Japan also has completely closed borders right now. We can't go on doing that for much longer either.)

As for my reaction right now---mostly just pissed off and impatient, to be honest.

Acceptance!

Depression.

Somewhere between depression and acceptance for me. I'm fed up of the constant bad news and fear but mostly just getting on with my life as best as I can.

It's depressing, but I am at least no longer being naive about how this year will be better, the way I was at the end of 2020. It is what it is now, I've even resigned myself to the possibility of yearly boosters.

My life is poorer in every way from what it was in 2019, but I can't keep pretending it's going to change much.

Probably flipping between depression and acceptance. I’m like that for most things though. It’s still a developing situation and I’m not sure what the final outcome will be like, I’d kind of prefer it if there were some agreed stages to pass through, at least that’s be some kind of structure.

Don’t think the model applies well to the pandemic, except for the bereaved and perhaps people who have been hugely impacted, eg loss of a job, occupation or business.

For example, OP you mention groups of people who have been affected badly. That’s empathy for others and concern for society. It’s vicarious. It’s not grief.

None. Having experienced intense grief following tragic deaths it's simply not comparable. I'd take lockdown any day.

I think there is acceptance that this may be around now forever and that to get through this latest variant measures are going to be needed.

But it cannot be controlled long term for example like China are trying - how on earth are those types of measures sustainable even in the short term. Look at what is happening in Xian and how people are genuinely starving due to lack of food due to it trying to be controlled.

Border closures (such as Japan and New Zealand) can work in the short term and were effective with other variants but they are not a longer term solution. Nothing that restricts and what happens when they lifted.

Denial for a bit then straight to acceptance. Never been angry or depressed about it.

I had just about got to acceptance, then Omicron seemingly means back to square 1 on restrictions that should never have been law, and lots of talk of closing schools, so I'm back to angry.

What are you actually arguing that the public policies in the UK should be, OP?

@Dozer

What are you actually arguing that the public policies in the UK should be, OP?

Yes OP! In your lighthearted post about people's feelings, what are you ARGUING for?

Hmmmmm?