Ireland is starting to feel like a low expectations, conservative, depressing country

[Gguin]

Since Covid hit its felt like this to me. People judging each other, HSE worship, fixation with grandchildren and grandparents and everyone else can go hang. And sure what does it matter if there's another HSE crisis, we'll stroll back to Level 5.

Maybe you're depressed.

Sorry non Irish here, but what is HSE? What is going on there that you feel this way OP?

I wouldn’t say that someone is depressed because they feel disillusionment with their government or feel that things are not being managed properly. So I personally would not ask about depression.. rather than hat is happening there tk make you feel this way.

OP brought depression up!

Honestly, stop watching the news and stay off social media, it does wonders.

HSE = Health Service Executive, like the NHS only we have to pay for more. Definitely don't think about the HSE too much!

I said the country was depressing not that I was depressed. Even if I were, does that negate my view of the place. I'm pretty disillusioned with the mentality that seems to have taken hold here

Well then be the change you want to see.

I hear you op. I think on these threads a lot of posters are in v secure jobs / have family support and possibly are less affected by the pandemic. There just seems like such lack of empathy or basic comprehension of a situation that is putting others under massive strain.

I'm in the west and the weather has been fine, a bit windy and more school closures.. I am freelance and have lost two days of earnings before Christmas. Its not the schools fault at all of course, i just passed a teacher out running and it just doesnt sit well with me tbh, one of my dc is struggling a little with maths so we are doing extra tutition.

But i feel like nothing is questioned here because so many here are comfortable.
I am sure loads of kids here have been sat in front of screens the last two days so v healthy...
I actually think theres a chance schools will be closed in jan ..

Why shouldn't a teacher be out running if the school is closed?

God forbid anyone enjoy themselves @PleasantBirthday

Yes! I guess if that's the attitude around you would get a bit depressed.

But weren't there always people like that?

I'm also in the west, and I still love the place - everyone has pulled together during Covid and there have been some lovely moments. I'm sorry you're not feeling it, OP, but I don't think it's an all-Ireland thing at all.

I think it’s really important to be mindful of your information streams and cut out whichever media are bad for your mental health. Or to put it another way - choose your own propaganda

And then be the change you want to see. Seriously. I’ve stopped putting up with moaners; I just change the subject. When I hear the old tropes being trotted out unthinkingly I say something to challenge them. And I seek out ways of helping to make changes including simple things like emailing TDs and counsellors and donating to the VdeP.

Whinging about the state of the country never helped.

On a positive front op , we are planning to live abroad for a few months in a place we both speak the language and the kids can learn it more too. Like no doubt the schools will close again but we are making more plans now as we can't control what happens here but we do have control over our future. We did this before when the dcs were tiny and it was fab. Where we are going has better weather and we can be outdoors even more which suits everyone here.

So I agree making positive changes for yourself and your family really helps! I love having plans and advebtures to look forward too.

I don't get that feeling, op. I think Ireland is a good place to live in. But perhaps I am conservative, cheerless (I'm not depressed) and have low expectations myself, so it suits me?!!

@Gguin

I said the country was depressing not that I was depressed. Even if I were, does that negate my view of the place. I'm pretty disillusioned with the mentality that seems to have taken hold here

What mentality is that?

@IsFuzzyBeagMise you are definitely not cheerless. You've given me many's a laugh on here.

And I just came back from the best part of three decades living abroad (in four different countries) just before the first lockdown, and, despite the job I returned for disappearing because of Covid, and a house sale agreed before we returned falling through, Ireland is definitely, IMO, currently a better place to live, and a more functional society, than where I'd just left. I'm really glad we came back when we did.

Mind you, moaning is traditional.

In a good way!

[quote JaneJeffer]@IsFuzzyBeagMise you are definitely not cheerless. You've given me many's a laugh on here.[/quote]
Aw Jane

If you don't laugh, you'll cry.

I mean we all like a moan but to say it's an awful country isn't true and nobody worships the HSE. I'm waiting for an operation and haven't even heard from them since I saw my GP at the end of summer. They have been in dire straits for years and the pandemic put the kibosh on them.

@Gguin

Since Covid hit its felt like this to me. People judging each other, HSE worship, fixation with grandchildren and grandparents and everyone else can go hang. And sure what does it matter if there's another HSE crisis, we'll stroll back to Level 5.

I don't know of anybody worshipping the HSE but most people I know are simply in awe of the nurses, doctors, care assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists etc, etc who are in the frontline fighting the good fight for us everyday, our children, our parents, our neighbours, our friends and our colleagues who are in need of their care whether they are ill from Covid or something else entirely. And that awe extends to those in the non-medical frontline also - retail staff, catering staff, manufacturing employees, delivery people, bus drivers, taxi drivers, Gardai, Social Services, Courts Service, and food producers too. Not everybody gets to be a work-from-home accountant or IT developer.

I will admit to being fixated with my children and my mother and keeping them safe. I wear a mask to protect YOU and others as well as myself.

Of course it matters if there is another crisis, we are in the middle of the 4th wave of this pandemic - no-one I know wants to see a return to Level 5 and there is no talk of that happening at the moment. No-one wants to see elective surgeries postponed because regular and ICU beds might not be available.

Maybe you are upset because the nightclubs have been closed for a couple of weeks, they will open again. There are plenty of other activities. Get online, see what is available locally and get involved. Or, let us know what part of the country you are in and someone may have a suggestion. Get out today or tomorrow when the storm has passed and get walking as fast as you can for as long as you can. Give your head a shake.

"People are judging each other". Well, I'm only interested in risk-assessing for myself and my family - so if my DD didn't go to your DDs birthday party during actual lockdown it's because you have outed yourself as an anti-masker, anti-vaxer on your social media page coupled with the fact that you were hosting a stupid number of people indoors (that's the most actual judging I've done).

And, I did my damnedest over the Spring, Summer, Autumn to support local businesses that had outdoor dining and to support local shops in person and online.

And yes, it has been hard but my expectations remain high for the country, Ireland is still shaking off its conservative cloak but at the rate of knots, the country is not depressing but you might be depressed, seek some help

www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health_services/mental_health/mental_health_services.html

I'm pretty disillusioned with the mentality that seems to have taken hold here
What mentality is that?

Probably this one:
i just passed a teacher out running and it just doesnt sit well with me tbh