Has corona made your symptoms worse?

[[Hy...]]

My anxiety is currently through the roof with this virus. I’m worried about my family, friends becoming sick, I’m worried about my finances and work security (even though I’m only part time), I’m worried about life as we know it permanently changing, I’m worried about the country going into an economic depression. Oh wow. I was just starting to feel better, anxiety wise, before this but now my anxiety is worse than acute. I can’t calm myself down by saying everything will be ok, because everything might not be ok. Sigh 😔

 

re: "..the country going into an economic depression": The U.S. (I assume what you mean by "the country") probably *will* go into a depression. Meanwhile in the third world, conditions may go into a state more akin to Dante's inferno. When I was living in Jamaica I shot some videos in the slums of downtown Kingston (comparable to the slums of Rio, Mexico City, Bangkok, Manila, Dhaka, Mumbai, Nairobi, etc etc... collectively home to about a *billion* people). Later after the COVID-19 hit I put one of those videos up on YouTube with the caption "what if coronavirus gets *here*?"

. Well, guess what? It *is* there. I am in WhatsApp conversation with the pink-shirt girl in the video (Yanique). Anxiety and fear are worldwide.

 

I am in anguish with worry. And not just (not even primarily) worry for myself.

 

Life as we knew it *will* permanently change.

 

The challenge will be to figure out how to live (ethically, happily) in this new world. Time to read some existential philosophy I think...

 

Love and peace,

 

Chessplayer

[[le...]]

Hi breakthrough, think restrictions probably more extreme in UK . Can only go out for essentials and medicines. Only meant go out once day for some exercise. No social contact with anyone including family unless they live with you Only places open supermarkets, chemists and newsagents. If you go out for walk only be 2 people. Supermarkets been nightmare now introduced queuing. People were not complying with measures which meand we've now had these draconian measures introduced.

[[Hy...]]

That's smart what U.K. is doing. Restrictions here in New Hampshire are not as severe, but I am imposing severe restrictions on myself anyway for my own safety. You are always free to isolate yourself even *more* than what govt requires. For groceries, I order online to get them delivered and I sanitize the whole bag and all items within it before touching. And only order food that is "safe" (e.g. canned/dried/to-be-cooked); no prepared sandwiches or salads. My goal in life at present has been reduced to "survive" which certainly simplifies a lot of decisions....

[[Hy...]]

Also if I can help fight this thing from the safety of my own home, I would like to do that. For those of us with computer or bioinformatics or technical skills, there are a ton of efforts out there, ranging from vaccine development, to a search for cures, to figuring out how to make stuff like respirators e.g. with 3D printing, to sophisticated virus-tracking software using AI and Google-Maps and Facebook-connection sort of data. Looking to volunteer myself onto one of those efforts. *Doing* something is a good antidote to anxiety; it's better than sitting around in despair.

[[le...]]

Most time you can't get any on line deliveries, which means have to out and put yourself at risk. They are building new hospital but not providing NHS staff with enough protective equipment or routinely testing. Do think some of measures bit extreme lot of business's will go broke.  Doesn't help when you are in withdrawal keep saying stay home but you can't as need to get food

[[Hy...]]

Yeah, it's tragic, the total lack of preparation both in the US and the UK.

 

Here in the US, our moronic president is saying things like this:"Twenty-two days ago, everything's perfect, we're looking forward," Trump said. "And then one day we get hit with this thing that nobody ever heard of before. Nobody ever even heard of before. And now we're fighting a different battle."

 

Nobody's ever heard of it before 22 days ago, say what??? Anyone with half a brain and who reads actual news (not just right-wing propaganda) has heard of it since at least Jan 20, which is when the news first came out of China, and when *I* heard of it and *started preparing* (by starting to stockpile food and essentials). Not to mention various people e.g. Bill Gates have been warning for a long time that this is a potential danger we're not prepared for. Why the nation as a whole did not prepare *at all* starting in January when the news came out of China, I cannot fathom.

 

Your PM in the UK is equally moronic.

 

Truly, truly tragic. Thousands if not millions will die because of the stupidity of our leaders.

 

As for what *you* can do at this point if you are not prepared... best bet is to make *one* trip to a store, heavily protected with mask/sanitizer/etc, and stock up on as much non-perishable essentials as you can get. Dried food is the most bang per weight e.g. dried beans, rice, etc. It won't be the tastiest couple of months living off that, but you won't die. Or if you prefer, call it all an over-reaction, and go about your normal business, and take the risk getting it, like your brilliant PM. Your choice. Really. All I can do is say what I'm doing and why, but all of you have to make your own individual choices, and I do respect that.

 

Love, and take care,

 

Chessplayer

 

 

[[Aj...]]

If need a mask and can’t sew:

 

[[br...]]

We have just had new laws past that severely  restrict movements. I try keep a schedule that includes work around the house ,exercise with 1 friend, some shopping. In my case I need distraction and structure to get through withdrawal . to much time idled takes my mental health to a dark place.

 

I lost my job so I'm now looking to volunteer delivery food to the elderly for a few hours a day. 

[[Be...]]

Hoarding food and panic-buying is a very bad thing.  Our grocery shelves are bare now.  I can't get certain foods now because people have hoarded them.  Someone can go into a grocery store in my area and not be able to buy any meat, etc.  I couldn't get juice, rice, and other stuff this weekend because of the hoarders.  If everyone bought only what they needed then there would be enough to go around for everyone.  There is a real food shortage in my area now. 

[[le...]]

The usual thing here is they don't put in restrictions early enough or monitor things then goverment goes into panic mode and goes into overdrive . Think they could handled it better now scaremongering saying could go on for 6 months. Trying occupy myself making anxiety worse. Try do bit pilates everyday go out for walk if up to it have ordered some jigsaws. Am trying SSRI low dose but until this madness stops probably won't be that effective. Think lot more going on fact it spread so quickly