Covid-19 & Isolation Fallout

[Saffron_Spice]

Is anyone on here dealing with anxiety, depression, irrational fears, suicidal ideations and/or complex PTSD issues since the onset of Covid-19 and transitioning to a work-from-home position with their job? I am medication compliant, meditate sometimes, walk my dog, pray, and now go to therapy. All that said, I still am struggling a lot with these issues. I am a recovering addict and have been indulging & gone overboard with online shopping and comfort-eating even though I know addictive behavior makes it worse on me. I have missed a lot of work from the debilitating effect of these symptoms and have a great deal of guilt and shame about that which creates a vicious circle. Any comments, advice, relatable experiences are welcome!

[Help_Me_Please]

Omg yes my anxiety has lead to severe depression with suicidal ideation. The initial isolation during the pandemic has devastated me. Transitioning to working from home has also been bad - I can’t function and do my job anymore ( parts of the job have changed but mainly I think I just can’t function). I gave up smoking nearly 20 years ago and now find myself craving a cigarette.

I think I want things to return to normal. But I don’t know if things ever will. Also I’m not sure that I will ever be the old ‘normal’ me again - I don’t know that I am going to recover from this.

On a daily basis I can’t function on my own. All I want to do is lay in bed and try to calm myself down.

[Saffron_Spice in reply to Help_Me_Please]

I'm so sorry you're going through this, & I can relate. My endeavor when searching out online support was to find people exactly in this work-from-home situation. I know it is why my mental and emotional health took such a dive and am trying many things to rise up out of it. I hope you are keeping in mind the contact info for the suicide hotline: [phone]. They can talk & even possibly connect you with a facility in your area if you so desire. My best to you, thank you for sharing! It is good to know I'm not alone.

[Hb2003]

I feel like my health anxiety definitely has increased i worry that i might catch COVID and spread it to my brother who is autistic.

[Help_Me_Please in reply to Hb2003]

Hb you and tour brother are luckily young I feel that even if this did happen all would be ok. On a side note no fear of transmitting it to your sister lol? I would be more concerned for your parents.

[Hb2003 in reply to Help_Me_Please]

My brother has a weak immune system I would worry about my sister if she got COVID i love her even though i don't like her. I also would worry about my parents but they both got fully vaccinated i get my second vaccine soon .

[Help_Me_Please in reply to Hb2003]

Good to hear about all of the vaccinations. Didn’t realize your brother was immune compromised hopefully he does not get it and if he did that it would be a mild mild case.

[Hb2003 in reply to Help_Me_Please]

Hopefully he doesn’t get it it would be our worse nightmare if he did

[Saffron_Spice in reply to Hb2003]

This new challenge for us with anxiety is really difficult. I appreciate your share and wish you and your family safety and happiness. I know the best thing when I have anxious thoughts is to question whether they are based in truth or fact, question if they have any validity in the moment. If they do - in the moment - I pursue a rational solution, but if not I gently tell the anxiety to go away j it isn't needed right now. Not all anxiety is bad, sometimes it can bring awareness and spark a necessary corrective action. Now I say I do this, but it is learned behavior and I'm not fully there yet! Nevertheless, learning how to take Covid, and life in general, one day or one moment at a time is key. It's not easy - I haven't mastered it yet - but I know striving and persevering to stay in the moment is worth it, it can greatly reduce anxiety!

[Reading_Rando]

You are in a difficult situation so its natural to find ways to cope. Even though some of the things you do may not be very healthy, I think the worst thing is to feel shame about it. We dont just have physical survival needs but emotional ones too and we cant blame ourselves for not making more healthier choices when we are emotionally starved. I think when we shame ourselves it creates the cycle your talking about. Your just a normal human being doing what you have to survive in an emotionally difficult situation, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Wish you the best.

[Saffron_Spice in reply to Reading_Rando]

Thank you so much! These are truly words of wisdom you have imparted upon me. God bless you.