COVID-19 Life now and beyond

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

30 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

You can blame the idiots who congregate in streets when the pubs close at 10pm or you can blame the idiots who opened them and then decided a 10pm curfew would help the situation. It was a stupid idea that has made the situation worse. Ah yes, not in the pub any more, they're just all on the bus/train/tube home together, everyone in all the different bars come out at once and can't avoid intermingling. If you're gonna blame the people for that then God help you...

I think the blame lies with both the government and the reckless people in that instance. Both have acted irresponsibly. 
 

As for the mental health angle, I understand that lockdown is depressing, but just think of the greater good that you are doing, it won’t last forever and there are so many ways to communicate and stay in touch.
 

Imagine if this had happened in the 80’s and we had no camera phones, no Netflix or Amazon Prime, no X box or Online gaming, no social media, no Sky Sports, no online deliveries and 4 channels of TV that all finished at midnight. It’s far easier to get through this difficult situation now than it would have been in the past.

 

[Brunners 7,981]

3 minutes ago, BillyWoofs_shinpad said:

As for the mental health angle, I understand that lockdown is depressing, but just think of the greater good that you are doing, it won’t last forever and there are so many ways to communicate and stay in touch.
 

Imagine if this had happened in the 80’s and we had no camera phones, no Netflix or Amazon Prime, no X box or Online gaming, no social media, no Sky Sports, no online deliveries and 4 channels of TV that all finished at midnight. It’s far easier to get through this difficult situation now than it would have been in the past.

🤦‍♂️ this isn't how the brain works.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

24 minutes ago, Brunners said:

🤦‍♂️ this isn't how the brain works.

I know, but sometimes you have to count your blessings and look at the bigger picture. 
 

it’s tough and I’m not belittling your mental health condition, I have first hand experience of family members with mental health conditions and they are suffering too. 
 

I don’t know how I’d deal with your situation if I was you, it’s *** when life doesn’t work out as you expect it to. All we can do is adapt, I’ve been having to do a lot of that lately due to personal circumstances, if an idiot like me can do it, so can you mate. 

[Brunners 7,981]

36 minutes ago, BillyWoofs_shinpad said:

I know, but sometimes you have to count your blessings and look at the bigger picture. 
 

it’s tough and I’m not belittling your mental health condition, I have first hand experience of family members with mental health conditions and they are suffering too. 
 

I don’t know how I’d deal with your situation if I was you, it’s *** when life doesn’t work out as you expect it to. All we can do is adapt, I’ve been having to do a lot of that lately due to personal circumstances, if an idiot like me can do it, so can you mate. 

I know you weren't belittling it mate, sorry if I came across that way. 

Just unfortunately "adapt and live with it" doesn't work for some of us, no matter how hard we try. I'm actually very lucky with a great support network living at home atm so I thank my lucky stars for that every day honestly.

Definitely don't think I'd have coped if I was still on my own completely!

[AnglianRed 6,320]

1 hour ago, Brunners said:

🤦‍♂️ this isn't how the brain works.

I dunno about you, but I find keeping busy really helps when my brain is starting to work overtime and thinking unpleasant thoughts.

Luckily work keeps me occupied for most of the time, but I've also been filling my spare time with reading, online gaming, trying to improve my abysmal guitar skills and getting out on my bike when the weather permits. Even the odd bit of DIY.

Basically anything that can let you focus on something else besides the grim world situation.

 

Even following the Boro has got to be better than that! 🙃

 

[Brunners 7,981]

2 minutes ago, AnglianRed said:

I dunno about you, but I find keeping busy really helps when my brain is starting to work overtime and thinking unpleasant thoughts.

Luckily work keeps me occupied for most of the time, but I've also been filling my spare time with reading, online gaming, trying to improve my abysmal guitar skills and getting out on my bike when the weather permits. Even the odd bit of DIY.

Basically anything that can let you focus on something else besides the grim world situation.

Oh yeah agreed. I've been working from home since March and when my work is busy things are good, but the last couple of weeks I've been running out of work (hence why I'm here at 15:43 lol).

And guys I didn't mean to turn this into a thread about me and my mental health i apologise for that. I just wanted to point out when I made my point that I'm personally invested in it lol. Sorry"

[RiseAgainst 3,792]

4 minutes ago, Brunners said:

Oh yeah agreed. I've been working from home since March and when my work is busy things are good, but the last couple of weeks I've been running out of work (hence why I'm here at 15:43 lol).

And guys I didn't mean to turn this into a thread about me and my mental health i apologise for that. I just wanted to point out when I made my point that I'm personally invested in it lol. Sorry"

It's not just you, mate. My three-year-old suffered profoundly as a result of the first lockdown, and he's nowhere near recovered. He's become more fearful of other people, more controlling in his behaviours, and generally quieter. I also think - though I'm not sure and he's too young for a diagnosis - the sudden withdrawal of everyone he knew from his life might have triggered the onset of OCD, which can develop after a major trauma. And to a toddler, 20 weeks of closed playparks, closed nurseries and the sudden disappearance of everyone he knows apart from his parents is incalculably traumatic.

For his sake alone, I am fundamentally opposed to a second lockdown, though I have other arguments against it too. And although we live in an age of unprecedented digital communication, humans are pack animals. We thrive or wither as interpersonal interactions increase and decrease, and no amount of Xbox Live or Netflix will prevent the self-harm, suicide, depression and anxiety rates across England soaring during a second lockdown, as I'm sure they already have in Wales and Northern Ireland.

[Brunners 7,981]

1 minute ago, RiseAgainst said:

It's not just you, mate. My three-year-old suffered profoundly as a result of the first lockdown, and he's nowhere near recovered. He's become more fearful of other people, more controlling in his behaviours, and generally quieter. I also think - though I'm not sure and he's too young for a diagnosis - the sudden withdrawal of everyone he knew from his life might have triggered the onset of OCD, which can develop after a major trauma. And to a toddler, 20 weeks of closed playparks, closed nurseries and the sudden disappearance of everyone he knows apart from his parents is incalculably traumatic.

For his sake alone, I am fundamentally opposed to a second lockdown, though I have other arguments against it too. And although we live in an age of unprecedented digital communication, humans are pack animals. We thrive or wither as interpersonal interactions increase and decrease, and no amount of Xbox Live or Netflix will prevent the self-harm, suicide, depression and anxiety rates across England soaring during a second lockdown, as I'm sure they already have in Wales and Northern Ireland.

I hope he's doing okay pal! Can't imagine how tough it must be for a developing brain like that to have everything turn upside down!

[Will 2,958]

I haven't been in this thread much as reading pretty much anything about the whole situation just depresses me.

I decided to pop in to urge everyone who isn't already to start taking some kind of vitamin D supplement. Two reasons, we are coming into darker winter months where not many of us at all will be getting enough sunlight, made even worse by working from home whilst in lockdown. Vitamin D is what our skin makes when in direct sunlight, it helps with the immune system and the nervous system, low vitamin D levels can contribute to feelings of fatigue, pain and depression. That alone was reason enough for me to start taking Vitamin D well over 5 years ago. The second reason is that clinical studies have shown that Vitamin D reduces your likelihood of dying to the virus by over 25%.

If anyone does want to start taking them, I'd recommend these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-3000iu-Supplements-Strength-Vitamin-Cholecalciferol/dp/B00RXIIW7K/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=vitamin+d&qid=1604420960&sr=8-7

You'll notice they are way above the RDA, this is because the RDA is ridiculously low and taking them at that level produces no positive effect according to studies that have been carried out. Feel free to ask me any questions about it in here or via PM

[wilsoncgp 9,276]

It's hard but this is about balance. Going completely one way or completely the other isn't a solution. Closing everything forever until it's fixed isn't a solution as job losses and thus poverty will become a dreadful problem and economies don't just start running as fast as they used to when you open them back up, ours picked up a bit but you've already had businesses cutting jobs and being unwilling to offer new ones during those periods.

Opening everything up forever and just dealing with the virus isn't either. We can't just go back to normal because the virus is a quick killer for the most vulnerable and even those who survive it might have longer lasting consequences of it. I know plenty of people who've said they're not that fussed if they get it because they'll probably be fine but they don't know how it will affect them in the future.

So it is about balance and it is about creating a pretty solid, yet nuanced approach to this thing. That's why communication is absolutely vital. We can't just sit and expect 'common sense' from people if we open things up again, this isn't just any old parliamentary initiative that MPs want us to get on board with but actually won't give much of a toss if we don't, this is life or death and achieving the balance can only be met if we use the best minds in communication; our MPs have spent so much of the past 5 years spouting rubbish for the sake of wins that I don't think the majority actually know how to get through to people any more.

They managed it for a month or two when we first went into lockdown. Since then, their inadequacies as communicators have come back to the fore and now people are just confused and tired of it all and I don't blame them.

Remember when people had Brexit fatigue? That seems like a long time ago.

[boroie 484]

This is what it looks like in Ireland btw, the peak roughly coincides with the onset of lockdown both times

[RiseAgainst 3,792]

10 minutes ago, Will said:

I haven't been in this thread much as reading pretty much anything about the whole situation just depresses me.

I decided to pop in to urge everyone who isn't already to start taking some kind of vitamin D supplement. Two reasons, we are coming into darker winter months where not many of us at all will be getting enough sunlight, made even worse by working from home whilst in lockdown. Vitamin D is what our skin makes when in direct sunlight, it helps with the immune system and the nervous system, low vitamin D levels can contribute to feelings of fatigue, pain and depression. That alone was reason enough for me to start taking Vitamin D well over 5 years ago. The second reason is that clinical studies have shown that Vitamin D reduces your likelihood of dying to the virus by over 25%.

If anyone does want to start taking them, I'd recommend these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-3000iu-Supplements-Strength-Vitamin-Cholecalciferol/dp/B00RXIIW7K/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=vitamin+d&qid=1604420960&sr=8-7

You'll notice they are way above the RDA, this is because the RDA is ridiculously low and taking them at that level produces no positive effect according to studies that have been carried out. Feel free to ask me any questions about it in here or via PM

I also recommend - from personal experience - full spectrum lighting, which helps to generate the serotonin your skin can't produce if you're (a) stuck indoors all day or (b) living through a cloudy British autumn/winter. I used to have quite significant Seasonal Affective Disorder in November, but two full spectrum lamps on my desk have pretty much kept it at bay over the last decade. The bulbs are large screw-in affairs, not cheap but they last forever, and they work well through a thin lampshade - you don't have to have the bulbs exposed for them to be effective.

[wilsoncgp 9,276]

5 minutes ago, RiseAgainst said:

I also recommend - from personal experience - full spectrum lighting, which helps to generate the serotonin your skin can't produce if you're (a) stuck indoors all day or (b) living through a cloudy British autumn/winter. I used to have quite significant Seasonal Affective Disorder in November, but two full spectrum lamps on my desk have pretty much kept it at bay over the last decade. The bulbs are large screw-in affairs, not cheap but they last forever, and they work well through a thin lampshade - you don't have to have the bulbs exposed for them to be effective.

I know quite a few people who get that. I still can't get over the fact it's abbreviated as SAD, that can't be a coincidence. The first I heard of it was when people were asking what the best SAD lamp was, I was just thinking of a lampshade with a frown.

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

20 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

It's hard but this is about balance. Going completely one way or completely the other isn't a solution.

In my opinion we should have gone "hard and fast" on the original lockdown. Locking down sooner, getting a grip on the track and trace and enforcing COVID restrictions harder. It wouldn't have been good economically in the short term, but potentially we would find ourselves in a position to "open" up safer and prevented future lockdowns.

Curbing inbound and outbound travel to and from the UK and imposing quarantine measures from day one to prevent new untraceable outbreaks. Introducing facemasks earlier with proper advise, we all the saw the adverts on telly, surely a quick ad relating to proper use of a mask wouldn't have been hard to do. Then once those are in place and lockdown enforced, a large scale and aggressive track and trace to contain local/domestic outbreaks whilst in lockdown.

Annoyingly a pandemic scenario has been high on the UK government National risk register for decades, yet when the time came they were caught like rabbits in headlights. I also think the minority of people flaunting the rules is overplayed. Between 27 March and 21 September just under 19,000 fines for breaching COVID rules had been issued, which is roughly 760 per week. Obviously there are idiots out there, but I do feel we are lead to believe that it is more than there actually is.

It's left us in a position now where we are discussing the impacts of a second lockdown on very real and valid points like mental health. We should not have to be discussing these issues, as we should not (in my opinion) be in the current situation we find ourselves in. But our (The Government's) initial response has lead us to this point.

[wilsoncgp 9,276]

Yeah, that's fair. A quick and hard reaction to it could have helped. There are of course arguments that the virus has been in our country before even the first reported cases, I know my Stepdad and my Granddad had pretty bad illnesses towards the end of last year/early this year before we had the first confirmed case here so who knows but the evidence was pretty clear at the point we locked down that we should have done it sooner.