Coronavirus pandemic puts life in perspective and how it could affect mental health
I was at the group therapy I go to today and we were talking about whether we should self isolate etc. I have decided that because I am in the high risk category (I had heart failure and chronic kidney disease a few years ago and also had pneumonia that year too and was in high dependency unit) so I am going to take a break from the group therapy where there are 20 members plus staff and will just go to places with few people so I can still go and see Warwick my horse and go to my mum and dads and walk the dogs.
I normally say how lonely and isolated I feel living on my own and rarely seeing friends, but it is better to be safe and physically well and alive than carry on as normal and potentially put myself and my parents who are older also with health problems at risk. I always said I deserved to be dead by the time I was 28 but I now want a life...I'm 40 in just under a year....I can't have survived numerous suicide attempts, heart failure, meningococcal septicaemia and pneumonia and die from coronavirus.
I still struggle alot with my mental health, my mood is very up and down and I struggle with my eating disorder which involves restricting food and bingeing on food and getting anxious about food which when the thoughts get too bad can lead to self harm which I don't want it to. I do worry that being at home more the anxiety around food is worse, the days I'm at the group therapy which is normally 3 days a week I made a rule to myself that I'm not allowed to eat there so I just take fruit juice and a fruit smoothie with me and because I dont take food or money with me I dont think about food...although I often feel physically ill by the end of the day.
But I'm thinking worst case scenario to prevent getting the virus is self isolation but the whole country is in the same boat and I think in times of adversity people do pull together (apart from the selfish few who seem to have stockpiled a years supply of toilet roll and pasta as if we are going to have a zombie apocalypse).I love how in Italy people are singing out on their balconies to uplift each other whilst they are in isolation. I spent a year sectioned in a locked hospital and survived the boredom. Our choir are amazing and have thought outside the box and have computer software that means we are having virtual choir sessions live online which is amazing and will help so many people who may become socially isolated at this time.
Upto now were not on a lockdown so I can still go outside and if were locked in there are phones and internet to stay in touch with people, there is plenty I can be getting on with including my distance learning course which I have 8 weeks to get it done in so if I spread it out that can keep me busy. I also made a new years resolution to read more but I started off with good intentions and got some good books to read but haven't got far with them and there is always singing...I'm sure my neighbours love me living in their block lol.
So I'm trying to think positive, I am scared that if I got ill and had to self isolate I live on my own which is a scary prospect but my mum asked if I would want to self isolate there but I have my cat and Guinea pig to look after at home who wouldn't appreciate going and staying with mum and dads dogs and also I think being isolated in a house with 4 other people would be chaotic. The media does alot of scare mongering and there is lots of contradicting information but there is also positive information that alot of people have actually recovered from it to.
I'm disappointed that social things I had planned with friends and choir gigs have been postponed but it's not forever even if we were isolated for months it's most important everyone stays well and recovers from this awful virus.
At the group therapy today we were talking about how to protect our mental health if we have to socially isolate and some of the information was good and is pretty much my same thinking anyway. Restricting social media in terms of caronavirus updates so you dont become too anxious is a good idea, it's good to be in the loop as long as you don't become obsessed. Keeping busy with hobbies and things you can do around the house are good and also mindfulness can be good to bring you back into thinking in the here and now which can reduce anxiety I find it works sometimes.
Anyway we will get through this, the world will be different but life will go on...and get better again 💕🐴🎶📖🐈🐹🌼🍏
I normally say how lonely and isolated I feel living on my own and rarely seeing friends, but it is better to be safe and physically well and alive than carry on as normal and potentially put myself and my parents who are older also with health problems at risk. I always said I deserved to be dead by the time I was 28 but I now want a life...I'm 40 in just under a year....I can't have survived numerous suicide attempts, heart failure, meningococcal septicaemia and pneumonia and die from coronavirus.
I still struggle alot with my mental health, my mood is very up and down and I struggle with my eating disorder which involves restricting food and bingeing on food and getting anxious about food which when the thoughts get too bad can lead to self harm which I don't want it to. I do worry that being at home more the anxiety around food is worse, the days I'm at the group therapy which is normally 3 days a week I made a rule to myself that I'm not allowed to eat there so I just take fruit juice and a fruit smoothie with me and because I dont take food or money with me I dont think about food...although I often feel physically ill by the end of the day.
But I'm thinking worst case scenario to prevent getting the virus is self isolation but the whole country is in the same boat and I think in times of adversity people do pull together (apart from the selfish few who seem to have stockpiled a years supply of toilet roll and pasta as if we are going to have a zombie apocalypse).I love how in Italy people are singing out on their balconies to uplift each other whilst they are in isolation. I spent a year sectioned in a locked hospital and survived the boredom. Our choir are amazing and have thought outside the box and have computer software that means we are having virtual choir sessions live online which is amazing and will help so many people who may become socially isolated at this time.
Upto now were not on a lockdown so I can still go outside and if were locked in there are phones and internet to stay in touch with people, there is plenty I can be getting on with including my distance learning course which I have 8 weeks to get it done in so if I spread it out that can keep me busy. I also made a new years resolution to read more but I started off with good intentions and got some good books to read but haven't got far with them and there is always singing...I'm sure my neighbours love me living in their block lol.
So I'm trying to think positive, I am scared that if I got ill and had to self isolate I live on my own which is a scary prospect but my mum asked if I would want to self isolate there but I have my cat and Guinea pig to look after at home who wouldn't appreciate going and staying with mum and dads dogs and also I think being isolated in a house with 4 other people would be chaotic. The media does alot of scare mongering and there is lots of contradicting information but there is also positive information that alot of people have actually recovered from it to.
I'm disappointed that social things I had planned with friends and choir gigs have been postponed but it's not forever even if we were isolated for months it's most important everyone stays well and recovers from this awful virus.
At the group therapy today we were talking about how to protect our mental health if we have to socially isolate and some of the information was good and is pretty much my same thinking anyway. Restricting social media in terms of caronavirus updates so you dont become too anxious is a good idea, it's good to be in the loop as long as you don't become obsessed. Keeping busy with hobbies and things you can do around the house are good and also mindfulness can be good to bring you back into thinking in the here and now which can reduce anxiety I find it works sometimes.
Anyway we will get through this, the world will be different but life will go on...and get better again 💕🐴🎶📖🐈🐹🌼🍏
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