Pandemic Panic? Read this article

Dear @plum, sending you and your family my love and warmest wishes.

 

Thank you Lainey. Your kindness is warmly received. Our area was very badly hit in the early days and it was pretty scary for a time. Scotland is beautiful. I’m glad your friend does well there.

I pray you and yours stay well.

 

Thank you sweetheart. My dad loved your book!

 

My friends' son is anesthesiologist in New York. His job was to put people on ventilators, old and young alike. He is a young, strong guy, but it hit him hard. He said it was a war zone, and they worked without days off, long shifts, for 3 months straight. He contracted the virus and was sick but continued working because there was nobody to replace him. He is the face of pandemic to me.

My way of coping with the lockdown was making face masks for the health workers. It gave me a sense of purpose and emotional comfort. This is what I highly recommend those suffering from the lockdown: if you are young and healthy, go volunteer at a food bank or deliver groceries to the old folks. It will definitely relieve your TMS.

 

@plum, thank you so much! you and your dad made my day!

 

He’s a hero. I have such admiration for the courage and spirit of people such as him. There are some amazing people in the world and especially within the medical community. For all our personal issues with doctors during our TMS journeys it serves us well to remember the incredible care the medical professionals have given to so many this past year.

That’s a wonderful way of supporting people. I can’t sew for toffee so I love your immensely practical and creative gesture. I also agree completely with your thoughts on volunteering to help.

The community here really rose to the occasion and it was tremendously heartwarming. They delivered groceries, organised teddy bear hunts, collected prescriptions and even made sure the little ones had Easter Eggs. One really kind act was to phone elderly people who lived alone on a regular basis, simply to help keep loneliness at bay. I reflect upon all this and it highlights why I get so vexed by the few who only think of themselves.

He read it before lockdown which was perfect timing really. He had a hip replacement last year and was in quite a lot of pain, but at some point he decided to ditch his walking stick and simply get back to moving. He spent lockdown in the garden and it looks beautiful now. So thank you for the inspiration x

 

I haven't seen anyone in this thread who "only think of themselves."

 

Plum, you and your family are in my thoughts. You bring so much comfort to countless people on this forum. And I can only imagine how beautiful the Scottish gardens are in person - nature truly has an amazing affect on the mind-body connection.

The lockdown has absolutely affected my mental health. I don't really discuss this part of my life with many people and that's one of the reasons my posts can be quite detailed (yet anonymous). It doesn't help that my city had 573 confirmed shooting victims in July alone, with 70 confirmed over Fourth of July weekend. Everything feels so intense over here and I do not want to engage in heated conversations with family, friends, members on this forum, etc. I'm lucky to be able to work remotely and my way of coping has been donating money to charities and small businesses, including restaurants accepting money to make meals for first responders. I appreciate the other ideas in this thread and am grateful this website exists as a resource, especially during these times. Practicing compassion has been critical for me and these ideas are all centered on helping others, which I deeply appreciate.

 

Dear @plum, I am so glad you feel supported by your community! And how wonderful it is that your dad is walking and moving again! He is my inspiration, he truly is!

 

Thank you!

 

Agreed. It is in pandemics, wars or natural disasters that Western medicine shows the best of it. Still, may there never be any of the above mentioned reasons for it to shine :=).

As for our personal issues, I came to believe that for every cold and ignorant MD there is at least one other who cares. Many doctors only follow what they were taught and do their best within the boundaries of their knowledge and training. I don't hold it against them, I just don't go to them with my TMS issues :=).

 

Sweetheart, I’m sorry to hear this and I know it’s of no consolation but my mental health has had some shocking meltdown moments. Given everything that’s going on it’s hardly surprising but that doesn’t much help.

I’m doing as much as I can to ease the pressure I feel by slowing down and resting before I crash. I’m also very aware of my tendencies to rescue everyone and I gently pull back when I feel the first emotional tendrils. I’m finding this mindfulness around overwhelm incredibly important.

Please take extra good care of yourself and know we’re here for you and that you are much loved. Sending you a big happy cyber hug x

 

Amen to that.

I agree with this completely. Doctors are just folk with the garden variety of personalities we all have. This harks back to a brilliant post by @Duggit where the first point of healing rests upon the relationship between doctor/therapist and patient. It’s of paramount importance to find a doctor who is on your wavelength and possessed with compassion and kindness. I’m blessed to have found such a team for my husband. It took over a decade to find them and they are not local but they are worth every effort.

When I speak with my own doctor I use the code word ‘stress’ in place of TMS because he’s open minded and generally opposed to meds where lifestyle measures will do, but mostly I don’t bother him.

 

Hi Dorado
Good to read your post. I cannot imagine the stress it would create, living in a city with so much gun violence, particularly during this crazy time we find ourselves in. I grew up in a city and learned as a child the "ways to be" while navigating in a metropolis. Gun violence at that time was not as prevalent. I am currently living in the mountains, with my residence backing up onto thousands of acres of old forest that has no inhabitants. I see no neighbors and only hear an occasional farm machine or car in the distance. I applaud your commitment to help those in need. I honor those of us who must endure the isolation that this pandemic has pushed us to whether in a city or some other place of sanctuary. I also acknowledge that many are unable to understand that we, as the we of all humanity, need to think globally, not just individually, or even just nationally. I enjoy the worldly nature of this forum. The varied perspectives from many parts of the world are always good to read.

 

Dorado
Like you new logon logo photo!
Lainey

 

Thank you, @Lainey! I used to go to Bulls games all the time as a child; MJ lived in the area back then and one of his sons played a few games against my high school (not me ). I’ve been occupying my time by watching some of his best moments. I still have all my old Rodman jerseys and Space Jam memorabilia from the 90s, too! MJ reminds me to stop making excuses and Rodman reminds me to be myself - great lessons during these times.

 

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The lockdown has absolutely affected my mental health. I don't really discuss this part of my life with many people and that's one of the reasons my posts can be quite detailed (yet anonymous).

Sweetheart, I’m sorry to hear this and I know it’s of no consolation but my mental health has had some shocking meltdown moments. Given everything that’s going on it’s hardly surprising but that doesn’t much help.

I find it helpful to read your posts Plum and Dorado, and others. I think the level of isolation, and low-grade stress for me is taking its toll. I have a great deal of "steadfastness," part of my personality like many here. So I push through and make due, looking after my elderly mother, not taking visitors, ordering groceries. Independent, and isolated -----except for with my dearest mother.
We've also had catastrophic wildfires burned up our towns here. I'm not directly affected, but it is in the collective, the awareness here. I know many who just lost their homes. Is mine next?

The life I used to have: my music jamming, contact dancing, losing myself with others, walks with friends -----freedom to be. I realized today that I need more social time, even with good friends on the phone. We're strong we humans, but we're also delicate and need attention and love.

Andy

 

Andy, I am so glad your home is okay and I hope it stays that way. Your mother is very lucky to have a son who cares so much about her and I imagine that means the absolute world to her. At the same time, you are absolutely correct - it’s this level of immense strength that got quite a few of us stuck in the TMS loop for so long. It took me time to realize that being strong can sometimes make us feel weak, even if others aren’t privy to how we’re feeling. Cognitive dissonance.

I completely understand what you mean about hobbies many of us took for granted and feeling so disconnected from them right now. The little things do matter, even if it simply means FaceTiming with a friend for a few minutes. Something as silly as video chatting with my nephew and showing him my cat (who makes him smile the biggest smile ever) can help me feel like a new person. No matter how strong we are, we are human and we need some type of connection. You worded this so perfectly and I appreciate you sharing this. Stay safe.

 

And increasingly there's more MDs experiencing TMS and are joining this very forum!

 

It's a precaution against superspreader events. The White House Rose Garden event is a good example of this.