Who else is feeling the stress

This shows things are getting tough (someone else sent me the link):

And if true, these stories are kinda scary:

1 Like

The first 2 were in the news here yesterday and this morning.

And the advice not to take Ibuprofen came out last week locally, although it seems the WHO only confirmed that at the weekend.

2 Likes

Well, that story was the 1st I have heard of it. I had not seen that reported here…

This is crazy too… I’m a gun guy, but to see this going on is weird…

2 Likes

Sounds like someone took the joke last week seriously…

Guns don’t kill people, guns kill viruses! :smiley:

I’m glad we have strict gun laws here.

1 Like

I guess I could be an authority on this subject. At least the social distancing part. I have a leg wound that won’t heal (Agent Orange stuff) which has kept me couch ridden for the last several years. Aside from weekly visit to local Wound Care center and the daily nurses to change dressings I have been a hermit.
How to keep from going stir crazy you might ask? Reading lots of books; audio, paper and ebooks. Watching a lot of TV (not commercial but Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Britcom, etc.). Building Lego models for disabled and dyslexic children. Dictating to my iPad for the occasional missive. Texting friends. Staying off Facebook. Watching all the Apple related TWIT and iMore. Jigsaw puzzles (the wooden ones). Video games.
Getting back into meditation which really helps with the stress factor.

Hope this helps. My new mantra: “How do you stand out in a crowd? Don’t be in it.”

Stay safe. Smell the roses.

6 Likes

If I was allowed to stay home, I’d be fine. It is having to go out and see people that bugs me and makes me nervous

3 Likes

And the news just reported that, while gun sales in the USA increased by 10 times this week, in Germany the sale of condoms has doubled this month.

5 Likes

Disclaimer: This may not be what was asked for, but you really sounded a bit distressed so I wanted to send over my 2 cents. The situation is screwed up, no doubt. Merely sharing some thoughts that tend to help me:

Everyone is spooked
If its any consolation - and it may not be - the whole planet is spooked right now. I know it does not change a thing, but simply knowing that everyone’s sense of safety is dented considerably might help. Every medical person is working toward helping or solving the problem might make you at least not feel as if you were seeing something that no-one else is seeing. That’s commonly the key ingredient to a nightmare: being the odd one out that can see but not avoid the problem. So we’re all seeing the problem, we’re all spooked. Certainly, that’s not the solution, but it may be a start: awareness and action being taken. A side note: some of the action being taken may aggravate nerves, but it maybe more useful to think of it as calming - action is being taken. This is far better than action not taken. Things are moving. This sense may help soothe nerves.

So many other reasons
While nervousness may not go away - at least it does not for me - what helps me is thinking about the plenty of alternatives that I might fall ill. I know, weird strategy, but hear me out: I mean - there are literally countless different diseases, there is crime, there are accidents, there are freak accidents, there are mishaps, there are … so many ways of not doing to well. The possibility that this is “the one” is… well, it’s limited. Of course, this does not mean that CoViD19 is a joke and that one should not take it seriously - if we all don’t, its role in our lives will increase painfully. But there are plenty of bullets around and, if I learned something from pop culture, it’s the bullet that you don’t hear that gets you. Not to spook you even more, but I’ve read an article of the leading scientist of a virology institute in Germany and he said that every day, 2500 people die in Germany - statistical average. He is currently not convinced that the death rate for 2020 will be markedly different than any other year (certainly, that estimate might not age well, but there’s a hopeful perspective). My take: that this illness is a) something new that b) can be massively impeded by quarantine of all people who can do it is the only difference - that’s why it is such a big topic.

Statistics appear skewed
It seems that around 75% of the cases are somewhere between asymptomatic and mild. This also means that given the current testing regime, the likely dark figure of the current infections around is about 10 to 20 times as high as reported (Source: Dr. Campbell, the YouTube-Nurse, a few days ago). Which, in turn, means that the true rate of severe cases is much lower than 15% and the true mortality rate is far below 1%. Of course, it’s still a serious pandemic, no-one is taking this lightly, but the key problem shifts in most cases from not contracting to not spreading to others. I am saying that as a fellow asthma case, albeit allergic - don’t know how this translates.

Immune system FTW
Finally, it was weird to re-learn washing hands at 38, but hey - you never stop learning. Back to the immune system: I knew very little about it (or rather only scantly remembered it from school) and learned much from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJqSdmNNwW4 Turns out: it’s a pretty excellent system - to point out the obvious. But seriously: learning more about how the immune system and the functions of a fever helped me to feel a bit more at ease as well as a bit more inclined to help my body have the best possible conditions. While it turns out you cannot boost you immune system, you can at least try to avoid hurting it. Key things include a) enough sleep and b) decrease of stress. Of course, they are related. b) can be helped by

All of those ideas are excellent. I am going neither route - my route is the route of cookies. I believe in vitamin C and if that’s my current soul food, it shall be in my proximity. Whatever helps. Maybe I meditate on cookies one day. :slight_smile: Certainly, I’ve turned off the TV. No news there, anyways.

A little less of “today”
For myself, I have found a wonderful way of zoning out: old original videos, documentaries from the 1960s and 1970s on YouTube. I might watch a documentation of the old craftsmanship of a coal-maker, a wagoner, and my personal favourite: the hand production of a large, 10 foot grindstone. I know it sounds weird, but if you want to watch something eerily calming, watch how some people from the sixties use pick-axes to produce a grind stone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20zSx5SE3wE Certainly and sadly, it’s in German - but I am convinced that there are just as calming videos of a simpler time in English. “Today” is sometimes just a little bit too much. Having a bit less of “today” in our lives might help. On catastrophe at a time, please.

From one asthmatic to another: elbow-bump! None of the above might help in the thick of it. All of it is intended to alleviate some of the stress. Hope you feel a bit better, soon!

10 Likes

I expect a lot of kids born in December. :sunglasses:
Which actually sounds like a really good thing. Ha!

2 Likes

Hmm
I have autoimmune disease and lung disease
I have been self isolated in my house for 8 weeks because of my condition and my wife works as a pharmacist assistant so the stress is real.
But because of my condition I am at peace with my mortality. With my disease I am sick more often than not. It is hard to avoid no matter how hard you try. What will happen will happen so live your life spend time with the loved ones that you can. Follow the guidelines and you should be safe.
I was just hoping to share a bagel with @Leo;)
Stay safe all

7 Likes

Sorry to hear of your problems. Hope you get to have that bagel one day.

5 Likes

Thank you
Stay safe❤️
Definitely scary times

6 Likes

Monkman007 thinking of you during this time…saying a prayer

3 Likes

Thank you
I wish nothing but the best for this community
Stay strong everyone

4 Likes

I am happy. Finally my office is closed to the public. I only have to be around 4 coworkers now :slight_smile:

10 Likes

On the note of stress, has anyone used either Betterhelp or Talkspace?

1 Like

For work related stress, headspace has helped me before.

1 Like

A little anxiety here. I work in a school which has yet to close down.

On the upside I live in a wonderful place in the mountains on the edge of Melbourne and my view is of the forest from my office window - it helps a lot. Walking in the quiet forest and photography I think will be my therapy.

6 Likes

It’s interesting - If I could stay home, no anxiety or personal worrying at all. Just boredom… :slight_smile: But, have to return to work tomorrow :frowning:

2 Likes

I turn to humor! Whenever I start feeling stressed I look for funny memes to share, silly jokes, old comedies…and I love YouTube for ability to watch old comedian stand up acts!

Best joke about Covid is…a pandemic that does not have diarrhea as a symptom so we but up all the toilet paper. If the next pandemic does cause diarrhea, we’ll probably buy up all the nose spray.

For those that did do some TP hoarding…a storage solution…

image

Your welcome! :joy::joy::joy:

4 Likes