Covid-19 Community Support and Mental Wellness Thread

a reply to: ketsuko

Young love is such a mighty and beautiful thing! I think I'll avoid walking in it for now. I don't want to break a hip.

a reply to: Hefficide

Heffie!!!

a reply to: Starwise

Hello you!

Glad to see you post!!! Your post made me log in!! Its been a while for me since I often do not feel as though I belong on ATS anymore because of the political crap....BUT this is what ATS should be about!

I am totally stressed the heck out! Since I am a nurse (retired now) I AM VERY CONCERNED about this virus, but get very saddened by how many people are calling it fake or a hoax or just a part of the 201 exercise. I have had offers from the Air Force and Marines to re-enlist to help!!!! This is NO JOKE!!!!! I wish people would just isolate for 2 weeks to SLOWWWWW this down. I dont care what conspiracy is out there about it....if I wake up one day and we are in a cashless society for example, I DONT CARE as long as I dont get sick because I AM high risk and have a child who has a heart condition.....All I want to do is LIVE for my kids and make sure my kids can LIVE!!!

All these millennials at spring break on the beaches in Florida have sickened me with their ignorance and don't give a crud attitude because they just want to party!! I want to smack every one of them selfish kids who just dont get it....of course you see now how the White House administration has done an about face and now telling everyone to distance themselves for 15 days........IF YOU CAN, DO IT!!!!!!! There is such a thing as facetime and duo for those who still want to see friends. Out of ALL the generations the Millenniasl and Gen Z should be able to handle this no problem!!!!

a reply to: Starwise

Hiya, I'm very stressed out too. And I'm going to lose my job. I've got senior parents who don't take this seriously and are not in good health, yet still living on their own.

I've had a baaaad feeling about this since way back in early January and I have been telling people to take it seriously since that time. No one believed me.

When I think about how a week ago the economy was great and people had jobs and now a week later, we are looking at a 20% unemployment rate I feel sick!!!

To top it off, I work for a small business who in good times doesn't GAF about me. They sure as hell don't care now.

OH yah, and millenials are stupid. I was stupid at that age too. But I really don't know if I was ever as stupid as this generation. Stupid and selfish.

Making jokes about "boomer remover". The day will come, in a blink of an eye, when they will be over 40 and I hope they remember what entitled spoiled rotten little brats they were.

I care about you both, for whatever it's worth. I know it sounds silly, but I love to see your avatars. It reminds me that there is a world outside of my head.

originally posted by: 0zzymand0s
I care about you both, for whatever it's worth. I know it sounds silly, but I love to see your avatars. It reminds me that there is a world outside of my head.

I don't even have an avatar

You've been a lot nicer lately, Ozzy....

I think becoming a deplorable has been good for you

a reply to: toolgal462

Your name is good enough and thanks! I think I want to be even nicer to be honest. I am trying to stay off the other threads. Fighting with people is bad for my health right now.

originally posted by: 0zzymand0s
a reply to: toolgal462

Your name is good enough and thanks! I think I want to be even nicer to be honest. I am trying to stay off the other threads. Fighting with people is bad for my health right now.

Yah, it's why I left fartbook a year ago. I can't even imagine how toxic it must be now.

That stupid argument about "Socialism" is already played out, imo. But you gave me the best laugh of the day yesterday in that thread! I hope that comment wasn't removed.

It's funny. Some of the nicest people I have talked to on ATS have been deplorable/deplorable friendly. Just a year ago I would have been incensed by people/things that I agree with whole-heartedly now. And for no good reason at all. I was so angry until I popped.

I'm not saying the left-leaning members of this site are bad people. I just never imagined how utterly human and full of joy/humor/kindness my former ideological "enemies" actually are. It has brought me great joy, to be perfectly honest.

Thank you for talking to me!

That stupid argument about "Socialism" is already played out, imo. But you gave me the best laugh of the day yesterday in that thread! I hope that comment wasn't removed.

I recall the incident but not the specific verbiage. I am glad it made you laugh but I hope I didn't raise that guy's blood pressure too much. I'm sure he's an awesome person and it was just a message board "fight" (it doesn't matter, the people do).

originally posted by: dogstar23
a reply to: Hefficide

Thank you for this post, Heff. For all to whom it helps. I truly appreciate what you, and other contributors to these types of threads do for our little community.

I know and love several people who suffer with mental health issues tovarying degrees. It took me a long time to understand it, and longer to realize that we all have SOME degree, even if its just at certain times, of mental health issues we deal with.

For me, this is one of those times. I'm finding myself really "checking" myself, as my thoufhts have tried to run toward worry, anxiety, panic. I've always handled everything life has thrown at me really well. I'm the "rock" for many people in my life in times of crisis.

This time, its the economic doom that's getting to me. I've absorbed many hits over the past 20 years, and weathered them well. But this time, I was finally coming out of digging out from a massive hit we took, financially, about 5 years back. We pushed through it, but exhausted everything in the process. I'm looking at a 95% reduction in pay until things get back to normal. What little I have remaining will keep us housed, utilities on and keep up the shortfall in health insurance for the family that my pay will no longer cover. This will hold out until the end of April. At that time, I will have to cease paying rent and utilities, and whatever food we have remaining will have to hold us over until income returns. However long we can hang on while our ability to obtain housing in the future is destroyed is how long we will have until my family, with two young children, will be homeless.

I had scrimped and saved for years, but one financial hit after another over the years has left me with no safety net remaining. Unfortunately, the money I had paid into health insurance turned out to be far more damaging than anything. I could have instead used that money over the past 5 years to pay out of pocket and have a 6 month safety net remaining. Instead, $80k down the toilet in 5 years. I'm doing my best not to panic - and if I had just had another year to build savings, I could weather 4-6 months. Hoping to God this comes to a close quickly.

Hopefully, it will not even come to that - but if it should, I think Trump mentioned that yesterday (?) that they would put into place the laws/forego all due payments (rent, mortgage, utilities, etc) until this is over. So don't worry about. Everyone would be in the same boat really so it makes sense that it could happen. As far as money or the future...I would try as good as you can not to worry. At some point in time, this will all be a memory and we will pick up and start over. The most important thing we can have is (to me - a belief in God and His Word), our health, and our family/a good friend.

originally posted by: 0zzymand0s
It's funny. Some of the nicest people I have talked to on ATS have been deplorable/deplorable friendly. Just a year ago I would have been incensed by people/things that I agree with whole-heartedly now. And for no good reason at all. I was so angry until I popped.

I'm not saying the left-leaning members of this site are bad people. I just never imagined how utterly human and full of joy/humor/kindness my former ideological "enemies" actually are. It has brought me great joy, to be perfectly honest.

Thank you for talking to me!

I consider myself to be pretty liberal leaning, certainly not "left" but definitely classical liberal and it's the Left leaning peeps I get crucified by simply for not hating this President.

My nieces and nephew speaking of millenials are the worst. They are truly, rotten, snotty, know nothing, brats!

Making stupid "ok boomer" comments and rolling their eyes when I dare try to educate them. You know, my niece whose degree is in Art thinks she is so much smarter than me.

and I aint a damn boomer, I'm genex but she does it to be insulting.

the comment was something about swallowing it's own load. I really laughed out loud for a while

And no, the other guy isn't bad, he is often quite funny!!!

We are family here aren't we? We fight, and sometimes we are also nice to one another as well.

a reply to: Starwise

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but thanks to my unique issues, specifically how my anxiety works, my fight/flight is kind of inverted.

When things are business as usual and my world is OK - I really struggle. I'm petrified and in an panic at all times and over nothing ( or anything and everything ). The slightest thing can and sometimes does put me down and out of commission for days.

But come a crisis, let the proverbial house be set on fire? Let everyone around me go into panic and - suddenly I'm fine again. I'm calm, relaxed, thinking clearly ( or as clearly as I can at least ) and good to go.

Which means I am currently healthier than I've been in 20 years.

Of course the second that somebody else posts the inevitable "ATS - WE BEAT COVID! NO NEW CASES!" All y'all will break out the bubbly, storm the streets and start with making some Covid babies. A global party the likes of which we haven't seen since the Autumn of 1945.

I'll likely be fetal balled in the back of a closet on that day - but for now I'm doing well.

All that, things you ( specifically you and a few others ) already know, being said so that I can add... You know how to reach me here and elsewhere. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate. If I can help, I will.


Miss ya, love ya, take care of those kids and if anything in this world tries to mess with any of y'all... Kick it in the no-go zone!

ETA: I just reread this and apologize for it being so rambly. The stomach bug I had yesterday messed up my sleep schedule and I slept way too late today... IE even though it's 3:30 PM I'm just now getting some caffeine in my body and am still fuzzy.

a reply to: Hefficide

You've always been a rock around here as far as I can remember. I admire you. I am a little jealous of your ability to function well under pressure. I was like that my whole life and now my emotions are all over the place.

I think it's a product of my meds and the unique spot I find myself in as I work through the initial stages of EMDR for PTSD. For the last nine weeks, we have been closely and clearly identifying specific moments and issues that need to be reprocessed later when we get to that phase. I just wish I was before this stage or after it right now.

I just have to remember to breathe.

We are family here aren't we? We fight, and sometimes we are also nice to one another as well.

I'm not sure what we are. This kind of thing is similar to the old town square or tavern but also very different. I just know I can't quit you guys. You keep me "ok." (probably not sane, lol)

a reply to: Hefficide


My ptsd is starting to mess with me a little. I just left my surgeon’s office for a follow up visit for my surgery two weeks ago. Everything is fine with me; but now I’m worried about my surgeon.

He told me they only have one bottle of hand sanitizer left; with no more coming for the unforeseen future. I will have to try and hunt some down and mail it to him.

Please spread the word, please don’t horde medically necessary items.


Thank god for this place.

Guys ... we will get through this. No one responds well to having a their days uprooted, but it will pass and we will make it.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: Hefficide

as the R.E.M song goes 'it's the end of the world as we know it, and i feel coronavirus' okay i'll try again, as Survivor once sung 'it's the eye of the tiger it's the thrill of the coronavirus' dammit third times a charm 'smoke on the coronavirus'-okay i give up.

LOL! Thanks.

I am so disappointed in the leadership of my world. A coworker has been having symptoms and coming to work. Leadership knew. Now  she is being tested, results aren't back yet but is leadership being proactive? No. Moving us out and deep cleaning ordered? No. There heads are in the sand. They can't make decisions. They are paralyzed because they are not true leaders, only humans that feel entitled. Now my entire work world is going to get sick...including me. I am so mad!

I don't even have a moment to feel sad for the coworker that's sick. Just the reprecauttion of it.