Anyone else scared

Grannieiggle. Yes I was fuming. I see so many young people moping about not knowing what to do; why are people not volunteering. My poor local vicar (who I’m also helping) is inundated, yet no calls from people offering to help her support the vulnerable and elderly. And yes, I do say again, people need to get off their back sides (sorry if the offends), but we need to help each other.

Greymar. I have complex PTSD, asthma and two compromised lungs through blood clots, yet I’m doing voluntary work. Yes people do need to get off their back sides and help others.

dear me some very judgemental replies here, very. " get off their backsides"
Nobody know what each person is carrying.

I don't wish to be rude but if you ( plural) weren't scared I would wonder why.

In a matter of weeks the whole of the world has changed. From the micro to the macro.

@Onelifeletsliveit
Oh dear God! That's appalling. I'd be fuming too if I overheard that.
That sort of machinating - to defraud the rest of us - is exactly what makes our public services summarily dismiss people with this condition.

@Aepgirl
My nerdish observations of the website activities of several supermarkets lead me to wonder whether they are not actually making slots available in some places, but are simply putting up faux 'slots booked' pages.

Grannieiggle. Thanks. I know times are stressful, but it’s just that stress! I have just got so annoyed over this because I heard a discussion in a queue of people waiting to go into my local supermarket. The discussion was along the lines of declaring themselves as having PTSD (which is classified as a disability in this country) to the universal credit process, therefore negating the need for them to have to sign on each week or indeed look for work for evermore. I was beyond disgusted. Unfortunately I think this is exactly what’s going to go on. Yet again my illness is not going to be taken seriously.

........ and yes, personally I am doing my bit for the local vicar through telephone mentoring and volunteering through the local council. People need to get off their back sides and do the same.

@Onelifeletsliveit I certainly agree with you about the way traumatic stress injuries are horrendously ignored. Thank you for sharing a little of your very damaging experience.

Gaga1950. Thanks for your reply. I understand the anxiety, maybe it’s easier for me because I’ve been dealing with it for years (dunno), but people really do have to calm down. We don’t have it too bad here really. In France they have to obtain a permit from the police in order to leave the house AT ALL. People I implore you, just calm down. Most of us have television, the internet for Skype and Zoom so we still can actually see friends and family. We really need to keep focussed, knuckle under and just get on with things. Be thankful that most of us are not on the frontline and crucially exposed. I would also like to encourage people to get out and offer to volunteer locally to their local councils. Maybe doing something constructive to help would take your minds off your own insecurities.

@travelsafar -I completely understand how you feel about going out now. I would be in just the same scared state.

I'm not really sure it's about 'over-reacting'.

The reality is
a) this calamity has come upon us so suddenly with little warning;
b) we know so little about this threatening novel virus;
c) we're all in a state of uncertainty about ...well, just about everything at the moment;
d) the heightened adrenaline which causes knotty tummies and so much more is normal when facing a threat;
e) our gvt seems to be exhibiting copious signs of 'British Bumble' which doesn't exactly convey much reassurance!

I could probably add several more!

I guess my tack is to accept how scared I feel, and do as much as I can of whatever it is that makes me feel more comfortable.

Very well said Onelifeletsliveit we all need to stop feeding each other’s anxiety. If you play by the rules - stay out of harms way - wash when you get home and be thoughtful and kind to those around you life will be what it is. The statistics give a general outline of numbers, but how many of those would have died anyway. Yes it’s dark days just now - but better things will come - they always do.

I mean this in the kindest way possible, but I do honestly think people need to get a grip. This is just the start of possibly a very long time of self isolation and social distancing. I’ve suffered from complex post traumatic stress from sexual abuse as a child (ages 5-15) and suffer from extreme anxiety, trauma flashbacks, horrific dreams from the trauma itself, not to mention a host of other symptoms. All my life I’ve been ignored and dismissed and told “just get over it” by helpful friends and family. Personally I wonder finally will people actually start to become more sympathetic to those of us with real life trauma as a result of this crisis. I’ve heard lots of conversations locally saying “oh I’ve got PTSD”, let me assure you, this is not PTSD, it’s just anxiety. The virus will pass eventually and life will settle. My one true hope is that people will now become kinder to those of us in the community with quite often disabling trauma issues. Comparatively this is nothing. I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, but if I can still manage to leave my house and get groceries with my huge affliction, then can so can all of you.

I've posted before about not being worried. Most people will be only mildly affected with the virus. There are exceptions but most of those who have died had underlying medical conditions with limited life expectancy. Some have died with Corvid-19 but not of Corvid-19.

I'm early 70s, in good health, no health issues, well within my weight range. I entirely agree that those who are vulnerable should avoid going out.

I shop three times a week as I can carry only a certain amount in my shopping trolley (no car). Long walk in the country most afternoons, keep working out on Google maps how far I've walked. 5.6 miles yesterday. 3.4 today. DDs more worried than I am and keep trying to stop me going out. Exercise if you can manage it is important and especially for mental health.

I'm with you there travelsafar the guilt is amazing and I'm only doing what we're allowed !

I am scared and think it is a logical response to a very frightening situation. As well as getting the virus - and it seems a particularly brutal way to die - I am afraid of anyone in the family having to go to the hospital for other things.

My DD was in hospital last week, having her baby, and we were all worried about it but obviously she had no choice. I have a couple of health conditions that could see me hospitalised. One of them flared up recently and I was terrified that I would have to be admitted. I was afraid of catching the virus but also wondering how much capacity there was for dealing with other illnesses. Fortunately, everything settled down again and I didn't have to go.

Still, could be worse. I read a post by a Florida man who said his local store was packed. No social distancing, everyone pushing and shoving, people coughing, kids running about... He saw one woman, leaning on her trolley, rest her lower lip on the handle whilst she read her phone! A Trump supporter, I presume.

My husband is doing our shopping for us as I have asthma and HBP. On the 17th he is due to give platelets and plasma 13 miles away in Sheffield. He is A- so especially needed. I’m not due to give blood yet but want to go with him to be able to drive home if he feels unwell as has happened once. Normally we go by bus. I will have to park up and wait nearly two hours for him and am worried about being told I can’t do this even though I won’t get out of the car and will simply read my book.

Bluebelle Page 1

I love you!

I'm not particularly scared, though I am almost 83. I have no health problems except damned arthritis which severely limits my mobility. No driving now, but I live opposite a village shop and live mostly from that, only having to stagger across the road. I rather resent the lines of cars outside belonging to people who can go where they will, but descend on "my" shop to clean it out as soon as there are any deliveries. My one real advantage is to be able to see from my window whenever a delivery van arrives. The village has closed down which is sad as I live very close to the excellent library. It is pure fluke that I chose to live right in the centre. I would be pretty helpless if I lived on the outskirts.

I wasn’t scared for myself, my daughter and her partner are paramedics so more concerned about them. However a silly woman kept coming too closely to me in the Waitrose queue today and she informed me that four people from “the sweet shop“ died. No idea what shop but I’d bet/hope it was an k founded rumou.

Travelsafar, I could have written that! However I needed milk and fresh produce so DH and I went to asda this morning. I wasn’t sure if we’d both be allowed in but we were. The store is laid out with floor markings (arrows) showing some aisles going in one direction and some in the other. However it was unbelievable the amount of people who ignored them. And also ignored the 2m rule. I had someone lean over me to pick something off a shelf. I had stood back to allow 2 ditherers to make their mind up over which pack of chicken to buy but not many seemed to bother. The rules that we have now are not difficult and I don’t know whether these people think they are immortal, but their selfishness and stupidity just makes me so angry.

I've been having good days and bad days worrying about family and friends. Have a son and family in Australia who are probably 3 weeks behind us here in UK and not sure how they will manage financially. Shopping was ok last time I went with good system in place but still got people breaking the 2 metre distancing - quite why they couldnt wait for me to move away I'm not sure. Need to go again but have been putting it off.
Enjoying our daily walk around the local golf course but finding it hard to fill the day. Hope everyone stays safe

Tillybelle I am the same, but about my cat. I can’t bear the thought of her being thirsty and then eating me when her biscuits run out. Grim.
I have put a big bowl of biscuits down as well as water and phone or email my stepson just to tell him I am alive every day.
I don’t feel daft for feeling this way now but I did a bit at first.
Shelters are going to be busy for all kinds of reasons due to this virus as well.
?

Not scared, but always alert. I was outside Waitrose well before it opened so that I was in when everything was at its cleanest and I was booted and suited, at least I was wearing both a mask and latex gloves. I noticd many more people dressed similarly this week than last, but we were all over 70 and Waitrose were making very clear than younger people shopping for older people could not us this time slot.

Except for this weekly shop I am not mixing with other people, so feel cautiously confident that while no-one can say they live in a virus free environment. People like us who are obeying the rules meticulously and limiting our time out of the house are as close to risk free as it is possible to be.

That's awful Alioop