Feeling really low

We are all at the moment going up and down on a rollercoaster.Its natural don't be to hard on yourself

Here in France we've just had the first week of déconfinement
but quite honestly it has'nt changed much at all for me.
The shops are open , nobody is in them shopping though , some schools are open but the workforce is not fully back and the roads are busier but not normal.
Yes its lovely to leave the house without the dreaded 'papier
but 'normal activity ' is still not possible. Maybe when the bars and cafés are open it will feel better , I hope so because I'm still having 'wobbly days' feel tearfull and still don't get close to my DGC .

I noticed that last week was the limit for many people and they had begun to be depressed and were inclined to scapegoat and quarrell. Techiness became rife. A friend of 40 years' standing manufactured an excuse to row and cast us off. (Asked for our house in Devon and, when we said a yes only conditional on travel and second homes being permissable, had a hissy fir and withdrew contact.)

If anything this week is worse, not made better by the amazing weather which puts a spotlight on the very real social, personal, emotional, economic and political deprivations we are all suffering.

I think people are being driven beyond endurance. But things will get better. Life has its ups and downs.

Hissy fit, nor fir!

Really sorry you are struggling like this Lizbethann55. I had a bad week last week. Due to health condition I haven’t been out the door since mid March and just wanted things to be ‘back to normal’. Impossible I know! This is now normal....
I do feel better a bit better this week and trying to accept that it is what it is.

Yes, I have also feeling a bit blue the last few days. We are nearly in June and I haven’t seen my son, his partner and 4-year old granddaughter since early March. I haven’t seen my daughter since 1st March. My other son is at home with me and OH. He had been living in Paris last year but everything hit the fan so he came home to regroup. Just as things were looking up and he was planning to move to London, lockdown happened. I zoom my granddaughter a couple of times a week and read her stories. We also zoom celebrated her birthday and mine. This Friday two of my children celebrate their birthday (no, they are not twins) so we will be zooming that.

But none of this is the same as meeting in person. The two with the shared birthday live in London. We live 60 miles away, which is too far to drive up and go for a socially distanced walk.

Even if the government hadn’t got it wrong during the first couple of weeks of this pandemic, I don’t think it would have made much difference in the grand scheme of things. I watch other countries who are now coming out of lockdown and just hoping.

So, I am feeling low at the moment. I usually do a multitude of interesting things, outside of my house. Some will still be there, some won’t.

Liz46 that is a good idea. I was watching In for a Penny with Stephen Mulhern and at times it's so funny that I just roar with laughter. A daily dose of laughter.

I thought the lockdown would just be like a normal day as due to walking problems not go far anyway but I long to go somewhere ,but find even a drive to get tablets i just want to get home . As I go towards front door feel like not want to go out (just in case ) germs about getting so worried about everything around knowing we got a long time and a long way to go . Glad I not keep a lot of booze here think I could turn to drink (joke ) at least for DH here . Keep smiling it can only get better .

Yes like you I have my secret thoughts of doom and gloom but the next day the sky is so blue the birds are singing their hearts out and the sun is warm on my face .My friend will never see this again she is buried tomorrow and how she would love to be here to relish such simple pleasures of our beautiful world.So Lisbeth you are not alone with these thoughts but accept that these days will happen then move on and look and find the treasures and beauty that will bring you joy .Keep Smiling

Hi Lizbethann
I hope it helps that so many of us feel the same. The situation can be really frightening. I have spent a lot of time feeling exactly like you. The only advice I can give is try really hard to just look to the end of the day and not further into the future. Nobody yet knows how and when this will end - it could be long or short. We will gradually start going back into some kind of life and I believe we will have to take risks if we want to do that.
It’s better when the weather is nice eh? And today the sun is shining ?
Hang on in there. X
And if you could tell me what all the abbreviations are which I’ve never understood! E.g, DH etc
Thanks

Albertina Yes would I lie to you is another funny program.

As can be seen from the responses here you are by no means alone. One thing that I find helps is to ration the news. There's only so much they can say and just because they are broadcasting 24/7 doesn't mean that you have to. I am keeping up to date and then getting on with things. I have also enrolled on a short course online which I am finding interesting. Great to be absorbed in something.

Same here was reasonably fine until end of week seven (8 for us) now I have done most of the things round the house I wanted to do. Have started writing some family history but finding it hard to concentrate. I think I have overdone my physio exercises and am now in pain and not sure what it is. Like katyj I have a SIL and GS with type 1 diabetes, I can recognise anxiety when I see it! I think a day out in the sun is probably called for. Days just drift by.

Retirement is such a huge change without all the added extras we have at present, just try to think none of this normal.

Hope you have a better day today - it’s a tough time mentally at the moment, I think everyone has days that they suffer. I heard someone on tv describe it as the Corona Coaster (roller coaster). Up some days down others.....it’s not unexpected. Try and do whatever you can that makes you feel good, meditate, garden, read a good book and be kind to yourself. In our age bracket it’s easy to fear for our children and their children but through history others have been the same (albeit with different issues) ?

Alexa it’s nothing to do with health It’s not practical stuff it’s ‘the situation‘
I totally relate lizbethann I seem to have an up day and a down day I m not depressed I m not in black moods I m relating entirely to the situation and my lack of useful ‘outside the home’ things I would normally be doing and the thought that ‘this is as exciting as it’s going to get for the rest of my life’ horrifies me
I too am lucky but the longer it goes on the lazier I feel and the less I want to do, my motivation is slowly eroding don’t get me wrong I m aware and make myself Do stuff but doing things should be something to jump at not have to make yourself do
morethan2 I relate to your good news stuff too how awful that i m totally irritated beyond belief by the feel good folk oh I m loving the baking the kids at home blah blah blah I would normally be applauding them
I am very worried for my late teens Grandkids
I m not expecting a vaccine not in the foreseeable future anyway, but I am expecting a huge recession and the thought of the young generation having to fight poverty as well as loss of jobs university life and free and easy travel for their generation fills me with a horrible foreboding I have seven grandkids two are ok with careers already established one has redundancy hanging over their head three are all in the sixth form/university bracket, one coming up to O levels What’s their future hold

I am off out for a walk round the lanes. It’s the best antidote to combating my feelings of depression. I have children who are young and Doctors on the frontline and they Appear quite cheerful and positive despite what they are experiencing.
So chin up and do something positive such as cleaning out a cupboard. Etc.
Try not to spend your last few years wallowing as it’s a waste of being alive,

I was chirper until last week even telling people to keep their chin up when similar thoughts to yours knocked me for 6. It’s horrible isn’t it, the sense of futility.I was like it for several days, even off my food. Then I called a couple of friends and after some long chats started to feel a bit better having had something else to think about, so do speak to any friends out there as well as us. I’m trying not to even start thinking bad thoughts again as they escalate so quickly. I see it is Mental Awareness Week and you there are lots of helpful tips for coping.

Hello
I am a bit of a novice writing on here, bare with. Bare with a favourite catchphrase of Miranda Hart who always makes me laugh.
I am fortunate I am on the other side of feeling low. Everything is only temporary things will change. I find nature a great solution to feeling down, I enjoy gardening as a hobby.
I do believe good nutrition is essential for good mood. My Dr prescribed me Vitamin D and I believe this contributes to my happiness. I am lucky in other areas of my life too, I remarried 5 years ago after a 30yr marriage to someone who destroyed my soul, so I have climbed back up. Occasionally I feel sad and it’s okay to cry but I say the future is bright. Take care everyone. Have a great day. X

I feel the same, the last few days it has really got to me. DH and I both retired a couple of years ago and were really enjoying ourselves, having moved to a new city. We had also planned several lovely holidays for this year.

Then, just before lockdown, he was diagnosed with an incurable and advanced cancer. At least we were fortunate in that he had brilliant and fast service from the NHS, who carried out a battery of tests in a very short period of time. He went from consulting his GP to starting chemotherapy in just over six weeks. The NHS target for carrying out the endoscopy alone is normally six weeks (which they often don't meet) and, of course, if he had presented a few weeks later he would not have been diagnosed at all.

The thing is that DH is being so brave and determined - he walks about seven miles a day, sometimes more, a combination of a very early walk outdoors and circuits of the garden. He is walking round now and it breaks my heart to see him. He then goes on his rowing machine for about 25 minutes. He is keeping himself as fit as possible and having a determined mental attitude, as those are the only things he can do - apart from taking the treatment and eating as well as possible.The chemo is not shrinking the tumours but they are not getting any bigger.

This was not how I imagined spending our time together, especially if it is limited. The whole scenario is like some awful nightmare. I even do social distancing and wear my mask in my dreams .

But - we are together and DD is with us, along with our dogs and her cat - we have a garden and the roses are coming out. We have books and music and plenty to eat and drink. I usually wake up weepy and feel better as the day wears on.

I agree with all of the above. Separating from my husband of 32 years last summer and now living (peacefully) by myself but within walking distance of 3 out of 4 children. Such a blessing those driveway chats. Back to work full time on the 1st is daunting given I have underlying asthma but has to be done. I’m just VERY grateful that I’ve been able to work from home for 9 weeks and that I don’t live in a country where they are queuing for water from a communal tap - one side of the road for everyone without virus symptoms And the other side for those with the virus!

Well glad someone else is feeling like this. I am normally so positive and upbeat and feel ashamed of myself when I feel flat and down and life is passing me by when people are in hospital with this awful virus. Beginning to feel time isn't on my side to be honest.

Heard of so many people feeling like this, a friend told me she 'phoned her neighbour who was sobbing as she kept losing things and saying she was going potty being inside for 8 weeks, another friend said he thought he was losing the plot not going out.

So common reaction from people and thankfully we have this site to share our feelings and know we are not alone.

The sun is shining, I have a garden, family to chat to, food in the cupboard, fresh clean water and the birds are singing and going to go for a cycle ride. That is my pet talk for the day. My very good wishes to everyone here.

I went out yesterday to collect weekly shopping. No car and the bus service at the moment......only 1 bus every 2 hours in each direction. Not an easy trip out.
I will admit I was pretty down when I left home but lots of us feel that way right now but what finally (first time since lockdown) made me upset and I shed a few tears was the attitude from a member of staff at Tesco. It wasnt what she said but the way she said it. Maybe I was being over sensitive but her choice of issuing her orders was out of order.
Oh well today is another day......

BlueBelle you may be right it's nothing to do with health. however it is not too difficult to get health reasons out of the way and clear the decks for dealing with reactive sorrow and depression.

Hello Lizbethann55 I’m usually the optimist in our family but felt exactly like you on Sunday. I think it was brought on by my sister and her family popping round and standing on our driveway for a chat and I couldn’t invite them in! For some reason I felt dreadful about it!!! Even though I know it’s the rules!

It's ok to feel "not ok"! I also have these wobbles, as I call them but I console myself by giving thanks that I woke up this morning, thousands didn't!

So, a proverbial kick in the pants and I get on with it!

Yes, I have aches and pains; yes I often feel down; but I accept there's ALWAYS someone worse off.