Better To be Going Through It – Than Stuck In It – Coping Through Lockdown/COVID
I was asked how I was feeling following my operation and came out with the line…
I’m really going through it right now, but I’d rather be going through it, than stuck in it.
And that got me thinking of what the country and indeed the world are going through right now. The rise in mental illness has been spoken about on the news, has is the rise in people feeling isolated and alone. It isn’t easy, only a fool would say it is and let’s be honest, most people these days aren’t being used to being put out. That is a good thing, we have evolved so everything is there at a touch of a button, the world is a smaller place as travel has progressed and we don’t even have to wait for the seasons to get the food we love anymore.
Now?
Well, things are on hold, we are having to wait, we are being put out.
It isn’t ideal. But it will, as I said right at the start, end up a mere blink of the eye when you look back at your life and the time affected by the pandemic. I know, because I lost over 10 years following my first brain operation in 1994, and really, the black hole was so much longer than that, as I talk about in FEAR CONQUERS ALL, I had to totally re-build from a real low. Do I look back and dwell now? I really don’t, apart from writing a book on it all – mea culpa – but to be fair, that was written as a positive book to show you can get over even the worst of events.
So yes, we are going through it. But the salient point is going through it, getting through it, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The bad times always end, when they do, the good times feel so much better.
Vaccines are only a matter of months away, and the results at the moment look stunning (see the tweet at the bottom that explains quite nicely how they have done this so quickly when usually vaccines/medications take 10 years or more, if you click it you get his whole thread on the subject) and some pandemics apparently burn themselves out (you’ll have to do your own google searches) and some hope the Coronavirus will do this, helped no doubt by vaccines, social distancing and everything else we are all trying (well, not all, some berks….no, no, that is another blog and an angry one, I’ll step away from that line of thought and focus on the majority). This is just one hopeful article www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness There are others that say they don’t, I’m not being flippant, but might as well live in hope that if we don’t sort it, it will sort itself out. I did watch a Newsnight segment saying these viruses often mutate and actually become weaker.
More on vaccines. I'm going to get boring and geeky on this (no apologies) on the 10 year thing. Vaccines "normally take 10 years". This is being use as a reason to be fearful (ie rushed job). I'm a clinical trials doc. I can tell you most of that time is spent doing…1/n
— Mark Toshner (@mark_toshner) November 17, 2020
I wrote seven months ago that maybe the (1st) lockdown would give people time to pause for thought. Surely that would be the most useful way to spend this time? And for planning on how you are going to catch up on life when this is all over?
For me, my plan during 2020, on semi-retirement, was to spend more time in nature, I joined the The Woodland Trust and was going to go exploring. Best laid plans and all that, I ended up with an almighty brain ache flair up and had a 14th operation. The plan is still there though and even during my time in Barcelona, where I had to go for the operation, I took time to go and stand by (ok, ok, I hugged) a few trees and watched the birds… in the trees, please get your minds out of the gutter people!
People, this won’t last for ever. We will get through it. Bunker down during winter, plan for a great new year and keep smiling. And if you can’t smile, shout out to those around you and let them know you are struggling. You are never alone.
Never forget you're not alone. You are not the only one. Just shout out for help, if you can't shout, whisper, someone will hear you. I was nearly over many moons ago. Most desperate actions taken. I survived, fought back and then some. Every day is victory #WorldMentalHealthDay pic.twitter.com/cHpHkpqBdV
— The Fear (@FearConquers) October 10, 2020
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And of course, you can always spend some of your time reading my books, Fear Conquers All and I’ve Got A Little Black Book With My Poems In. And reading my blogs on this site!
I will, at some stage, do a blog on my latest operation, as many people have very kindly asked how it went and how I am getting on.
