Covid-19 Community Support and Mental Wellness Thread

a reply to: Hefficide

Hi Hef! You're an ace!

My name is Chance. I am also a mental health patient. I was groomed and molested at a very early age by my father's "lover" and physically, verbally and emotionally abused by my mother. I like to joke that I started leaving home around the age of five, but it didn't stick until I was within striking distance of my 16th birthday. I had a fantastic boss and mentor at the pizza place I worked at and he knew I wasn't really 18 but let me have the job of assistant manager at one of his stores. He gripped at me to finish my HS Diploma and I did.

Later I was a Hollywood musician during transition period between hair metal and grunge. After that, I settled down, took a job in telecom provisioning and maintenance working on the backbone of what would later become "the internet." I bought houses and made babies.

I have been a working science journalist, tech writer, and frustrated sci-fi author. I even covered the GOP side of the election in 2016 because I "look like one of them."

Several years ago I went through a pretty traumatic divorce, at least from my perspective. I fought for and won custody of my children and my ex-wife and I have settled into a fairly comfortable pattern of co-parenting. Our second and last just turned 18 this year.

Around that time I begin to struggle with my first real episode of major depression. The nightmares and night terrors I have struggled with intermittingly since childhood also flared up and suddenly became a lot more common. 19 months ago I tried to take my own life.

With my GF's help I turned myself into my doctors and threw myself on their mercy. It took over a year to get my meds right and even longer to transition from weekly talk-therapy to EMDR. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and major depression.

My current life is a mixed bag, but I am surrounded by love and support from my entire circle. We play a weekly D&D game with my ex, both kids and their SO's and my son and I co-dm. I don't do a lot of music these days, but I have been writing again, bit by bit, here and there.

My heroes are Philip K. Dick, Mr. Rodgers, and David Bowie. And by "hero" I mean 'people I never met but love anyway on a personal level.' The real heroes of this world are not writers, singers or TV personalities. They are first responders, teachers, soldiers and those who advocate for homeless vets (among many others!).

If anyone here, regardless of how much fun we have making fun of each other's musical tastes or political idealogy needs an ear, I am available. I am a pretty good listener and I try to give back wherever I can.

Best and ML!

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.

a reply to: Hefficide

Respect John

Glad to know some of the old ways are still around

a reply to: neformore

Nef, a huge part of the inspiration for this thread was the example you provided. This is your thing, I'm just the guy running the register on this shift.

Hope you and yours are well and all my best my friend.

I just wanted to says Thanks Heff for the thread.
Because yes, my PTSD is suddenly hitting on all cylinders!

I'm not sure what has triggered it, Again

I guess the Impending Doom that the media is
Screaming About!

Plus, here in my little town in Tennessee,
Several stores shelves are bare!

I was going to stock up groceries on the 20th, (fixed income card)
And now I'm not sure there will be anything to buy.

Thank goodness its just me.
No family depending on me.

Great thread

I haven’t been here much for some years.
This was obviously the first place to come during this chaos. It’s nice to see that some things haven’t changed.
Thanks for opening this up Heff!!

I just feel like every day I wake up to a world I do not recognize.

This is new territory for us all. We walk were we have never walked before and it's impossible to know where this is going.
For those with mental illness it must be overwhelming.
I am sad and worried. Not that I will get sick though I guess that's possible.
No I worry about people not being able to cope and losing it.
I do worry if food chains start to break down.
Empty shelves would terrify me. We were cut off by a hurricane once and deliveries were suspended due to no electricity. They didn't entirely run out but we're very limited to non-perishable food items. I had young kids who needed milk and did not like the powdered stuff. But it was temporary. Most places had power back within a week. We played like We were camping to keep spirits up.
We do not know how long this will go on or if there will be a resurgence in the fall. I've seen figures that suggest over a million dead by next spring.

And it's like bam...so sudden.
It's only been 43 days since the first case here.
When I got up this morning the total cases were 4500 and by midnight it was over 6000.
It's accelerating. Death toll went from 68 this morning to over 100 tonight.

Right now there were TP and paper products off the shelves but there was bread.
Meat, fresh veggies and frozen foods.

Does shelter in place mean the person who drives the delivery truck has to stay home?
What about the people who handle freight at the airports or docks? Do they stay home and leave the imports to rot?
Lots of auestions.
Not many answers.

Hi Heff and everyone else.

Wondering if whilst struggling with COVid-19 would you benefit from some one who has had it and survived because he believes EFT helped him physical and emotional to learn to breathe and oxygenate him.

Early Symptoms of Corona Virus & dealing with the disease.

The technique isn't just for this and has been validate by many others.
If you feel this isn't ok - then Heff Delete this as off topic.

Stay safe

a reply to: Hefficide

I just got laid off along with probably hundreds of thousands of other people.

Im not worried about myself getting sick.

Im worried I cant work. My experience and training is all in one field (restaurants) and as that is now all but banned in my state we are all jobless.

the state unemployment website has been crashing all day since the governor canceled like 400,000 jobs until further notice.

I know Im not the only one going through this.

but I do feel alone.

What can I do?

I have no money coming in. and now any job in any other sector will have hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed people looking for it in my state.

I got the call today.
I got fired once.
this feels much worse.
Being laid off because the state said we can't work.

Now what?

a reply to: Hefficide

edited for TMI

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: Hefficide

I just got laid off along with probably hundreds of thousands of other people.

Im not worried about myself getting sick.

Im worried I cant work. My experience and training is all in one field (restaurants) and as that is now all but banned in my state we are all jobless.

the state unemployment website has been crashing all day since the governor canceled like 400,000 jobs until further notice.

I know Im not the only one going through this.

but I do feel alone.

What can I do?

I have no money coming in. and now any job in any other sector will have hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed people looking for it in my state.

I got the call today.
I got fired once.
this feels much worse.
Being laid off because the state said we can't work.

Now what?

You aren't the only one going through it. There are thousands. Maybe tens or hundreds of thousands. Ohio enacted unique unemployement processing and funds for our restaurant people. I *really* hope yours does the same. Maybe start pushing for that?

My sister was a server. She was so good. And I think of all the great chefs, cooks and new restauranteurs. My heart breaks for you guys.

I think you may have to do something else temporarily, but I would really start pushing your State on this issue. Maybe start organizing so that people in the field can present as a group to demand action. I wonder if a news channel would agree to an interview and put the issue more into the forefront.

I've prepped a fair amount, but was near tears myself while in the store yesterday picking up a couple of odds and ends. Everyone has a vacant, scared look in their eyes and the store was half or more out of stock. This whole situation is very unsettling. Especially when you have others relying on you for information and guidance. I've had to tell several loved ones 'I don't know. I'm sorry.' When they were looking for answers or reassurance.

originally posted by: AmmoniaMudhemp
I just had an unsettling experience in the UK. Local major supermarket, I just wanted some frozen veg (none left) found a head of brocolli and some carrots, but literally everything , I mean everything gone from the shelves. A young woman had a break down and burst into tears, they had to call an ambulance, seemed like a severe panic attack.

Not sure what the background story was, but maybe autistic or some other issues, lets not forget how frightening and confusing this can seem to people in the community who largely depend on things being consistent from day to day.
It was quite heartbreaking, she was really distressed.

a reply to: Hefficide

Thanks for starting the thread. I'm in a very high-risk group and not doing great emotionally given that a hospital nearly killed me in 2005 without a pandemic going on. I would be tempted to start drinking except (a) it just makes things worse and (b) like I need another health problem. Escaping into Fallout 76 and books. I'm going to reread everything I love.

It feels like a death sentence. Based on what Brick said, that we're all going to get it, it's only a matter of time. Death is okay--it's just a letting go. But the suffering before it happens can be very, very bad.

a reply to: drussell41

Escaping into FO76 (yeah, I don't care what anyone says about it) is my current goto grind for reducing tension and positive mood regulation. Hit me up if you are on PC and want a buddy for a bit. Same username as here except without the zero-substitution. Be well and ML!

EDIT: Username is actually Rock-Action. No idea why I thought it was ozzymandos.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Wish I could hook up with you on FO, but I'm on xbox one. I enjoy it more with a partner. My usual guy is in California and gets on way later. You're looking forward to Wastelanders, I assume? We're getting close!

What does ML stand for?

Hi my names Neo.

Life is same as always for me since the Wuflu.

Still get to eat fast food like I want to.

Still watch youtube,movies,TV like I want to.

Still chat on ATS like I want to.

The only thing that the Wuflu's has killed is my brokerage and cryto accounts.

Anyone needing meds early should be able to do one of these several suggestions.
It will help with having a piece of mind to know you are covered and don't have to worry about going out at a scheduled date to get your scripts.

--You can call your doctor and request to be given a new prescription to be filled immediately. Ask for a 90 day supply prescription. If possible the prescription can be tweaked enough that it will be considered a new prescription by simply specifying brand or generic only. Or by calling in a double dose of a pill you can safely cut in half. Or calling in two daily doses but you only take one dose a day.

--Ask your Doctor to call in your prescription to an entirely new pharmacy such as Costco or CVS then pay for the prescription outside your insurance using something like GoodRX or RX Saver.

--Call your insurance company and ask for them to submit an early refill approval at your pharmacy.

During this time Insurance companies are supposed to be making allowances for people to get life saving medications early and in larger quantities.

When all else fails cause a scene at the pharmacy. They may be willing to give you a few extra pills or your pills early.

Good luck and stay healthy.

I'm worried for my senior parents.

Mom losing it since she can't stay out all night spending my dad's pension and house equity on lottery scratch tix.

I'm going to lose my job for real, that's inevitable, so I'm wondering why I should keep trying to come to work at all?

Since I operate a small business that I built and have run for a decade,knowing that owner doesn't GAF that I'll be out of work all he worries about is the loss of his investment. He is wealthy, he will survive the economic hit fine.

Anyway, I got food and tp....and looking forward to nice weather to spend days in my yard and gardening.

a reply to: drussell41

ML = Much love (please take care of yourself and be kind to yourself!)

My usual guy is in Arkansas and is in the middle of moving.

And yes! I am very much looking forward to Wastelanders!

a reply to: Reverbs

First volley of Stimulus checks coming April 6th: www.newsobserver.com...