LIFE IN LOCK DOWN - MENTAL HEALTH

Just wondering how you all feel about your mental health in these days of lock down? Mental health seems to be the 'in thing' these days. And by that I mean that since the 1^st & 2^nd World Wars, (when mental health was never, ever an issue, or at least never an issue that was talked about publicly), in today's world, mental health seems to be as important, if not more so, than physical health.

And let me just be clear here. I think that one's mental health is really important. However, I can't help thinking that sometimes 'mental health' issues are just an excuse to allow people to do whatever they want.

During these times of lock down and isolation we're all experiencing feelings that I don't think any of us ever expected to experience in the whole of our lives. (Except for Dominic Cummings of course, who seems to think that he is above the whole lock down and isolation thing. I cannot believe how that slimy little snake thinks that he can do what he wants. Anyway this rant is not about him. I don't even want to give him the time of day.)

Mental health in the UK was a HUGE issue even before lock down started. But now it seems to have multiplied enormously. It's almost like the physical health of the nation has been pushed to one side and the mental health of everybody is more important. Statistics have shown that in the last couple of months the admissions to A&E and to GPs have fallen drastically. I don't know the exact statistics because I haven't bothered to research them and as this is my blog and I'm only writing from my point of view, I don't really feel I need to.

This is not a 'factual' blog. It's a, 'my blog from my point of view', type blog. I'm not looking to make a load of money out of it or attract a load of followers. I'm just trying to record stuff that I feel is worth writing about during my life in lock down. I think it helps my mental health to write stuff down or to have a rant every now and again.

I've googled, 'what is the definition of mental health' and the reply that popped up is: 'a persons condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well being'. Hmmmm............. well that covers a multiple of sins doesn't it?

I personally feel that people's mental health is somehow taking precedence over their physical health, so much so that the TV is now full of adverts urging people to go to hospital or their GP if they have a physical ailment. It would seem that people are too scared to go to their doctor or hospital through fear of catching Coronavirus or fear of being a burden on the NHS because they fear that their ailment may not be important. This lack of visiting a doctor appears to have got so bad that now the latest slogan is; 'if it's urgent, it's urgent.'

Not so with people's mental health. I don't know about you but my Face Book page is full of posts saying that just because a person seems to look OK on the outside, doesn't mean to say that they are not suffering on the inside. There's all sorts of posts popping up about why it may be 'essential' for someone to go out and buy some plants or a tin of paint. Or go out to get a takeaway or a coffee.

And there's loads of stuff popping up saying how lonely and depressed and isolated people are becoming. Apparently suicidal thoughts and self harming are on the increase. Coronavirus is being compared to life during the war. Which in one way it is, but in another it isn't. During the war, mental health (although obviously an issue) was never, ever discussed. It was just swept under the carpet and the soldiers returning from the battlefields with post traumatic stress disorder weren't really given any support. And as for the families that they left behind....................... having to cope home alone with no knowledge of what their husbands/fathers/brothers/sons were experiencing......................... well they just didn't know. They just had to maintain a stiff upper lip and get on with it.

Today we all have to be mindful about other people's feelings and understand that mental health is as important as physical health. Whilst I appreciate all this, I can't help feeling that mental health is being used as an 'excuse' for a whole host of 'rule breaking' during lock down. As far as I'm concerned; we're in lock down. And even though we're now coming out of lock down there shouldn't really be any exceptions to the rules. People shouldn't really be breaking the rules for any reason. Mental health or do. The rules have been made for the good of the nation and as such we should all follow them to the very best of our ability. None of us should be making excuses to go out more than is absolutely essential or to visit relatives/friends because our mental health is at risk. If people can put their 'physical health' on the back burner for a while then surely one should be able to do the same with their mental health.

I have to admit all of this is very hard for me to understand. But that's probably because I grew up in an environment where one didn't talk about one's feelings. I guess that's because I grew up in the aftermath of World War 2 when everybody just had to assume a 'stiff upper lip' and 'get on with it'. As children/teenagers we were never allowed to outwardly show any signs of weakness or insecurity or anxiety, because that would reflect on the family as a whole and how we had been brought up. In the 1960/70s any form of mental health was seen as a real weakness that brought disgrace upon the family. I remember in my late teens going through a very traumatic experience. When my parents found out about it, it was almost like, if it wasn't discussed then it hadn't happened. As far as my parents were concerned it was a subject that I was banned from telling anyone about, because if it had it been openly discussed, in my fathers words, 'the police will get involved and then all the neighbours will know.' I don't blame my parents for this. It was just the way things were back then. And I have to admit this outlook on life only served to make me tougher, and in more than 40 years since this incident, I have always just got on with things by myself and learnt to deal with things by myself.

These days though, everybody seems to think that they're a victim. You get bullied at school/work/on-line; you're a victim. To me everyone's been bullied at some point in their life. Get over it.

An ex-boyfriend or someone else is stalking you; you're a victim. Get over it.

And at this point I will actually say that I had a new bathroom fitted in my house 3 years ago and one of the plumbers started 'on-line stalking' me. Yes me, a middle aged woman. Ie, he started sending me 'inappropriate' texts & messages. I just ignored them and didn't respond to any of them. Why would I? I thought he'd gone away because I hadn't had any communication from him for over a year, but then 3 days ago I received another one asking how I was??? Obviously like all the others I ignored it. I'm not interested in him so why would I even respond to any of his messages. Unfortunately I fear that had I been a teenage girl, I would have answered when he asked, 'If you want me to stop contacting you just let me know and you'll never hear from me again.' As a middle aged woman I just ignored that message as well. As far as I'm concerned if you don't want to communicate with people then don't communicate with them under any circumstances.

I don't feel traumatised by this experience. It's annoying, yes, especially as it's been going on for more than 3 years now. But do I feel like I need counselling to get over it? No I don't. I personally feel that growing up in the 1960/70s has taught me to be resilient and just look after myself. Mental Health wasn't an issue then and it's not an issue for me now.

Oh and just to finish........................ a friends car was broken into overnight a couple of weeks ago. She phoned the police to report it, mainly I think to get a crime reference number for insurance purposes; and was asked if she would like counselling. Seriously??!! Counselling because someone has smashed a window in your car?

#theworldhasgonemad

See you all tomorrow.

Toodles.