This whole thing is surreal and I feel like it's a bad dream

[raspberry22]

A bad dream that I will wake up from. I can't quite get my head around what is happening in the world right now with covid19, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from it all soon. My anxiety peaks in the evening and it just feels like this isn't real life anymore.

[Carnation]

It feels very surreal raspberry. I too wake up and think, "is this really happening, did I dream it?"

[Call me Edwin]

Raspberry, it is like a bad dream. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, there are probably millions of us worldwide who feel the same way. It's simply because we are in a totally new situation. But we will get used to it, given enough time.

Specifically on the topic of "anxiety peaking in the evening", I would recommend staying away from news broadcasts late in the evening. By all means tune in to the PM and his team on the daily late afternoon briefing, and then say "that's it for the day". Spend the evening listening to music, read a non-threatening book, watch some of those endless repeats of light entertainment shows that are now filling the schedules. I'm doing that, and am sleeping a bit better as a result.

And, apologies if you're already doing that. Best wishes.

[glassgirlw]

I think it’s absolutely normal to feel that way. A good majority of people have never seen something like this in their lifetimes - those that were around during the Great Depression and early wartimes I’m sure remember the hardships and trials suffered by many. But shutdowns and lockdowns of this magnitude aren’t something many of us have had to deal with before. Anxiety is perfectly understandable and I think there are many feeling the same as you right now! Virtual hugs from afar

[raspberry22]

Thank you all and yes I was definitely making a mistake reading news articles and sitting on social media all evening. I like to know what the PM says at 5pm but then yesterday I made sure to turn it all off and do some of my hobbies.

I keep going between feeling calm and then feeling absolute panic. It's mentally draining :(

[franfhm]

I completely understand that feeling of going from calm to absolute panic..............all in the space of 5 minutes!!

I'm currently working from home, and there is a lovely little park behind my house which I had been walking around (Solo) lunchtimes. Today, I found the entrances all taped up - that was the point I lost it as I've always seen it as a "safe" space for me. So after work I had to walk my local streets which were pretty deserted and it felt so eery it's knocked me all to kilter now. Those that were out were in their cars and staring so hard I didn't feel safe - people need to remember we can still walk outside solo, it's just those who felt the need to gather in groups this weekend at popular places which have ruined it all for the rest of us.

Really hating everything at the moment, and I know it has the potential to get a lot worse at least working from home means I can hide the anxiety to some degree and not have to worry if a tummy upset keeps me up most of the night.

[Call me Edwin]

Have a think about this: as a species, we have spent hundreds of thousands of years evolving instinctive behaviour to get us out of danger. If a caveman sees a sabre-toothed tiger, he doesn't think. He instinctively runs for his life and focuses on the danger until it is out of range.

That flight mechanism is still working, and still gets us out of danger - for example when we wander out into the road and see a car coming. We don't think about it, we just get ourselves out of danger by instinct.

Now, though, the danger is there all right, but there is nowhere to run to. We still focus on the danger until it has passed, but it doesn't pass, and we are still reminded of it constantly by the media. Our reactions are 100% exactly how they should be. So don't question the anxiety, it is inevitable. Just accept that it is there, instead of fighting against it, and eventually it will quieten down a bit. And yes, I know, it is very, very difficult.

[raspberry22]

Have a think about this: as a species, we have spent hundreds of thousands of years evolving instinctive behaviour to get us out of danger. If a caveman sees a sabre-toothed tiger, he doesn't think. He instinctively runs for his life and focuses on the danger until it is out of range.

That flight mechanism is still working, and still gets us out of danger - for example when we wander out into the road and see a car coming. We don't think about it, we just get ourselves out of danger by instinct.

Now, though, the danger is there all right, but there is nowhere to run to. We still focus on the danger until it has passed, but it doesn't pass, and we are still reminded of it constantly by the media. Our reactions are 100% exactly how they should be. So don't question the anxiety, it is inevitable. Just accept that it is there, instead of fighting against it, and eventually it will quieten down a bit. And yes, I know, it is very, very difficult.

Some wise words there thank you. I think I need to accept this as a new normal, it's so so so hard. It feels like we are all in a movie.

[FrankT]

Movie? Not even George Romero could dream this up.

[Panicattacka]

Most of us are going to get through this unscathed. Most of the people we know will as well. Yes it's bad for the extreme minority who won't, but it is far from the end of the world. It's not even anywhere near on the scale of the 1918 pandemic, which apparently all our ancestors survived or we wouldn't be here today.