😷 Do you wish you were bored? 😷
Are your social media feeds and newsletters full of tips for staving off boredom? Are you wishing you were capable of being bored right now?
Staying in close quarters for long periods can be more than just stressful, it can be unsafe.
A decade ago I was unable to sleep without waking up in terror and struggling through days full of panic attacks, even though the events were over and I was perfectly safe.
I'd been living with a girlfriend who was suffering from severe mental health issues. She stopped treatment and things went downhill pretty quickly, although who's to say what was cause and what was effect.
Getting emergency mental health support beyond a 48 hour psychiatric hold is pretty much impossible, especially in the US without health insurance or the ability to pay cash. I was doing what I could to find her support (and trying to find something she would agree to do) when a blizzard shut the whole city down.
We were already to the point where my workday was interrupted by constant calls and sometimes her showing up at my office, hysterical. It felt like every time I shifted my attention away from her, or tried to shower, or fell asleep, there was a price to pay. When it got too extreme I would call 911 and they'd either calm her down or take her for an involuntary hold. Which wasn't something I felt comfortable doing, but I didn't have any better ideas. [Both of us are white and the first responders were kind and supportive, which made this an option].
Figuring out what to do only got more difficult the longer I was in panic mode and the longer I went without sleeping.
And then the blizzard hit. I remember looking out my window and seeing the snowdrifts settling around a bus, stopped at an odd angle in the middle of an intersection, and knowing no one was going to come if I called. That I was on my own.
I knew the city would go back to normal in a few days. I can't even imagine what it would have done to me if I'd known things would be shut down -- and I'd be on my own -- for weeks. Or maybe months.
People have been expressing reluctance to take someone to the ER or leave the house for any reason because of the risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. That's a perfectly reasonable fear.
But I know some of you face risks at home. Those risks might be just as big. Stay safe.
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If you are in a crisis situation,
In Canada: call 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 for Crisis Services Canada.
In the US: call 1-800-273-8255 for the US Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line.
Outside of the US and Canada: please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention to find resources in your area.