Comments on: 7 Reasons You May Actually Feel Better During the Pandemic

By: Jonice

Jonice — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 20:12:33 +0000

In reply to Jane. Dear Jane, healing happens in stages. Think about this next more opened-up phase as your next stage of healing. You can start fresh, taking advantage of your new self and all the work you have done.

By: Jane

Jane — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 15:02:01 +0000

Thank you for this article. I had an emotional breakdown in November of 2019. 4 months later, COVID locked down the world. I have used this alone time to work with a Therapist, and to try to heal the grief I had run from-caused by multiple losses throughout my life. When things started to open up this Spring, I went into a complete panic. I was not ready to return to the ‘new normal’. I told my Therapist that although I would not wish COVID on anyone- it actually had served me very well.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Sat, 09 May 2020 13:36:10 +0000

In reply to J.

Yes. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
I want to work from home and be with my children. I don’t enjoy socializing or hanging out with other women. I don’t want to go shopping with other women or have coffee. I like myself and have no intentions of ‘getting help’. I have an independent and pioneering spirit. It took a lot of that for people to survive and thrive and build a civilization. I don’t dislike people nor do I want them to be ill and everyone seems to like me and respect me but I don’t miss anyone except my immediate family. Others physically and emotionally drain me. Even in college when other people thought partying was fun I forced myself to go and ‘have fun’. Now, I only force myself because of my job and for my kids. I get more done working independently. Right now I’m soooo happy!

By: Triston

Triston — Fri, 01 May 2020 04:42:09 +0000

My life has basically not changed at all, so I’m good. I’m an extreme introvert who thrives on routine, so I’m good there, and I have a habit of only “worrying” about things that directly affect me (mostly social interactions). Granted, there’s a difference between “worrying about” something and knowing that it is an issue that needs to be dealt with–calmly and rationally. I wash my hands for 20 seconds, but I don’t stockpile groceries.
…Of course, I am a college student, and I’d finally adjusted to being in college and was going to finally go out and try and be more sociable this semester, and life seems to always screw things up for me whenever I start feeling good about myself, but that’s another thing.

By: Jonice Webb PhD

Jonice Webb PhD — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 18:11:31 +0000

In reply to heather. That makes sense, Heather. Thanks for sharing your point of view!

By: heather

heather — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 00:57:50 +0000

I am an anxious person and have struggled to keep agoraphobia at bay for my whole life. Now— I have been ordered to cancel all my plans and stay at home! Honestly, it feels great. I know that I will have a difficult re-entry, because I’m really getting used to being home and avoiding ALL anxiety-producing situations. But that’s okay, I’m ready and I can cope with it when the world opens back up. I just know it will be challenging.
But I’m also going to enjoy this guilty pleasure of being holed up at home (like I’ve always dreamed of!) without having to explain or be embarrassed by my isolation.

By: Mark D'Angelo

Mark D'Angelo — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 06:30:33 +0000

Wow, 2 through 7 apply to me, I also live in a wonderful place so staying home and riding mountain bikes are the way I like to spend my life, my cat loves me being home more as well, I have learned to live below my means so I have enough money to get be by for a little. I am a bit worried what will happen in the long term and its horrible people are dying , I can only imagine what people are going through loosing loved ones, their jobs and income when living week to week before this happened.
In my mind and the way I live I never take anything for granted,I feel life has trained me to be mentally prepared this terrible event and much worse.I feel like I am finally in what i perceive is reality and what life was before this was an illusion if that makes sense.Life as we have known it could completely change permanently from here on,This could very well be the straw that breaks the back of this overly populated out of control world.I feel I am mentally prepared for the worst, maybe not prepared in any other way. I don’t want anyone to suffer and I don’t want to either but from what I have seen of this world for my whole life that suffering is a large part of life and it doesn’t necessarily only happen in other places you see on the news, it can and probably will happen right here in our own realities.

By: Jonice Webb PhD

Jonice Webb PhD — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 14:12:27 +0000

In reply to James Killian, LPC. Dear James, I do think that most people, and even most people with anxiety, are not feeling happier during the pandemic and lockdown. The folks feeling relieved are likely in the minority. This is indeed a very stressful, uncertain and challenging time for everybody. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

By: Jonice Webb PhD

Jonice Webb PhD — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 14:10:33 +0000

In reply to Marie. Dear Maria, thanks for sharing your story. Please know that since we cannot change the past, we must get some new perspective on it. For this, you will need help. I strongly encourage you to find a good therapist near you and talk all this through. Sitting alone with regret and guilt and loss is not good for you at all.

By: James Killian, LPC

James Killian, LPC — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 19:48:43 +0000

There has been a lot of discussion about anxious people rejoicing and feeling a sense of validation given their history of hypervigilance and yet as someone who specializes in anxiety and works with anxiety, I have yet to see this. In fact, I’ve seen an increase. More interesting is the massive amount of anxiety witnessed in individuals who prior to this, demonstrated very little.