How close are you to your breaking point?

[NYCgrrl]

I've had my bad days but mostly I'm fine with waiting it out. I set up a daily routine and it gives me a sense of normalcy.
DGD is in her early teens and seems to be fine learning new ways to interact with her friends. She spends a lot of her spare time giggling in a dark corner ( I offered a portable lamp but she didn't want it ) with them. She probably misses her archery lessons but now spends more time doing audio lessons in French; win one, lose the other.
The man is now very gleeful going to the grocery store for milk. Be nice if he kept the attitude.

 

[DuskKodesh]

Introvert here, usually left the house for work 2-3 times a week, only once a week for shopping or fun stuff. Doing well. I miss my comics, I am mourning my comic convention that was canceled, but I've had times before in my life when I've had to sit out events I wanted to do.

I've got food, my 24/7 Nick Cave Youtube channel, Hubby, Animal Crossing, and my Rats. It's near paradise.

 

[morgan98]

I have been home since March 9th. Am I close to breaking? Not really, I guess. I am still working from home - work has been busy as we have had to furlough some and negotiate paycuts with everyone who remains, which is depressing, considering we were on track to have one of our best years. (I am in a leadership position and see numbers, so this is not second hand information).

I get along well with my husband, we have plenty of space and really no financial worries, so we are fortunate.

However, not being able to see our mothers or other family members or knowing when we can get back to any type of normalcy is stressful. We have been eating 100% at home - not even takeout. At one point, after picking my husband up from Italy on March 9th, I did not leave the house at all for 18 days. I did not meet him in Italy as planned. Yes, even though I can work from home, I miss the freedom to go to the office, get a haircut or a pedicure, browse for groceries, go to the mall. For the record, I live in GA and I guess I can do those two things - but now is definitely not the time, in my opinion. First world problems, I know. But as each week goes on I realistically know that it will be harder and harder to emerge from this. We had plans to transition into the next stage of our life - that is on hold probably. That is a lot to digest.

I also turned 50 on April 18th - never would have imagined it would have been under the current situation.

So, I am thankful and fairly miserable simultaneously.

ETA: I am an introvert. Interacting at work and with my few close friends takes a lot of my energy - but I am at the point of wanting some normal social interaction.

 

[antmaril]

I am retired and widowed (almost 12 years). So, I am alone 100% of the time. I haven’t been inside anywhere for over six weeks. I do a Kroger pickup once a week and I have done a few curbside carry outs. It’s boring and isolating for sure. But, I remind myself almost every day that when my late husband was dying of pancreatic cancer, I used to pray for a boring day. All I wanted was one day without sadness, worry, hospitals, etc. Of course, I knew there was only one way I would have a boring day. It was a devastating time.

So, now, because of COVID-19, I am bored every day, but, my son (an ER nurse practitioner) is healthy, I’m fine and my friends and family are fine. Of course, that could change any day. But, for now, I am just going to embrace the boredom. This too shall pass.

 

[3threebabies]

Responses on this thread explain a lot of other posts elsewhere. I had to give myself a break from boards for about a week after my personal mental illness was minimized and mocked. I am used to reaching breaking points and going forward. You do what you have to do. Right now we have to stay home and separate from friends and loved ones. I am stubborn and don’t give up, but this sucks. I have faith and hope for the future. I weep for those who are broken with no hope.

 

[kdonnel]

Depends . . . Where are you?

Georgia

 

[skittles67]

Eating in a restaurant and hanging out with friends, has been one of the big changes for me. While I miss seeing our friends face to face, we still talk and video chat. Every restaurant in town has carry out so we can still get our favorite meals. I am accustomed to shopping online since I am normally really busy with work and don't have time to go to a department store everytime I need something. As far as work goes, our agency works with individuals with disabilites. I still have to go to work every day, so no change there. I don't feel like I am even close to a breaking point. I could continue like this for awhile!

 

[superme80]

Over it! I have been over it for weeks. I told DH I was staying home until May 1st, then I was done. My town is opening back up on May 6th. Going to be making appointments with the barber for the kids, taking them to the ice cream parlor, and if the library was going to open, we wold hit it too. I am staying out of major cities until closer to June, but I'm done. My area has had a very small amount of cases and deaths, so I am not super worried. I have made plans with friends for May. If one of my friends is still concerned, I am not pestering them or trying to get them to come out early. When they are comfortable, we will see each other. Sucks it won't be until the summer, but I understand. I am done, so I am going back to as much as my life as I can.

 

[Heather07438]

i have been home this whole time and wouldn’t think twice about sitting outside visiting 6+ feet apart.

We've done this in my family a few times now. Visiting outside on opposite sides of the deck over 10ft apart. Also putting food and drinks out for each other, hang out and chat and say goodbye without getting physically close. I will miss having the BBQs we usually start doing this time of year.

 

[agame2323]

Over it! I have been over it for weeks. I told DH I was staying home until May 1st, then I was done. My town is opening back up on May 6th. Going to be making appointments with the barber for the kids, taking them to the ice cream parlor, and if the library was going to open, we wold hit it too. I am staying out of major cities until closer to June, but I'm done. My area has had a very small amount of cases and deaths, so I am not super worried. I have made plans with friends for May. If one of my friends is still concerned, I am not pestering them or trying to get them to come out early. When they are comfortable, we will see each other. Sucks it won't be until the summer, but I understand. I am done, so I am going back to as much as my life as I can.

I can't tell if this was meant to be a joke or taken serious

 

[superme80]

I can't tell if this was meant to be a joke or taken serious

I'm very serious. I don't understand why you would think this is a joke. I respect those who want to still stay away. I am not staying locked inside any longer. We are still washing our hands and making sure things are clean. I do not need to stop my life for such a small amount in my area. Our hospitals are empty. We did our job, now it is time to start getting back to life.

 

[HashberryOTG]

I had to give myself a break from boards for about a week after my personal mental illness was minimized and mocked.

I am so sorry to hear that. I am bipolar myself, and I know how hard it can be all around. It sounds cliche to say others don't understand, but often, they really don't. It's not easy on either party. Hang in there!

Because of that, I'm off and on about how I feel. On the bad days I take a walk, or a longer walk. I was already a computer geek, so many of my closer friends are online and not local, so nothing has really changed there. I'm an introvert, but I do miss people watching sometimes. Miss the dog park.

For me, all of the unknowns are what makes me feel so uncomfortable. I suppose I've had a few breakdowns, thankfully small. That doesn't make me want to go out tho. Not until I feel safe doing so. I mostly wish a reliable and useful antibody type test (if it actually worked to know if I could get sick or carry the virus to others) were available. That would be the biggest piece of mind I could get.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Over it! I have been over it for weeks. I told DH I was staying home until May 1st, then I was done. My town is opening back up on May 6th. Going to be making appointments with the barber for the kids, taking them to the ice cream parlor, and if the library was going to open, we wold hit it too. I am staying out of major cities until closer to June, but I'm done. My area has had a very small amount of cases and deaths, so I am not super worried. I have made plans with friends for May. If one of my friends is still concerned, I am not pestering them or trying to get them to come out early. When they are comfortable, we will see each other. Sucks it won't be until the summer, but I understand. I am done, so I am going back to as much as my life as I can.

Well, when your area opens back up, the choice is yours. I hope it works out. We all do. No one who is worried about this wants to be right. We all want to be wrong.

 

[superme80]

Well, when your area opens back up, the choice is yours. I hope it works out. We all do. No one who is worried about this wants to be right. We all want to be wrong.

My town is opening May 6th, so at least the barber and the ice cream parlor should be open on that day.

 

[JimMIA]

We're doing fine, but all this caught us at a weird confluence of major life events:

• DW retired 3/31 after 35 years -- no hoopla, no party, no nothing after a really stellar career of making a BIG difference in our community. That was sad in a way, although she was fine with it. She's always been one to do great things (like lead a breast cancer fundraising campaign that raised over $100,000 this year) and then try to avoid recognition.
• DD18 is a graduating HS senior, and
  • Grad Bash trip canceled
  • Graduation canceled -- they're doing something "virtually" -- big disappointment, and could/should have been rescheduled in my opinion.
  • Prom is unknown, most likely canceled. I was hoping the PTSA would step in and do something, but they seem to be mostly about posting officers' glam pix on Facebook.
  • Orientation trip to her college canceled and will now be done virtually.
  • College fall term is undecided at the moment. I suspect they will have on-campus classes and activities, but probably no football. (Have a friend who is an exec in the athletic conference that represents DD's college, and she thinks football is doubtful.
  • She's missing all the fun stuff with her friend group at school, and also missing skating, although she did skate for an hour last week. But it's not the same when nobody else is allowed on the ice with you.
  • She is staying in close touch with friends via Facetime, phone, and Zoom classes.
• We also had to cancel DW's bucket trip retirement trip to Alaska this summer. It was to have been two weeks, vacationing together with a BFF's family who live in Juneau. We'll do it next year, hopefully.

But bottom line, we're fine, our extended family is fine, we're all healthy, and we're together. And our dog is LOVING all the attention!

 

[mefordis]

Where do you live? If things are open where you are like salons and restaurants, I'd go out no problem.

 

[Snowysmom]

I am pretty close to the edge right about now. I can't hug and play with my grandkids and they are growing so fast. We videochat but that is not any where near the same. I miss the people I work with including the many who got laid off due to covid. I look forward to the one day a week I get to go to the office to do the things I can't do from home. There are 6 of us who go in and our social distancing is 12 feet or more. I am concerned that even though my hours have been cut that in a month or 2 I will be joining my former coworkers in total unemployment. Try to find a job now with almost no economy left. I am concerned that even though we flatten the curve which is what we were asked to do that they keep throwing more demands on us before they will consider opening things up. I am at the point where I cannot watch mainstream TV because every commercial is about how they are there for you etc. I don't watch the news channels or any briefings. I can't stand the fear mongering especially on the cable news channels. I scan the local and state headlines every day and I am done. My DS is a physician who has patients on dialysis who have covid. Next month he will be taking his turn in the covid ICUs and I am worried about him. I do walk every day I can and do walkaerobics every day the weather is bad. I do word searches, scan Disboards, and try to stay positive. It is hard.

 

[Disneefun]

I'm fine with staying in. Huge introvert, so I'm not missing anything social and I'm doing fine with online ordering and grocery delivery. I miss a few things I can't get that way, but on the whole it's NBD.

What I'm starting to struggle with is the feeling of long term futility. Seeing the reports that exposure may not confer any immunity, that perhaps a vaccine cannot be made due to the way the virus works in the body, that the winter will be worse than now, etc., is really getting me down. The complete lack of leadership and uniform response in this country isn't helping, either. Some states want to do one thing, others another, and no one seems to have a real, cohesive plan for how to handle this now, let alone long term if it stretches out for years. (And that's not political. Neither side of the aisle seems much better than the other, at this point.)

I can duck and cover for a while, but at some point I'm going to get this just in the course of going to the store or something, as are my DH and our parents. (He works from home for now, but that won't last because they're already agitating to get everyone back in the office, despite orders to telecommute if you can.) At that point, it seems luck of the draw as to whether I/we die or not. I'm healthy, normal weight, etc. and under 50, but now there are reports of long term damage, strokes, etc. even in the "younger" population. So it feels like a crapshoot as to who has a hard time and who doesn't. And even if you have an easy go this time, if there's no real immunity and no vaccine, it may be the second or third exposure that kills you.

It's all just starting to feel hopeless. That's what I struggle with. I can do the isolation thing forever, but it feels like we as a population are completely screwed. Possibly permanently.

 

[jesusfreak75]

I’ve about hit the wall. Working 50/50 from home and the office is rough. I live to travel and that isn’t happening and I’m in an executive mgmt. position at my company and if this lockdown holds I’m going to have to do a 50% permanent layoff in the near future. I stay away from the media because I’m already mentally exhausted and the unknown makes it worse.

 

[luvsJack]

Dh’s schedule hasn’t changed. I am home every day. I do talk to all the kids every day but it’s not the same.

I want to spend time with my grandkids. They normally all come over and we have a big sleep over with pizza and popcorn and movies, a couple times a month. They take turns spending the night in between. We have days they all come over and we do some kind of big craft together or painting project. And they come over other days and we cook together.

And that is what I am mostly getting to my breaking point about! I want those days with my girls back!! And I want to go meet Dd and sil or ds and dil for dinner somewhere too!

Told dh we may ride down to the coast next weekend to meet Dd and walk on the beach. Something, anything that seems like normal life again.