COVID-19 Support Thread!

[MasterM64]

Hello everyone, considering all that is going on in the world, I feel that it is important that this community has a forum to express their accomplishments, losses, and frustrations that they want to share with the community to help cope or to simply express revolving around the novel and sinister COVID-19 pandemic we are all experiencing. This is a hard time for a lot of people, but there are also people who have been able to find positives regardless of the negatives as well which is why I think it is important to express your accomplishments that you have made as result of this pandemic (getting more fit, stronger family ties, home improvement projects, etc.). I hope everyone is doing well and I wish all of you the best for what it is to come regardless of all that is going on!

To start things off:
Regardless of having to postpone my wedding and losing a grandparent as a result of complications during the recovery process as a result of this virus, I have been able to find myself more during this time (what I want in life, what makes me happy, what is important, etc.) and have been fortunate enough to be able to grow into & improve the home that my fiancee and I bought together right before all this madness started! It truly has been a crazy year and I truly hope that we can all make it to 2021 to a world that is better because the positives out-weigh the negatives!

 

[Toska]

I'm sorry for your loss D: it's a bummer things like this happen. I've been very fortunate to have me and my family safe. The pandemic has really helped me and hurt me at the same time. My anxiety has went down a lot, but I've learned I can't be very long without people. In the end I'm glad it happened, but I wish it'd be over. I'm glad you and your fiance are doing well! I hope this can all go away and we can have a nice 2021

 

[RedPanda]

It's been a really hard year, to say the least, but I consider myself fortunate. I am able to work from home and so is my partner. One thing I have discovered is that even being trapped at home with him for five months now, with no access to other people, we're still getting along really well and still really supportive and kind to each other. It makes me very grateful, because I know that hasn't been the case for everyone, and I can't help but feel for those stuck in unhealthy or even abusive situations. I just hope things turn around for us in the US and we are able to get the virus under control soon.

 

[MasterM64]

I'm sorry for your loss D: it's a bummer things like this happen. I've been very fortunate to have me and my family safe. The pandemic has really helped me and hurt me at the same time. My anxiety has went down a lot, but I've learned I can't be very long without people. In the end I'm glad it happened, but I wish it'd be over. I'm glad you and your fiance are doing well! I hope this can all go away and we can have a nice 2021

Thank you for the condolences and good wishes! I’m glad to hear that you and your family are doing well! This pandemic definitely is a double-edged sword, that’s for sure.

It's been a really hard year, to say the least, but I consider myself fortunate. I am able to work from home and so is my partner. One thing I have discovered is that even being trapped at home with him for five months now, with no access to other people, we're still getting along really well and still really supportive and kind to each other. It makes me very grateful, because I know that hasn't been the case for everyone, and I can't help but feel for those stuck in unhealthy or even abusive situations. I just hope things turn around for us in the US and we are able to get the virus under control soon.

I’m glad to hear that you are doing well and are blessed to have someone special like that! I definitely agree, I do feel for those who are trapped in not so good situations relationship-wise especially in places that they are truly locked down. I hope governments at those places have systems in place to protect and help those in domestic violence situations.

 

[Imbri]

I'm sorry for your loss. My family (scattered between MA and FL) has stayed healthy so far, but I have a large group of friends who have tested positive, some of them have lost family. It's always that close.

I have been fortunate in that I was never laid off, although I deal with the public, so that's a two-way street. I know I'm a lot more insistent on people wearing their mask when coming up to my window or placing their payment in a cash box than my co-workers are, but I also live alone, so if I get sick, there'd be no one to help.

My mother and I were talking not long ago, and we've agreed that it's best to cancel the holidays this year, at least as far as getting together. Still have to tell my stepsister (she hosts both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve), but I'll let my mom and stepfather handle that. As much as we'd like to see each other, it just isn't worth it.

 

[Pintuition]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I also lost a close family member to Covid-19, so I know how shocking and awful that is!

I've been disappointed by people throughout this whole pandemic (not wearing masks, etc) but seeing the sacrifice and how hard healthcare workers, teachers, custodians, essential workers, parents- the works- are working has made me really hopeful for the future. I really hope 2021 turns out better than 2020 has so far. Can't be much worse, could it? In any case, I've just tried to keep positive and keep going, even when it's hard.

 

[AC.Newbie]

I work in a supermarket so I was front and center through the entire pandemic. My store has been lucky though, we only had 3 positive tests. The whole thing has been so stressful and even though things are better than they were at the height of the problem I'm feeling so burned out these days. I lost my great-aunt around the start (non-covid causes) but we couldn't have a funeral for her. Things just feel so bleak at times. It's amazing how much we all took for granted when things were good! I would give anything to get a feeling of normalcy again...

 

[xiheeet]

I'm really fortunate to be with my family right now. Before covid, I applied to several fellowships abroad since I wasn't sure what my next path would be after graduating from college, and was waiting to hear back from one of them...and then covid happened and everything sort of went out the drain. In a desperate attempt to find something to do, I applied to several internships/jobs at home but I either didn't hear back or got rejected. I'm currently feeling very discouraged, lost, and disappointed in myself. I know that I don't have to contribute to society or be productive to be valuable...but I think deep down, its been so ingrained into me that finding a job or getting an education or DOING something is a MUST. However, I have to remind myself that I'm not not doing anything...I got back into drawing, I'm reconnecting with old friends, I'm trying to read for fun again, and overall, I'm with my family. And for now, that should be enough.

 

[RedPanda]

I work in a supermarket so I was front and center through the entire pandemic. My store has been lucky though, we only had 3 positive tests. The whole thing has been so stressful and even though things are better than they were at the height of the problem I'm feeling so burned out these days. I lost my great-aunt around the start (non-covid causes) but we couldn't have a funeral for her. Things just feel so bleak at times. It's amazing how much we all took for granted when things were good! I would give anything to get a feeling of normalcy again...

So sorry about your aunt and her funeral being prevented by the pandemic. And I'm sorry you're in a high risk job. It's so upsetting to me that people are being rude and even violent toward store employees about wearing a mask. It blows my mind how selfish it is. I hope things change for the better soon.

 

[Midoriya]

First of all, I just wanted to say this is a really lovely thread and I thank you for making it. I honestly think we need a thread like this here.

As for me, I haven’t really accomplished much since the pandemic started. I mean, sure, I graduated from university, and sure, I have a good job right now, but that doesn’t really matter to me all that much you know? I’m still living with my family, but this has given me ample time to write in my book as well and think about what I really want to do in life. I know I want multiple careers, and I want to get my book series published more than anything. I’m strong enough to the point where I know I have what it takes to give back time, money, and effort to those in need, I just haven’t fully realized that potential yet. Nothing I do in life is usually ever enough for me and I always want to be doing more. Life is too short to not want to accomplish great things. I always have to be doing something, and so I’ll do whatever it takes to help out people who need it.

I’m sorry for your loss and I wish you only the best going forward. That’s difficult, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy because the thing I love most in life above all else are people.

 

[DinosaurDumpster]

To be honest I just want this to get this whole thing going on over with. I really want to have a normal high school experience, but so far that's not happening, obviously. I missed my 8th grade promotion (feel kinda like a baby on here) and I was happy that I didn't have to go in front of a crowd, I'm now kinda sad I didn't get to have that experience. But now it's the 3rd week of school for me, so I'll never know what's going to happen. Haven't experienced a loss or anything like that, just kinda want to go back to how they were.
Let's just hope things will go back to normal soon.

Another little funny thing I found out, is that my last day of in-person school was on March 13 (a Friday) where I live, so that's some coincidence lol
But, something positive I have accomplished, is finding what my interests are and wanting to do something with them. I watched a bunch of TV and movies during this time, and I kind of have an interest of acting now. It also seems pretty fun. Other things I want to do is learn how to play the guitar and I'm saving up for that. Feel kind of better about myself now, knowing a little bit of what I might want to do in the future.

 

[Stella-Io]

I'm so sorry for your loss MasterM64, I'm glad you and your fiancée managed to get a house!

Despite most part of the year being a mess with Covid, I've been able to find a few positives. For one it gave me that final push to quit my job that I hated so much. I quit because someone in the department I worked at was tested positive and the company didn't do JACK about it. They had the employee stay home until they felt better then worked them again. In the timespan of like 2 weeks. Seeing how the company did nothing for us in that department, I said nah, I'm done. I have 2 parents at home with bad lungs, a younger sister and I sure as **** am not gettin sick due to a company's ignorance and disrespect to its employees safety and life.
I'm young enough that I can afford to quit and not need to seek a job instantly. I don't have insurance for my car cause my hours were too wishy-washy to pay for insurance, and I live with my parents.
After quitting I was in a MUCH better headspace then I was working there. I did some drawings, did some writing, played videogames, took better care of myself, which I was not doing very well when I had the job. Actually enjoyed my life, as much as I could with a global pandemic going on.

 

[MasterM64]

Thank you to everyone for the condolences! I’m so glad that everyone has been able to find positives during this time regardless of the personal challenges we all face.

I’m excited that we will all be able to participate in the TBT Fair unlike a lot of events that have been cancelled or postponed as a result of this virus!

 

[cornimer]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Congratulations on your home though!

I'm very fortunate that my family has been safe so far and, even though I got laid off from one of my jobs (I had two before the pandemic), I'm able to do the other one online and even got an increase in hours. I'm also very glad that I was able to finish off my degree in the spring (even if I won't get a real graduation) and don't have to do a full year of online school! The hardest part for me has just been the isolation. With my job entirely online, I have literally no reason to leave the house (my mom even does all the grocery shopping). I used to really enjoy the little things like bussing to work, getting coffee and chatting with my coworkers before meetings, but now I'm not sure what to look forward to. My motivation and mental health have been up and down since March which is why I've been on TBT less. But all things considered, I'm very lucky and am grateful that I'm physically healthy and still employed.

 

[LadyDestani]

I'm so sorry for your loss and for anyone who has experienced loss during this time. Whether it was due to COVID-19 or not, the virus is changing how we all have to deal with things and handle grief.

I have been pretty lucky in the fact that I haven't been too impacted by it. No one in my family has gotten it yet and I was able to trasition to working from home full-time so it didn't affect my employment.

My husband had just started working at the local gaming store, though, running Magic: The Gathering tournaments. He had only been working for two weeks when the store had to shut down and I don't expect they'll be running in-person tournaments for a while. We didn't need his income to get by as I make enough to pay our bills, but he had taken the job because he wanted extra spending money to fund his hobbies...like Magic. All that has pretty much come to a halt now, so I find myself having to be supportive of him because he gets really down sometimes.

Other than that, staying cooped up at home is finally starting to wear on me just a little bit. It's not that I miss going out, but because my husband can't go out anymore I've lost my quiet time. We get along really well so it hasn't been too difficult to be quarantined together, but every now and then I find myself getting a headache because I'm tired of listening to the TV or something and he likes constant background noise.

But we're making it through and I know our problems are minimal, so I'm grateful for that. I hope things can start going back to normal next year.

 

[deleted]

This year has been pretty bad. In February, I was rear ended at a red light by a distracted driver in an F150. My little car never stood a chance and was unsurprisingly totaled. I went about a month without a car and got a new one in March. Then my school shut down for the rest of the year because of COVID. My birthday, March 24th, was the first day of online school and one of the first days of my state’s quarantine. I had to cancel my birthday party.

April and May left me feeling very depressed and stuck. I had two AP exams that were online. In June, I was paranoid that my biological father (who I can’t stand) was going to try to pick me up for visitation even though his home state was the epicenter of COVID. He’s so selfish that I wouldn’t put it past him. Luckily, he didn’t, but the fact that he didn’t communicate with my mother at all was very inconsiderate. July was very stressful because of my summer reading assignments and a summer class I had to take to free up my schedule. The class was not hard, but the religious material of it was very draining for me as I am a closeted agnostic in Catholic school.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, two days ago a student at my school hit my parked car, shattering the left headlight and detaching the bumper cover. He showed no remorse for nearly injuring/killing me or my friend. On Monday I will find out if it can be fixed.

 

[jefflomacy]

@MasterM64 First of all I would like to say that I'm sorry to hear about your loss. This has been a year filled with loss for me as well but in manners unrelated to COVID, at least, not directly related. There is no question that COVID has had a negative impact on everyone's mental health and those who make it out of 2020 unscathed are truly blessed with good fortune. Second of all, congratulations on being a homeowner. I also recently made it through this process, and COVID made it very difficult. The sale had to occur with the previous owner stuck overseas, borderline in default of their mortgage, and stock of other property was so limited that I had no choice but to bear it out until closing. Houses do keep you busy though, and I've been thankful for the ways my house can keep me occupied with projects, big or small.

My biggest frustration with COVID is by far working from home. While it's easier now that I no longer share walls with other people like I did in apartments, I still sacrifice an entire room of my house to the stress of work. It's kind of difficult to enjoy spending time in my home office now when it's the main place I work throughout the day. I am trying to find ways to derive joy out of this room of my house again, but not having much success at this time. I miss the separation of home and work that the drive to the office provided. I also miss my private office. I was very productive when I went into the office, and fairly relaxed when I got home. Now it's hard to find peace.

 

[Nami]

Honestly, the pandemic has hurt me more than helped. I'm definitely glad that some folks were able to find good during these trying times.

For me, I am struggling with finding a job that doesnt outright give me panic attacks, lol. A little backstory here is that I moved a few months ago to a new state with my BF. I had a good new job, everything was pretty okay. Well, now I am on unpaid medical leave because I cant do my job without an attack.

The job market is littered with jobs that will only do the same thing, but for less pay. I am trying to request medical accommodations in the form of giving me a different job that doesnt require me to be on the phone constantly (biggest aggrevator). I used to manage this just fine, but with covid19, my anxieties are so much worse. So I havent gotten a paycheck in a little while now. I filed for unemployment on the very off chance I get approved for that just until i can either find a job or get reassigned to a different department. (Even though that wouldnt even really cover my expenses, it would be better than nothing.) I'm about to go see a new doctor who will hopefully be willing to sign my medical accommodations form. If hes not, I have to just find a new job. (Been job searching anyway as a backup plan)

Things have been rough and I blame myself for not being able to do something very simple for my company, who's even letting us all work from home. Pay and benefits are really good too, I feel like a failure for not being able to do the job now. I'm putting a strain on us financially.

A good thing that has happened is I'm talking to a therapist every week now. Its helping me manage my thoughts and get new perspective. I just hope something good breaks through soon here. I'm off to my appointment now actually.

Lol sorry, just wanted to rant a bit once I saw this thread.

 

[MasterM64]

Thank you again everyone for the condolences, it truly means more than you know! I’m definitely doing better personally, but it still is hard to believe it happened even now.

@MasterM64 First of all I would like to say that I'm sorry to hear about your loss. This has been a year filled with loss for me as well but in manners unrelated to COVID, at least, not directly related. There is no question that COVID has had a negative impact on everyone's mental health and those who make it out of 2020 unscathed are truly blessed with good fortune. Second of all, congratulations on being a homeowner. I also recently made it through this process, and COVID made it very difficult. The sale had to occur with the previous owner stuck overseas, borderline in default of their mortgage, and stock of other property was so limited that I had no choice but to bear it out until closing. Houses do keep you busy though, and I've been thankful for the ways my house can keep me occupied with projects, big or small.

My biggest frustration with COVID is by far working from home. While it's easier now that I no longer share walls with other people like I did in apartments, I still sacrifice an entire room of my house to the stress of work. It's kind of difficult to enjoy spending time in my home office now when it's the main place I work throughout the day. I am trying to find ways to derive joy out of this room of my house again, but not having much success at this time. I miss the separation of home and work that the drive to the office provided. I also miss my private office. I was very productive when I went into the office, and fairly relaxed when I got home. Now it's hard to find peace.

Thank you for the congratulations, congratulations to you too! The process definitely sounds like a nightmare though! lol That is crazy how the situation was, I’m glad it worked out for you though!

I bet it is weird working from home, I’ve been fortunate to keep work outside of home so far. If things get bad though, that may change. I’m glad that we are both blesses with a job considering what is going on. I truly feel for those who can’t find anything and lost their positions permanently (like mom & pop businesses).

Honestly, the pandemic has hurt me more than helped. I'm definitely glad that some folks were able to find good during these trying times.

For me, I am struggling with finding a job that doesnt outright give me panic attacks, lol. A little backstory here is that I moved a few months ago to a new state with my BF. I had a good new job, everything was pretty okay. Well, now I am on unpaid medical leave because I cant do my job without an attack.

The job market is littered with jobs that will only do the same thing, but for less pay. I am trying to request medical accommodations in the form of giving me a different job that doesnt require me to be on the phone constantly (biggest aggrevator). I used to manage this just fine, but with covid19, my anxieties are so much worse. So I havent gotten a paycheck in a little while now. I filed for unemployment on the very off chance I get approved for that just until i can either find a job or get reassigned to a different department. (Even though that wouldnt even really cover my expenses, it would be better than nothing.) I'm about to go see a new doctor who will hopefully be willing to sign my medical accommodations form. If hes not, I have to just find a new job. (Been job searching anyway as a backup plan)

Things have been rough and I blame myself for not being able to do something very simple for my company, who's even letting us all work from home. Pay and benefits are really good too, I feel like a failure for not being able to do the job now. I'm putting a strain on us financially.

A good thing that has happened is I'm talking to a therapist every week now. Its helping me manage my thoughts and get new perspective. I just hope something good breaks through soon here. I'm off to my appointment now actually.

Lol sorry, just wanted to rant a bit once I saw this thread.

Sorry to hear that what you are dealing with, this situation definitely has helped things I bet. COVID-19 definitely has affected everyone mentally to some degree. I’m glad to hear that you are doing something about it though, you got this! I wish you the best and stay safe!

 

[acnh.eclipse]

I have lost both my grandparents, and could not attend the funeral because I was away from my homeland where they live. I’ve used this website to cheer myself up as almost everyone on here is very kind and I’ve made some friends that I love! This pandemic has been tough, my mother who lives thousands of miles away has been working in hospital as a volunteer and I have been working nights (up until recently due to a baby) anyway just wanna thank everyone for being so kind on this website