Lockdowns really are most effective as a preventive measure. Humans (American’s especially) are just too short sighted to see the benefits. An effective lockdown stops the spread of the virus, then every Tom, Dick, and Harry goes “that was pointless! The virus didn’t even get us!”. When implemented after a serious outbreak, as soon as the numbers start dropping Tom, Dick, and Harry whine “the numbers are dropping! It’s time to reopen!”

They also aren’t effective when not universal. When all of your neighbor states are plague ridden hell-holes bent on infecting everyone possibly no matter the cost (side-eyeing the Dakotas right now) what you do in your home state only matters so much. It’s still gonna spread. Half-assed lockdowns don’t accomplish much.

We also don’t have the proper social safety net to effectively lock down. People already work sick because we have no required sick leave in this country. Of course they are going to work sick. Of course they aren’t going to properly quarantine if they’ve been exposed. It’s all so predictable. We’ve spent the last 100 years making sure our country is as ill-prepared as possible for a pandemic, with the election of Trump as the orange-cherry on top of a shit sundae.

Yeah it really seems like a total crapshoot in regards to getting it or not. Honestly the thing that gets me is worrying about my daughter being worried. Like – it’s been scary and stressful already for her, and now mom’s got it?

OOOffff.

Anyone else having trouble swallowing their rage at the “COVID is hoax!” crowd? Or perhaps the “I know and understand everything about how dangerous COVID is but am having Thanksgiving with 5 different households anyways because I don’t want to disappoint my family” people? Any tips for getting through this?

Thanks Helen. My mom is healing up nicely – way better than I expected to be honest. That sucks that your dad has been lost to Fox brainwashing. One of the biggest takeaways through all of this is that I never really fully understood how powerful the far-right propaganda channels really are. It’s absolutely devastating. I can’t imagine how much that hurts for you.

I get where your mom is coming from, wanting to see the kids. My mom adores my daughter. They used to spend a ton of time together and it breaks my heart that they don’t get to do that anymore. I still bring her by for quick, physically distant visits but I know it’s just not the same for either of them.

Impotent Rage is the perfect description of the last 9 months. Nothing to do but talk about our feelings with strangers on the internet.

Maybe it’s just because we’re entering the “record breaking number of cases every day” and “sorry our hospitals are full” stage of the pandemic, especially here in the midwest, but this shit is really getting to me today. I’m never going to get to hug my parents again, am I?

I’m experiencing so much rage when I see mask deniers or herd immunity proponents. I have things to do but I can’t concentrate on any of them because I’m just…so…mad…

My state (MN) has been pretty good about precautions, but we’re literally surrounded by states that have done jack shit. Plus every time Tr*mp visits cases go up from his stupid rallies.

@BGM I feel you. It’s very hard to imagine 4 or more years of this. I definitely feel a big urge to “not live on this planet anymore”. I’m fine – I’m not going to do anything. But damn, I hate being alive right now.

The only comfort I feel sometimes is I look at people who have left just absolutely devastated regions and lives and built themselves up. I think “if they can get past that, I should be able to handle this.”

My biggest mental health trap has always been “big evil thinking”. When I look at the immense cruelty that occurs on such a large level, I get stuck in a really negative thought loop that takes me to really, really dark places. I have to be careful to not indulge it too much and everything I’ve learned in therapy has really been put to the test this year.