I spent the pandemic in Florida. I suppose I could end this blog entry there and readers can draw their conclusions since Florida was known to mostly ignore all mitigation efforts. Whatever your political beliefs, there is individual responsibility for others when it comes to public health and safety.
I arrived in Florida in early March 2020 from New York. I was to be there 6 weeks. 6 weeks turned into 2 years. I won’t take up too much time with this entry since I think many more people have some form of or an increase in the severity of anxiety from the pandemic. Suffice it to say the time during the pandemic was especially exacerbating for me. I don’t feel like I made any progress, and possibly regressed, during this time but when I’m in therapy or reflecting I’ve come to realize that every day was an exposure therapy session. No matter how small the activity, just simply going to the store was a big panic/anxiety exposure therapy. I also had no writing motivation during that time but I survived, mental health issues intact, which is more than many people can say. For that, I am truly grateful.
I’m sure I could come up with many examples from that time of specific events to talk about Panic Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression. I’m equally as certain that virtually everyone has their own stories. I’m re-visiting my blog to pick up in the present so I will leave those stories in the past where they belong. My intent with this entry is just to let you know where I’ve been. If anyone has any specific “coping with mental illnesses during the pandemic” questions, feel free to ask and I’ll try to answer with specific experiences.
Otherwise, onward we go.
demons by my side 