The Mental Health Wages of Covid/Lockdowns By Mrs Vera West
The mainstream Australian media are not reporting all that much on the negative effects of continuous lockdowns, especially upon mental health. People, especially the young are facing slightly more comfortable positions to those in solitary confinement in prisons, something explicitly designed for punishment. I myself suffer greatly, not being able to see my grandchildren, and great grandchild. If fact, I have not yet even seen the most recent birth, that of my great grand daughter, Emily, born in a home birth. Without the internet, I would be totally isolated. The telly does not do much, pumping out the same old nonsense. They have certainly made it a lonely world, and apart from the devastating economic consequences, people are hurting, as always, the little people like us.
“Mental health and suicide prevention service Lifeline Australia has registered its highest volume of calls ever, as Australians around the country endure continuous disruptions to daily life through COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
Staffed by volunteers, the 58-year-old organisation offers a 24-hour telephone crisis support service to help Australian’s cope with issues such as mental health, emotional issues, and potential suicide.
The organisation registered 3,345 calls on Aug. 2, the most in the history of the group.
Lifeline Australia Chairman John Brogden said one positive was that Australians were not “suffering in silence” and were reaching out for assistance.
“This has been a tough period for all Australians, and it has pushed many of those already struggling into crisis—but we’re glad they know help is out there,” he said in a statement.
“The fact that so many Australians are reaching out—many for the first time—and seeking help is a good thing.”
He expects demand for Lifeline’s services to remain high during the current period and beyond, noting that restrictions leave a “long tail of trauma.”
Brogden told Sky News Australia that there was a lot of grief, frustration, and anger.
“As humans, I think we crave two things: we crave reliability, certainty, and we crave human connection. That’s the two things we don’t have now in Sydney and in Brisbane as well,” he said.
When the data was released, Greater Sydney, as well as Brisbane and its surrounding regions, were both in lockdown, encapsulating over nine million residents.
As of Aug. 5, the state of Victoria was also plunged into a seven-day lockdown, placing a further six million people under restrictions.
In response to the ongoing lockdowns, Australians have taken to the streets in protest.
“Since the beginning of this crisis, Lifeline has been working hard to support Australians’ at risk of suicide and experiencing the mental health effects of the isolation and uncertainty of COVID-19,” Brogden said.
“We want everyone to know that Lifeline is always there for them, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “If you or someone you know are feeling overwhelmed, we encourage you to connect with Lifeline in the way.”
Some federal members of Parliament and economists have called for political leaders to change their messaging to Australians and convince them to learn to “live with the virus” saying the economic damage caused by restrictions, does not justify the mental and social harm.”
Lifeline is well named and does a tremendous job. But I expect that things will get so bad and stressful as the cultural collapse continues, that even these battle-hardened workers will need help from another on-line service for them, Meta-Lifeline, and so on in infinite regression of psychological trauma.
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