MAYBE COVID-19 WILL FINALLY MAKE YOU EMPATHISE WITH CHRONICALLY ILL PEOPLE?
As more people have to isolate, they are getting a small glimpse into what it’s like to be chronically ill:
It’s extremely isolating and gets lonely
It’s difficult to make plans, because you don’t know what the future holds
At first it seems nice to watch Netflix all day, but that gets old real quick
It’s scary when/if you know the situation will get worse
There’s a ton of misinformation on social media, quacks who have “the cure"
There’s also people on social media who think you’re just being hysterical
You can’t just spend the days hanging out with friends and going to cafés.
The economic consequences are huge
You can become dependent on government benefits due to a situation out your control
Social media becomes a necessity for staying connected with the world
There’s a lot of worrying, uncertainty and anxiousness you will have to learn to live with
You realize what’s really important in life, and that you can’t take your health for granted
Dedicated healthcare workers are your heroes
You can’t do whatever you want, but you can learn to focus on the things you can control
This is obviously not a perfect comparison. Like we’re missing the symptoms, pain and fatigue 🤷🏼
This whole COVID-19 situation is terrible. But if a small good thing can come from this, I hope more people will realise that being isolated in your own home due to something out your control isn’t “nice time off”. It’s not fun when you don’t have a choice. And now that society is figuring out how to do so many things (like doctors appointments) digitally, I hope some of those services will remain open to the chronically ill and disabled people who could really use them in the future.
And while some reactions to the country shutdown has been negative and disrespectful, it is heartwarming to see how many people are stepping up, helping out their neighbours and doing whatever they can get to us through this. Thank you!
Whether you’re chronically ill or not, I’m sending you massive hug in these trying times ❤️
kaledo-art
2087
gummygunk
blakekathryn
titsay
annaxmalina
pixelskylines
