Pandemic

[jennyjoan]

Yes we have a pandemic of coronavirus but perhaps this has been mentioned - but I have said this before and I will say it again. There will be a pandemic of suicides in the near future.

Just watched such sad stories on Northern Ireland alone. All about money and business loss - I don't know how the economy will ever recuperate from this.

[Mamyalynne]

The effect on mental health is clear Jenny, you're right there - the recovery from all this will be long indeed.

[Canary42]

We got through 1914-18 and 1939-45, we'll get through this too.

[tinkerbell23]

Sadly , at least where I come from you could argue there was at least a HUGE issue with this already... pre-covid :0(

I agree with you x

[Mamyalynne]

I don't dent that we'll get through it Canary,it will be yet again a hard slog for many.

[ummmm]

It's easy to say we'll get through it but most people have friends, family and/or work colleagues. What about the people who are totally isolated? Especially rural areas where wifi is often rubbish as well.

[barry1010]

ummm, people living in rural areas can still use their landlines. If they have never relied on the internet they won't miss it.

[douglas9401]

Spare a thought for employees of Cervecería Modelo in all of this.

Anybody recall the slimming product Ayds?

[Ken4155]

"We got through 1914-18 and 1939-45..."
Our parents and grandparents got through those periods, Canary. A time when hope sprang eternal with the scant media of the day constantly informing them that the war would be won. There was a chink of light at the end of the tunnel - dim, maybe, but nonetheless there.
We are forever being told that they were made of 'sterner stuff', back in the day, and that a couple of generations on, we have become uber-reliant on a certain lifestyle. One which this virus has taken away from us and our endless sources of media are, in the main, painting a picture of doom and gloom.
Some people have worked an unhealthy amount of hours in building businesses up and for those faced with seeing their life's work ruined in just a few months, this endless stream of doom mongering must be soul-destroying.

[iluvmargie]

Totally agree jj. It's a very hard thing to have to live through, so many, many people affected in so many different ways. It's a nightmare, no doubt about it. Wish with all my heart and soul it was over.

[dannyk13]

Until people decide to wholeheartedly co-operate with the goverments rules and guidelines this will not go away in the foreseeable future.It will cause hardship but that is better than the alternative i.e having this virus with us forever and more deaths.

[jennyjoan]

good morning. Loads of suicide here pre-Covid, like one lady about 2 years ago, 3 of her sons done the awful thing

I do think this generation is not of the sterner stuff and they find general living day-to-day hard.

Whilst I lived through The Troubles here, everybody carried on but to me this virus is far far worse. Many curfews like having to be in for 10pm and all the other rules led to 40 years of bitterness and sadness but one thing about Troubles it stayed in Northern Ireland and not globally.

how can it (virus) be contained right across the world, not to mention all the illnesses that are being neglected due to no medical staff to cover them.

A guy was on TV last night and he and his wife just opened a new "wet" pub 3 weeks ago - now it is closed. They have 6 children and had put their all into the business. I just don't know.

[Canary42]

My post was meant to lift the gloom, but seems to have failed.

I don't need people to tell me about hardships of 1939-45, I was born during that period and lost my Dad to it, leaving Mum to bring up twins on her own.

[barry1010]

JJ, look at this graph of suicide rates in England and Wales since 1861. It shows that the number of people committing suicide has dropped a lot since its peak in the 1930s. I found it very interesting.

https://i.postimg.cc/T3v8crVD/suicide-rates.gif

[ummmm]

Barry...speaking to someone on the phone is not the same as face to face contact.

The only face to face convo I had yesterday was with the shop keeper (until my OH got home from work) I couldn't imagine that day after day.

[barry1010]

Many people prefer it like that, ummm. It is tough for a lot of people, either cooped up too long with too many people or not enough contact.
Still, it is possible to maintain close relationships over the phone as those with families who live far away will testify.

[Boto]

If I were cooped up with a lot of people all the time I would be considering suicide ( no not really but I would hate it).

[ummmm]

I completely understand where you're coming from.

I don't think we realise how much we interact though. I really dislike talking on the phone. It just isn't the same.

The part of Ireland my daughters family live...loads of suicides, especially among the young. Very rural, miles to the nearest town, it's even miles to the nearest church. There is nothing for them to do. Lock down has made things even hard.

It's mainly boys as well.

[iluvmargie]

Me too Boto.

[ummmm]

*harder

Boto...I got locked up with 6 other people. I hated it! All I thought about to make it bearable was that they were all clean and tidy.