How are you feeling about COVID?

CN: discussion of COVID-19 and responses, may be particularly triggering for people who are experiencing anxiety about the virus.

I have a lot of feelings about the coronavirus situation that might be somewhat controversial and that I've been worried about expressing. I'm posting this here because I think my experience as a CSA survivor has a lot to do with it, and am wondering if others who have been through similar experiences feels similarly.

Essentially, I believe that the virus is real and dangerous but am not worried about it. I am somewhat confused by other people's worried reactions and by how much people are taking this seriously. That reaction confused me because I also believe it is serious, but I think my confusion comes from it feeling like there are so many other things to worry about, and coronavirus is just one thing. Since the world already feels really dangerous to me, adding one more danger doesn't significantly raise how scared I am in general. I wonder if other people generally feel fairly safe in the world, and that this experience of feeling danger is new to them, and that explains the differences in our reactions? Because I don't understand how the world is "unsafe" now but will feel "safe" to people when all of this is over. That's just one danger, and it isn't even one of the most likely ones (for most people).

I think I'm also feeling some resentment, because the whole world has changed to accommodate both the danger of the virus and people's feelings about it, and people's reactions are validated. Which of course is a good thing, but a lot of people who are most bothered by COVID are the same people that tell me I need to get over my PTSD and move on with life. It's hard to see the whole world change for this but also know that I've had to change myself when I've felt that the world was unsafe.

Does any of this make any sense to anyone?

Dear Catlovers141,

Make's sense to me! I think your feelings are totally understandable. The questions you ask are pretty much the same ones I raise in my life. People not struggling against mental illnesses cannot really understand how difficult the SARS-CoVID pandemic makes life for us. I hope you will get many responses to your post. In my case, I will be glad when there is a safe and effective vaccine available if one becomes available. Any lessening of anxiety would be so welcome.

Sincerely yours, Yao Wen