“I am not even close to alright.”
The swell of chaos eventually dissipated into a reverberating chaotic monotonyexcruciating and stagnant all at once.
Though regardless of the varying magnitudes, post-traumatic stress has reared its ugly head at an unrelenting rate.
Most of the time its good because it helps us in our daily functions.
But it can turn bad quickly when our thoughts are consumed with negative outcomes.
The PTSD brain will start to see its triggers everywhere.
This can lead to a phobic response even to the simplest things.
“It can be just a matter of time before an emotionally-charged event triggers PTSD symptoms, he explains.
Margie Warrell.As is said in coaching, breakdowns precede breakthroughs.
Stocksy/Design by Cristina Cianci
The larger the breakdown, the more transformative the potential breakthrough.
Regardless of the treatment modality, the most important thing is knowing when to turn to treatment.
By understanding their struggles, we can be better allies, friends, and neighbors.
The most difficult aspect to process was how much death we were seeing.
It was hard to process that we werent enough or no matter what we did we couldnt save everyone.
It never gets easier to see patients slowly dying without their family by their side.
Stocksy/Design by Cristina Cianci
This has immensely affected my everyday life.
I dont feel as lighthearted as I once was prior to the pandemic.
I want people to know that we are human and have gone through hell over the past year.
Stocksy/Design by Cristina Cianci
I want people to know that kindness goes a long way and to be patient with us.
I want people to know that we are human and have gone through hell over the past year.
I want people to know that kindness goes a long way and to be patient with us.
It is a long road ahead, but with the kindness of others, it will help us heal.
It sounds morbid, but it is the truth.
This would have never been so profound if it wasnt for the pandemic.
People had no choice but to sit and watch with no distractions, which was unfortunate, but powerful.
I work with a very diverse clientele in Westchester County.
Depression and anxiety have many faces and it looks different for Black women.
I wanted to share what I was learning as I was going through my own challenges.
Depression and anxiety have many faces and it looks different for Black women.
These past 10 months have been eye-opening and draining, heart-warming and heart-breaking all in the same breath.
Im unsubscribing to being the front line worker and at the front of the protest.
I’m unsubscribing from trying to save the world.
I just want to save Eden.
As a Black woman, Im so tired of fighting and wearing a cape.
My delivery was anything but standard right from the minute we pulled into the parking lot.
I was informed thisactuallymeant a maximum of two hours.
We said a tearful goodbye and my daughter and I were on our way.
We arrived at a new unit, which was literally in an entirely separate building.
It took about 10 minutes to get from the main hospital to the new building.
(By small, I mean the handicapped bathrooms at Target are bigger than this one was.)
There was, of course, no actual nursery, so rooming-in was the only option.
The nursing staff was absolutely incredible, especially considering the circumstances they were working under.
All in all, it could have been better, but it certainly could have been alotworse.
They’ll give a shot to downplay the severity, or question if it really happened that way.
Yes, I do.
One-off cases are not, nor have they ever been, what we’re dealing with.
This response ignores all of colonialism.
I’ve been seeing way too many media outlets couching their language when reporting on anti-Asian hate crimes.
Reactions that only serve to compound violence with more violence.
As in most cases, don’t make those undergoing the trauma do the emotional labor for you.
Start by not reacting in a way that enacts more violence on oppressed groups.
The rest of the resources are out therelook it up.
This is when I found out we were both positive for COVID-19.
It honestly came as a surprise.
We take all the precautions necessary, but you never know who may be carrying the virus.
The symptoms were the most surprising part.
I consider myself to be in fairly good shape.
Two days later, I had trouble standing up.
My lungs had inflammation and mucus, which made it difficult to breathe.
There was one night when I just could not find a good position to breathe.
I had to sit down with my head on the dining table to sleep.
Thats when I realized how people end up on ventilators.
Its been about a month since I tested positive and Im still not fully recovered.
It took about four days for the fever, heavy breathing, body aches and heavy fatigue to subside.
Until this day, my lungs have some inflammation so I put my running on pause.
There are moments of fatigue and heavy breathing when carrying out normal daily activities.
My smell and taste are about 90% back.
Each day it gets a little better.
The main emotion that kept running through my head was surprise.
I did not think it would get that bad for me.
I havent hugged my parents since March 2020.
I see them occasionally while wearing masks, but its not the same.
My family used to have big parties to celebrate holidays, birthdays, baby showers, weddings, etc.
Those were all limited to Zoom calls this year.
We are just thankful that everyone is healthy and safe.
Bianca Lambert, beauty writer
Truthfully, its hard to put into words.
That is a fact that still keeps me up at night.
Deadlines still had to be met.
People were posting their regularly scheduled content as if nothing was happening.
The lack of acknowledgment of what was going on was infuriating.
But, to say I was surprised wouldnt be truthful.
Because of that, I said yes to everything.
Doing simple things like driving to the store became a challenge.
I couldnt drive even three miles without feeling panicked or anxious.
I am much better these days.
My therapist, Shelly, has changed my life.
My grandad passed during the pandemic.
I had planned to spend more time with him in 2020.
He was 96 years old, but he was still so vibrant.
He cut hair and tended to his gardens (he was a farmer) until he was 95.
He could remember dates and birthdays.
His memory was unmatched.
COVID-19 made that impossible.
I still dont feel like Ive had a chance to grieve him properly.
So, I watched his service on Zoom, which was so strange.
How to you properly say goodbye that way?
The one thing that gives me some level of comfort are the videos and voice recordings I have.
I can hear his voice.
I can hear him laugh.
I can hear our family history.
I dont know how we ever go back to normal, and I dont think I mind that.
Our normal isnt good.
I want people to know I am a proud Black woman from the city of Atlanta.
Black people have always found ways not just to survive, but thrive in the face of adversity.
The buildout took six months and cost over $100,000 between loans and maxing out credit cards.
Literally every penny I had went into the buildout of the gym.
I wasn’t able to afford contractors to do the buildout.
Thankfully, I was able to complete the buildout myself with the help of friends and family.
When I was first learning about COVID, I was extremely concerned about the safety of my members.
Initially, I thought this closure was going to last a few weeks or a month at most.
I immediately started doing IG Live videos and Zoom Classes.
In June, we started doing outdoor classes at the park which remain ongoing even today.
I became severely depressed.
That’s my passion!
How can I do that while also having to pay the mortgage on my home and personal bills?
I didn’t see how.
I emailed my landlord and gave 30 days notice of closing my doors.
So here I am, still riding out the wave.
The health club industry took a huge hit during COVID.
I think enhanced cleaning routines and social distancing measures will stay in place for a long time.
Never underestimate the power of family, friends, and love.
Patients needed to be manually ventilated and placed on portable oxygen tanks until more arrived later in the day.
I remember thinking that nursing school doesnt prepare you for these kinds of situations.
After the call, I held the patients hand as she passedits a moment Ill never forget.
This has changed my life in more ways than I think I even realize.
I attempt to distract myself on days off, but it has become increasingly difficult.
I frequently dream about patients and my experiences with them.
These dreams are often filled with fear, and I sometimes have to reset myself when I wake up.
I dont think this field could be the same after the year weve had.
I think people may be underestimating the impact of this pandemic on healthcare providers.
I want people to reach out to their loved ones in the healthcare field and check in.
The kind, supportive, and grateful words from loved ones have made all the difference throughout this experience.
