Is anybody else scared of 'freedom day' — Scope | Disability forum
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Is anybody else scared of 'freedom day'

CJ61
CJ61 Community member Posts: 70 Courageous
edited July 2021 in Coffee lounge
I struggle mentally with leaving the house at the best of times but now Im terrified to go out at all. I need to go to the Post Office to get some cash but Im too scared to go in case a person gets close to me or breathes on me. My usual state of anxiety is in overdrive and Im not sure how to deal with it. Im double jabbed but have several health conditions that probably make me vulnerable to Covid. I just dont know what to do. I also have an Occupational Health appointment via Adult Social Care next week to see if there are any aids that might help me. I also have my first Pain clinic coming up and I dont know if I'll be capable of attending because Im scared. Am I the only one who is scared?
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Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi there 

    I am sure you are not alone 

    You can still wear a mask and distance your self where possible and i am sure others will be too 

    The ot i would think will respect your wishes on entering your home 

    At the appointment again you can keep your distance and wear your mask and I would imagine they are still cleaning surfaces and checking temperature before entering 
  • Oxonlady
    Oxonlady Scope Member Posts: 566 Pioneering
    Hi @CJ61, I'm sorry to hear that you feel this way and I'm sure that there are many other people who feel the same.

    My personal view is different, but that's just me, I wouldn't expect others to think in the same way necessarily.

    The way I see it, whether I'm afraid or not makes no difference whatsoever to the way events pan out. It just makes me feel much worse to be in a state of fear. So I might as well just carry on regardless. Unfortunately, we've now come to view the outside world and other people as possible sources of infection and that is not a healthy state of mind. It will take some people years to overcome this and see the world as benign and normal again. 
    Since I don't see fear as serving any useful purpose, I prefer to keep calm and hopeful instead. But I won't pretend it's easy if you tend to be anxious. I've been consciously practicing calmness for a long time! 



  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    edited July 2021
    Hello @CJ61 and thanks for starting such an important thread.  I was wondering how our members were feeling about today as Scope, in conjunction with Yougov, recently carried out some research which found:
    ... high levels of worry among disabled people over the changes to rules on Monday, with more than half of respondents (54 per cent) saying they felt concerned about their risk of becoming seriously ill.

    The survey of 565 disabled people found only 2 per cent of disabled people said they feel safe, 48 per cent said they feel actively unsafe, and 22 per cent will continue to follow restrictions after 19 July, when social distancing will be scrapped and wearing face masks will no longer be mandatory in the majority of public places.
    I can appreciate how unsettling this time is, and as the statistics show you unfortunately aren't alone in feeling anxious.  Would a chat with your GP about your concerns help so you could get their input in relation to your individual circumstances?

    In terms of your healthcare appointments, I'm sure the staff will be observing best practice still around wearing personal protective equipment and following NHS recommendations.  Although, you might wish to make the staff aware, ahead of time, of your worries so they can offer more insight and reassurance into what will likely happen at the appointment and make provision for any added measures that would help.

    Do you have anyone you trust who could go to the post office for you until a time you feel less anxious?  If not, being stringent with wearing a mask, social distancing, hand washing etc are the best precautions.  I know this isn't ideal and I really wish I could make it 100% safe for everyone out there  <3 Do you feel you'll be able to get some cash?
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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,521 Disability Gamechanger
    We have been out today, taxis both ways, with no masks, most people in Tesco were wearing mask but we chose not to as we were in and out in 5 minutes, in Aldi everybody was wearing a mask and as its a much smaller store very difficult to social distance, but both of us had both jabs now for sometime and feel as secure as possible.
    However I appreciate that not everyone sees it the way we do.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • CJ61
    CJ61 Community member Posts: 70 Courageous
    @calcotti Thank you for the link. A very interesting and poignant article. I agree with everything it said and can relate to it.

    @Cher_Scope I dont have anybody to get my cash so I have to do it myself unfortunately. Im with the 48% who feel unsafe. I will wear a mask if I go out again even though I know it protects others and not me. It just seems the right thing to do.

    Just to make my day even better my car broke down on route (its underused) so had to get it taken to the garage and get a taxi home which I absolutely hate hate hate doing having had a bad experience with a taxi driver in the past. I had no choice this time  due to my spine problems and general anxiety I just cant walk far anymore. I had to ask the driver to wear a mask as he took it off ?????? when I got in the car!! He did do so but I could tell he wasnt happy. I felt physically sick when I got home. Im happy for people who feel safe about things but I do not. I think Id bet a good amount that we will be back in full lockdown again soon. Im all for opening everywhere up but surely it just makes sense to keep masks and social ditancing indoors and that way everybody gets to live a bit more normally again.
    Hope you all stay well and are enjoying the sunshine........too blooming hot for me  B)
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    Glad we still have to follow rules in wales masks and social distancing 
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Community member Posts: 542 Pioneering
    I’m on the clinically extremely vulnerable list, have had both jabs, but feel terrified at the thought of going out. We all know that vaccinations aren’t a ‘magic cure’, and at first I did feel a sense of relief when I had the 2nd one, but as we’re all aware, people are still dying despite having been vaccinated.

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    I am getting concerned about the rise in cases 

    Toby came home today from school saying out of 90 pupils in his year only 24 are in school all others are isolating or got covid 

    This is the worst it has been throughput the whole pandemic 

    Only 3 days left of school thankfully 

    We are due to go away in 11 days and will be gutted if we cant go 
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,521 Disability Gamechanger
    @janer1967 fingers crossed that you'll get on your holiday x
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    I am on a short break in my camper van with my mum at porthcawl for my birthday hsveing a fab time 
  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    I am on a short break in my camper van with my mum at porthcawl for my birthday hsveing a fab time 
    Enjoy it!

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