Lockdown binge eating and inactivity a 'health time bomb' according to Yorkshire council

It's been an interesting week with lots of mental health stories being published once again.

I think the media are going to have to be careful about what they concentrate on regarding mental health issues, because there's so much of it at the moment, and it's not all focusing on the real problem facing people today which isn't mental health/wellbeing it's mental ILLNESS!

With 'Hurricane Meghan' all over our headlines and news feeds this week, and the Piers Morgan comments about her 'making up' her suicidal thoughts, we are once again all falling out and getting angry with each other, which doesn't actually help anyone!

The whole issue is so controversial, but if Meghan did have suicidal thoughts then is she telling us that she was suffering from mental illness? Why didn't she say that? Her description of what happened didn't make sense - 'this was very real' - as a sufferer I'd never describe mental illness like that, so what is she really talking about?

There was no explanation of symptoms and how it all manifested, and why didn't she get help? She would have had access to all the top psychiatrists in the world!

When Princess Diana had her issues with bulimia and self-harm she told us in later interviews that psychiatrists and psychologists flooded Kensington Palace on a daily basis for weeks and weeks.

None of what Meghan said about suicidal thoughts made sense to me at all, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens next I suppose.

Anyway, back to today's subject of lockdown and the impact on mental health.

There was an article on the BBC News page on Thursday, which discussed and highlighted the potential impact of a 'health time bomb' as a result of inactivity and isolation due to lockdown restrictions.

I can see why this might happen, with so many people being lulled into inactivity as a result, and binge watching Netflix while over-eating and guzzling alcohol to pacify their boredom.

The East Riding of Yorkshire's council warns of all of this creating a 'time bomb', since most of their GP's are reporting that for many of their patients, receiving the vaccine is the first time in a year that they have left the house.

According to the article there will be two groups of people to emerge from the pandemic.

The first will have found a way to combat the restrictions by maintaining exercise and healthy eating routines regardless, and the second will have subconsciously lapsed into inactivity and unhealthy coping strategies.

According to the article, it is this second group that could develop problems with their mental health in the form of apprehension and anxiety.

I mentioned social anxiety in a post earlier this week, and I can see how all of these mental health problems could manifest from being stuck indoors, and effectively isolated for such long periods.

However, I don't see how people could stop going out completely and resort to food and alcohol in order to fill the void of boredom, because there are so many things that I've been doing to keep myself going through all of this.

Admittedly, when I was depressed I couldn't do any of these things, but these examples are for the 'normal mad' who are looking to improve and maintain a sense of mental wellbeing during these challenging times.

Now that I am well enough to help myself, I have been doing so many things to relieve boredom and stay healthy through lockdown.

I'm walking miles everyday and getting plenty of fresh air and light exposure, but I'm surprised to not be seeing more people out and about. I know that gyms and team sports are all closed and cancelled, but that doesn't mean that you can't get out and exercise. I think a lot of people are using the restrictions as an excuse to be lazy!

I've also been keeping busy with my writing (blog and book), and trying to find literary representation. I really want an agent to help me to make the book shine and to get it to all the people who need it.

I have had more interest this week, but nothing has been confirmed or decided yet, and I am concerned that those who are considering it do not realise the importance of its combined self-help and memoir format.

Unless you've had crippling depression and bipolar disorder then how could you? But I know that it is very important because there's a cathartic benefit to be gained through both elements, that only another sufferer could really appreciate. Anyone know a literary agent?! Please help!

Anyway, I won't give up in my mission to get the book out there and will continue to try and get plucked out of the slush pile, so watch this space for future developments!

What has everyone else been up to recently? Have people discovered new passions as a result of lockdown? I would love to hear some uplifting stories rather than doom and gloom!

If you would like to read the BBC News article about the potential of 'a health time bomb' then you can find it here.

Have a great weekend everyone, and get ready for more revelations and educational mental health insights next week!

Thanks for reading,

Speak to you soon,

TR

www.dyingtostayalive.com