Kari understands why some people with long COVID experience despair.
Transcript
I have said to my psychologist, I understand, not that I want to, but I understand why people take their life, because they truly feel like there’s no point and they’re at the end of their rope, because you know, you literally are grieving your previous life. We, I can’t do what I used to do, I, you know, so I’ve lost my social connections, I’ve lost my, I can’t work, so you lose that feeling of accomplishment and sense of contributing and all of that, let alone when I was stressed, my go-to was the gym, now I can’t do that, so how do you deal with stress now and yeah. It’s very hard and I’ve had many mental breakdowns. My anxiety, I never used to have anxiety, now I have big anxiety. I don’t like being around big groups of people. And we tried to go to a local hockey game one night and I just felt like all the conversations were just, everybody’s personal conversations were echoing in my head, like it’s so hard to explain. And then you feel like you’re completely losing it. And so, it’s a huge emotional and psychological rollercoaster.
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- Getting Care for Long COVID – KariKari got sick at work and attends a COVID program through Worker's Compensation (WCB) as well as another community-based COVID clinic.
- Seeking Information About Long COVID – KariKari digs deeper rather than taking information at face value.
- Additional Supports Needed for People Living with Long COVID – KariKari explains why there needs to be more mental health support for people living with long COVID.
- Additional Supports Needed for People Living with Long COVID – KariKari wishes that people would offer to help with everyday tasks without her having to ask.
- People with Long COVID Advocating for Themselves – KariKari had to advocate hard to get the specialist test she needed.
- Support From Family, Friends, Communities – KariKari's husband didn't understand what long COVID feels like until it happened to him.
- Additional Expenses – KariKari says, the mental health side of long COVID is massive.
- Impacts on Work and Career – KariKari wonders if she'll ever be able to return to nursing.
- Coping Strategies and Self Care – KariKari now listens to her body.
- Advice to Healthcare Providers – KariKari explains why she appreciated her doctor's acknowledgement.