[oceanplexian]

I got the same symptoms of "long covid" and didn't even contract the virus. The lockdowns making it illegal to go to a bar or a sports game, worrying about finances and the economy, the incessant negative politics and media, wearing masks all day, replacing real human contact with computer screens and "Zoom Happy Hours"? All of these have given me the same symptoms: Anxiety. Fatigue. Brain Fog. Breathing issues. It seems like there is another disease going around and no one is talking about it.

[gnusty_gnurc]

> All of these have given me the same symptoms: Anxiety. Fatigue. Brain Fog. Breathing issues. It seems like there is another disease going around and no one is talking about it.

It feels great to see someone else with a similar experience.

As someone with a history of anxiety with somatic symptoms, I deal with this stuff, even digestive weirdness. How many times over the course of the pandemic have I felt like I can't breath?

I'm keenly aware of my mental health and how it affects me. I know that there are certain states of mind/dispositions that I need to assume in order to feel stable.

In normal times, I go about life and forget about my anxiety because my daily routine is a good distraction.

Maybe this isn't obvious to people without anxiety, but it's clear to me that way too many people are inhabiting unhealthy relationships with danger, fear, anxiety, etc.

And it's sad cause it seems like politics and technology is trapping people in that mindset.

I'm frankly sick and tired of the people condemning others as though it's immoral to not be afraid of COVID. You can understand COVID is potentially dangerous while not really worrying about it.

This is an essential technique for people with anxiety if they ever want to lead a normal and healthy life, but the zeitgeist is full on fire-and-brimestone moral righteousness and preaching if you're not absolutely consumed with fear and anxiety over a virus that almost all people survive.

I don't want to say "long COVID" isn't real especially since there so little understanding about any of this, but I would say it's more likely than not that many people are predisposed to somatic symptoms of anxiety, power of suggestion, etc. especially when large segments of the population are trapped inside for long periods of time and deprived of social activity.

[milesvp]

You are right that a lot of the symptoms can be attributed to other health issues around lockdown. I will say though, that I personally experienced a long period of weird fatigue just prior to lockdown. I’d had weird not quite flu symptoms that didn’t quite fit the covid symptom list at the time. But due to timing of dinner with someone who later tested positive for covid, I have reason to think I may have actually had covid.

The fatigue was really stange, like pushing my kids on the swing made me pause for strength. And chasing my kids for more than a few steps made me wheeze and gasp for breath.

The fatigue lasted at least a month. And was definitely different than the effects of anxiety that happened later. Especially since exercise tends to be invigorating for me in the face of anxiety.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t also lockdown related health problems conflating the issue, but I have personal reasons to think long covid is a thing, especially when looking at all the system the virus seems to ravage.

[adaml_623]

I agree with you that there is another disease going around but lots of people are talking about it.

I can't tell if you're making a joke but anxiety has all those symptoms and it's obviously increasing and people are talking about it.

[JimmyAxod]

I haven’t got anxiety at all. It’s very very different.