Contact

Late with this because yesterday was full.

In isolation we all need to reach out where we can, and yesterday I had four contacts. All made me feel simultaneously better and worse.

Depression tends (for me) to lock me in my own head where negative niggles becomes bloody great un-ignorable shouts. Contacts help broaden horizons.  When really depressed I tend to shut down, I did when I got to my worst recently, but then that was what I needed because other voices were just too much. I removed social media from my phone so I not to be disturbed and now only go back on via a laptop, max of an hour a day, much more manageable.

My contacts were:

• A website. It was professional, took a bit of time, but we sorted some issues. That engendered a welcome sense of achievement.
• An editing job. I love helping people with their writing, so this felt good. But it also felt bad because it took me away from my writing, which I’m enjoying again. Though the edit isn’t urgent, a job is a job and must be done.
• My son. He lives away and he’s isolating with his partner who is vegetarian, allergic to gluten and suffers with an exhaustion condition. They are both fine, but because of that way they have to eat, they’re struggling to get hold of the right foods. The downside here was  feeling useless because there’s nothing this mum can do to help.
• My sister. Thankfully she and her family are safe, so upside! Downside – her wanting details of my illness which she got, but talking about it just made me feel bad.

Point is, now more than ever we need these contacts, especially those of us with mental health issues, so make sure you get them.