Is It Just Me???

Hi @Elephanthart

At times like this, it can be hard to nail down precise causes of things like our anxiety or depression. I suspect that you, like all of us, are in an elevated state of anxiety simply from the pandemic alone, so that probably is a factor.

If you were unhappy about having it in the first place, then that discomfort may be what's causing your anxiety, rather then a biological reaction to the drug. Though obviously I'm no expert, so I can't make a diagnosis. I'm just offering an alternate possibility.

Do you have a GP you can talk to about your concerns about side-effects, such as your increased anxiety?

In the meantime, do you have any relaxation/distration methods you like to use to alleviate anxiety?

@Elephanthart - No it's not just you. I feel it's part of us being stuck in a loop of new conferences and an extended period of being unstable, where we are unsure of what will happen next.

It's also has a level of paranoia about it, as you don't know who could make you sick and you have to hope people are doing the right things, but deep down we know there are others who won't.

@chibam is right.. if it's getting too much, go and see your GP. At the same time, get away from the technology, get out a drawing pad and do some colouring and just be present in creating something beautiful.

When it gets too much, make sure you have some internet-free time. No tv new, no Facebook etc.

Me personally, I turn my phone off for 48 hours. I spent time outside, I cook, and I play old games that distract me such as diablo. I feel at this point in time, technology is feeding our anxieties as we are plugged into them and all we are seeing is negativity.

@Elephanthart

From what I have seen, the divisive moralising about covid strategies has been draining on mental health for many people and relationships with families, with people dealing with fear of virus, fear of rejection, fear of blame of transmission, when there may not have been a Covid virus within cooee. I am in process of complying, as it my usual approach, but very ambivalent about it, as I have seen the issue with creeping medical tyranny all too strongly in my family. At least the lady who administered vax, had the decency to stop asking if I was "happy" to get it ... when I explained my current circumstances with my son. She asked 3 times ... it was not enough for me to comply I was supposed to be happy about it. Not sure if this feeds into some of your concerns. I may have read it wrong.

I have been looking at the science about for 2 years and find these people sensible about it, just my opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6fO1zdbSgQ

I'm not an immunologist (or any 'ologist, really). It's hard fo me to not put out there that some times I think there ae significant psychosomatic to people's vaccine experience.

I haven't been checking data and I'm only me but, I'm mindful of immunity and pro-vaccine. I spent the whole wait time telling my immune system to be on high alert for new viruses and to (eventually) receive the vital intel, they needed to know, what they're patrolling for.

Maybe my experiences are making my programming.

Maybe my programming is making my experiences.

Maybe not really either.

But, besides a little creak that quickly went away, day one of my vaccination, I felt strong, empowered, complete, readier for the world.

If I didn't have that reaction, I would have gone into vaccine assimilation mode. It's very important to me that my immune system knows who's who and what's what. Otherwise you get hay-fever. And I would hate that. If I ever got hay-fever, I would go into pollen-assimilation mode.

I'm not saying our reactions are a choice, because I just can't say that without the right info.

If, it is a choice, that is how I choose.

For me, the social implications of everything going on is what I struggle with.

Social-assimilation-mode = complicated.

If only bad people had tell-tale spike proteins on them, so I would know who to swiftly devour.

@AussieRecharger The original Diablo is my favourite game. I played all the characters. Best game ever imho.

Thanks for you suggestion to get off technology. However, i am 100% deaf in one ear & profoundly hearing impaired in the other, so technology is the main way I stay in touch with people. My question is related to the affects of the Pfizer on mental health, not about the social media. I have experienced really bad reactions to so many drugs in the past hence the question about the vaccine.

@Elephanthart I will speak to my experience, which is all anyone can speak to really isn't it

I live with anxiety and one of the things I struggle with is unknowns. Depending on where I'm at I can be fairly okay with unknowns and kinda cruise through my days without too much fuss. At other times when the anxiety is doing it's thing, I am anything but okay with unknowns.

Now for me, as it is for most people, COVID is a fairly significant unknown. We've been asked to change so much about our lives, how we interact with others, and even what we put in our bodies. That's a pretty big deal for anyone, let alone for those of us who live with mental health struggles.

I know a lot of people in my circle who were understandably anxious about getting the vaccine, but they made the choice based on science and for the common good. I was one of those people – I was anxious. I felt anxious before, I felt anxious during and I felt anxious after, and I wasn't at all surprised by that given my history with anxiety.

Did I feel any mental health side effects as a result of the vaccine itself? I don't believe so. Anything I feel pre-dated the vaccine. My best advice would be to have a chat with your GP, because beyond personal experiences (which are anecdotal), a trusted GP will be your best guide on this topic.

@Clawde Sweetheart how are you?xxx

@Elephanthart

I am not quite sure what you mean by " My question is related to the affects of the Pfizer on mental health". The vaccine was developed to treat Covid and thats a virus and not a mental health issue.

Can you elaborate a little more on what you are thinking?

I know you mentioned bad reactions, are you talking more generally about Bias's such as confirmation bias, looking for answers to support your own conclusions and when you don't find them, feeling stressed as you don't have answers to support the answers you want?

Hello @Bunniekins, I'm slowly figuring out what's going on with my brain & why I'm feeling so mentally unsteady. I think the whole fear of having the vaccine, PTSD from past experiences with drugs and other traumatic medical matters that have happened to me, the fact that the current tidal wave of out breaks everywhere makes it still unsafe for me to go to most places, is all sending my mental state in a spin. I have many chronic illnesses including MS & asthma, so having the vaccine was a huge risk for me. I'm fully vaxed now but it doesn't make me feel free to be out & about. I'm mask exempted & hearing impaired, which means I have to carry letters from my doctors to support my exemption, wear a badge to show people that I can't understand them & to lower their masks, plus now I have to have proof that I'm fully vaxed. It's getting to hard. I'm still in the same position as I was before being vaccinated. Hope that makes sense.

@AussieRecharger @chibam @wellwellwellnez