Attachment Disorder in the time of Coronavirus

Karen shares insight into living in isolation with Attachment Disorder, and how laughter is the best coping mechanism for her

16th April 2020, 10.00am | Karen

Hi fellow campaigners

I am a Champion and sufferer of mental health disorders. I also work full time for the NHS and am on the ‘frontline’ as I work in a CT department, where we scan COVID patients on a daily basis. From my personal experience this aspect of life is my job and makes me feel proud to be doing something positive whilst the world is under threat.

For anyone suffering from anxiety I’m sure these are very troubling times. I can’t say that I am overly anxious as I am not in an ‘at risk’ physical group. But for me I think the isolation aspect is the most difficult. Not seeing or being able to hug my friends and my family is really hard. I have an Attachment Disorder so it is quite important to me to feel loved and to feel connected to the people I love. I am grateful that the times that we live in enable technological contact and I find things like Facebook and What’s App an absolute godsend. My sisters frequently send me funny photos or videos. In never ceases to amaze me how us Brits find humour in even the darkest of times.

"I have used humour myself to come to terms with being diagnosed with a personality disorder...Laughter is such a good medicine."

I think that those who work in places like the NHS have a very dark humour anyway and it is a form of coping method. I have used humour myself to come to terms with being diagnosed with a personality disorder. If you are able to it can really help to laugh in the face of adversity. Perhaps anyone out there struggling at the moment can distract themselves for a while with comedy, be it a favourite tv show or just watching Facebook videos. Laughter is such good medicine. Wishing you all stay safe out there.

Karen 

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