Category: Mental Health

The Government Does Not Care

On By Joel AgiusIn COVID-19, Mental Health, Politics & SocietyLeave a comment

What I’m seeing in the world right now, particularly in my own country, can be described in many ways: depressing, infuriating, devastating, shocking, terrifying, heartless, demonic, and so many more. With each passing week, almost each day, there are new restrictions, new lockdowns, new ways of expanding the tyrannical reign of power-obsessed individuals who have not lost anything. While everyone else is subjected to rules made up by politicians and bureaucrats circumventing their own laws, including the Constitution itself (which has practically become a meaningless document to them now), egged on of course by the media and their loyal subservient subjects who for some absurd reason still believe the government actually cares about them, the same elites are running rampant, breaking the rules they impose, and still making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in salaries.

If the government cared about you, why would they limit your exercise? If the government cared about you, why would they isolate you, locking you in your own homes for weeks and months on end, causing unknowable damage to your mental health, and preventing you from coming into contact with germs so that your immune system does not become weakened? If the government cared about you, why would they come out each and every day to fearmonger, and run advertisements that seek to scare you into submission? If the government cared about you, why would they do everything in their power to stop you from working, to shut down your businesses, to take your livelihoods from you, causing excessive amounts of stress, which is known to incapacitate the immune system? If the government cared, they wouldn’t be doing all they can to destroy your lives, to destroy your health, to destroy your own natural immune system.

Quite frankly, the government couldn’t care less about you. No matter what you do, they will still impose restrictions, they will still impose lockdowns, they will still refuse to relinquish power, they will still refuse to give you back your freedoms. We are now more than a year and a half into “two weeks to flatten the curve”. We are now more than a year and a half into “the deadliest virus on the planet”. And yet the vast majority of us are all still here, still under varying degrees of imprisonment.

Throughout this period, families have been kept apart. People have been unable to visit their loved ones, even when those loved ones are critically ill or dying. Kids have been kept from seeing their friends at school and forming important emotional bonds for the betterment of their own development. We have normalized covering our faces constantly with masks that don’t even keep out asbestos particles, let alone the virus particles, staying away from friends and family, and being overly cautious with what we touch and what we do, teaching our kids that this is how society is apparently supposed to function. A healthy society does not function in this manner. All we’re really doing is creating a generation of kids and young people who will have trouble forming relationships in their lives and will end up feeling overwhelming loneliness. We are creating a generation that will be plagued by mental illness.

This is already evident in that thousands upon thousands of calls are being made to mental health and suicide helplines. Just yesterday, there were more than 3500 calls in one day to Lifeline. That is the largest number they’ve seen in a single day in more than 58 years. Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that 75% of young people said that the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health (and two-thirds said their studies had suffered). In Victoria, the government has tried to hide a report showing increases in major mental health issues arising from the constant lockdowns and restrictions. It showed that the number of teenagers rushed to hospital after self-harming and having suicidal thoughts spiked by 51%, equating to 148 per week. It also showed a 26% increase in serious eating disorders, and a 34% increase in new eating disorders, increasing from a weekly average of 654 in 2020 to 878 this year. Average weekly emergency department presentations for children aged up to 17 has been running at 319, a 27% increase from 2020. But when asked about young people dying under restrictions, specifically eight young girls who had taken their own lives, Daniel Andrews has been dismissive, acting as if these kids are not taking their own lives because of his selfish actions. This is a mental health crisis, and it has been described as a “shadow pandemic. If anything, it is the real pandemic, and it is only occurring because of the lockdowns and heavy-handed restrictions imposed upon society.

What has been pervaded upon society is truly inhumane. And there are several groups of people who are responsible. These include: the government, unelected bureaucrats, the media, and all those who support the constant lockdowns and arbitrary restrictions. Every single one of these people is complicit in one of the most egregious abuses of power ever seen in history.

The government are making the rules up as they go. They’re changing them at a moment’s notice. They always make the claim that it’s “based on the health advice”. Well, unless they’re willing to actually put up the “health advice”, then I find it difficult to believe they are actually basing these decisions on such “advice”. Rather, many of these decisions have been imposed as a means of taking more power and control. They’ve even admitted so themselves at some points, stating that certain restrictions like the 9pm-5am curfews, which have no place in peacetime and do nothing to stop the virus (it’s not magically going to become nocturnal and only attack at night), have been imposed only to make the jobs of the police easier. That is all it is, and that is all it ever has been. Unelected bureaucrats also play a role in this, given they are practically the “health advice”. Whatever they deem fit, when most of them are unqualified to be making such decisions anyway, is made rule of law and enforced by police who ignore real crime while walking around and visiting people’s homes with the military to ensure compliance with these absurd unlawful measures.

Small businesses have suffered while corporations have grown, demonstrating that what the government is engaged in, other than destroying people’s lives and mental welfare, is a giant transfer of wealth from small business to big business. Your local small mom and pop store or the like are forced to close down, many going out of business, while big supermarket chains like Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, Big W, Target, and the like remain open, unscathed. Small business owners lose their share of the market, that share being handed over to big business with the help of the government.

The media’s complicity lies in their hunger for ratings, views, and clicks. The virus has provided them with a seemingly never-ending source of stories, so it’s unsurprising that they so desperately want it to continue. The press has also been engaging in constant fearmongering and have been hard-pressed to actually do their jobs and duty to the people of this nation and hold the government to account for their abrasive actions. Some in the media have been acting in appalling manners, bullying those who do not wish to have the vaccine and being quite abusive. Others have just sat on their hands and allowed the narrative to continue unfettered. There are the courageous few who have braved the inevitable backlash of speaking against the approved narrative, speaking out against the lockdowns and the restrictions, speaking out against vaccine passports and vaccine mandates, and I applaud them for doing so. They are true honest journalists, something that is hard to find in this day and age. Most in the media are more than happy to sit on their hands, repeat the cycle of fear-inducing news, call for harsher lockdowns and restrictions, and take their pay, which, like politicians, bureaucrats, and public servants, is unaffected by said restrictions and lockdowns.

And then there are those in the public who support the arbitrary measures imposed by our so-called “leaders”. Now many of these people are probably public servants whose wages are paid by the taxpayer, and so they are more than happy for the restrictions to continue considering it does not affect their income. Some, however, are not. Some are just so absorbed by what the government has promised them that they’ll believe anything they say and defend them without question. By now, people should have learnt that the government does not stick to their promises, that their word is meaningless. There have been so many instances where the government have said something would happen and it didn’t, and vice versa. For example, earlier this year, Scott Morrison said there would be no mandatory vaccines. Cut to today, and vaccines are now mandatory in several sectors of work, likely to be expanded to more. We were told there would be no vaccine passports, that they were a “conspiracy theory”. Now, they are a reality, and are being used as a tool to coerce people into getting the vaccine so that they may rejoin society. Scott Morrison has also announced that he is in favour of medical segregation, of which these vaccine passports play a major role. Gladys Berejiklian told us curfews don’t work; now we have curfews. NSW Health, among others, told us that there has not been one case of outdoor transmission since the start of the pandemic. Not long after, Gladys imposed mask mandates when leaving the premises of your home (even when you’re outside, walking the dog, alone).

Politicians don’t keep their promises. It’s about time people woke up to this reality. They’re not going to give you a reward for being a good subservient member of society. They’re not going to give you that pat on the back that you crave for dobbing in your neighbour. People who are doing that should just lock themselves in their homes and hide under their doona for the rest of their lives. If you are actively advocating for arbitrary measures, especially vaccine passports and mandates, then you really don’t deserve your freedom, because, quite frankly, you don’t value it, and you certainly do not care about the freedoms of your fellow citizens.

In fact, you are complicit in all the atrocities being purveyed upon what was once a free society by the government. You are supporting them in stopping people from seeing their dying relatives. You are supporting them in creating what is shaping up to be one of the worst mental health crises of our time. You are supporting them in destroying people’s lives, livelihoods, businesses, and education. You are supporting them in arresting and locking up people who just want their lives back (those people are not criminals). You are supporting this government tyranny, this rule without restraint. We have seen this occur in the past, and those who have been on the side of the ruling party have not been remembered fondly.

Let me make something very clear: the government is not your friend. They are not your carer. They are there to serve the people, and, right now, they are only serving themselves. They have become so corrupted by power, control, and greed. They have had the nerve to give themselves pay raises, paid for by us, while so many Australians suffer from the disastrous impact of their actions. Your compliance is not going to put an end to this. It will only prolong it.

And if you’re going to retort with something like: “if we all just do the right thing, we’ll get out of this sooner”, or “I know it’s hard and I want to see my family too, but that can’t happen until people do the right thing”, or even the tired old line “we’re all in this together”, you’re tragically incorrect. We have seen that complying only encourages those in power to continue down the avenue of complete control. Other people “not doing the “right” thing” are not who you should be blaming. The only people keeping you from living how you want to live and seeing your family are the government. So instead of directing your anger or disgust or even despair to other members of the general public, direct it toward those in power who are making these horrendous, inhumane decisions, and call them out on it. And are certainly not all in this together. Those in public office, in the media, and anyone else on the taxpayer dollar have not lost anywhere near as much as those in the general public. If we were really “all in this together”, they’d all take major pay cuts.

This does not end until we put an end to it. It’s a game of bluff. When those in power are called on it, they will inevitably panic and either make mistakes or backtrack rapidly. It is up to us to call their bluff and dam the waters of tyranny before they overflow.

The Self-Conscious Mind

On By Joel AgiusIn Human Condition, Mental Health, PersonalsLeave a comment

Have you ever had a thought that was probably ridiculous, but to you it seemed real, it seemed like a possibility? Taking that thought, have you spent hours, maybe even days or weeks, just letting that thought run wild in your mind over and over, creating a whirlwind of anxiety, stress, worry, or whatever other negative emotions might present themselves? Your stomach drops, you begin to obsess over that thought, you begin to think it is reality itself. You have to do whatever you can to distract yourself from it, and, while you may succeed in the short-term, the thought eventually returns to the forefront of your mind, and you once again become consumed by it. It is a mentally taxing and exhausting process, yet difficult to keep at bay.

Have you ever had to make a decision, to formulate a message or a response or the like, and questioned every aspect of it, thinking of every possible outcome you can, arraying them in your mind, allowing them to occupy every inch of space there is inside? Subsequently, have you ever spent hours, days, or weeks trying to come to your final decision, to just make a choice and allow the events that will follow to play out, wasting countless hours that could have been spent actually getting on with life, living it to its full potential, even spending it in the splendour of a well-made decision?

This is what it is like to be self-conscious, to overthink things so much that you lose valuable time doing what you love, being with who you want to be with.

I’m going to say this from the outset: this is what I deal with on, at the very least, a semi-regular basis. I am quite self-conscious, more so when it comes to making decisions I consider to be of great importance, even life-changing, or when talking to people that I really want to get along with and connect more with on a deeper level. I never want to come across as being overbearing, as being annoying, and I never want to put someone off. That is why I sometimes spend more time thinking over what I might say to someone, whether or not I’ll send that message, whether or not I’ll take that opportunity. I consider every possible outcome I can think of, and that can be overwhelming. It is particularly so when the one outcome that always seems to come into focus is the worst possible one, stealing the limelight and forcing you to think about it far more than you would like to. It is hard to shake the thought that this outcome could be the one that transforms into reality. Sometimes I just have to take up the mantra of “no risk, no reward” and just do it, in the hope that one of the good outcomes will manifest.

Being someone who has anxiety, it is tough to deal with these sorts of moments. Times like those mentioned above are typically when the anxiety comes on more, escaping from the depths of the abyss and beginning its takeover of my mind and body. There are several ways that I deal with this: praying, writing, listening to music, watching something (usually an episode of a television series), exercising, cooking, or giving my little dog Ellie lots of hugs, pats, and attention. Sometimes, in the case of something that is really important to me that I really don’t want to mess up, I go see my psychologist and talk it out, because talking to someone about it can really help. It lets you take that swirling thought out of your mind and put it in front of you, so that you can better process it.

I think that being so self-conscious stems from a history of being shy. Throughout my life, I have been quite shy, particularly in social situations where I’m meeting new people. To some degree, I think my self-conscious mind activates in these circumstances, whereby I think about how I might come across to the person I am meeting; I consider the first impression I’m making upon them. This might continue for the duration of the time spent with that person, and in subsequent meetings, depending on how I relate to them and the connection I form with them.

It tends to get more intense if I am meeting or talking to someone I really don’t want to mess up a connection with, particularly when that connection is something I personally see as incredibly special. This is often because these kinds of connections don’t come around often, and so you really have to make sure you treat them well; you have to make sure you nurture them, you allow them to develop, to deepen. But, trust me, it can sometimes be mentally draining to navigate that. Again, this is where the overthinking occurs. You might see or hear or read something and possibilities begin to race through your mind like cars in a drag race; They are hard to ignore, because the noise of each thought fills the expanse of your mind, each racing to the finish line, the forefront of your mind. The irritating thing is that oftentimes the thought that wins that race is the one containing the worst-case scenario. That thought is the one that becomes all-consuming. It’s the one you just cannot seem to shake. It takes a hold on your mind and grips you, giving you the very confronting idea that this possibility will transform into reality, and you will have to live it out not just in the worst parts of your imagination, but also in real life. That’s when your stomach drops, and the anxiety starts to come on. It is one of the worst feelings one can have.

When I find myself in such a circumstance, I do what I can to try to steer my mind away from that possessive thought. But this can be a difficult task. It is not easy to distract yourself from something that is so overwhelmingly, well, bad, particularly when it is running rampant in your mind, causing as much chaos as it can. Some distractions work better than others, but it depends entirely on the individual. As I mentioned before, you could listen to some music (even dance it out; it doesn’t have to be good dancing, but just working off the nervous/anxious/negative energy can be relieving), watch a television show (it might be an episode of a series you’re enjoying, maybe a few episodes) or movie (it could even be one that you’ve seen before, but that is comforting for you; the same applies to the television show), read a book (although this may be somewhat less helpful given it may be hard to focus on what you’re reading when those thoughts are swirling around in your mind), listen to an audiobook or podcast, do some exercise (again, a good workout can be a great way to shake off that negative energy), cook/bake something, or, if you’re religious like me, pray (this can be such a soothing and cathartic experience).

For me, faith has played a truly significant role in helping me through difficult situations, especially when I’m in a mental predicament like those mentioned above throughout this piece. Sometimes when I start overthinking things a lot, and I become consumed by the worst-case scenario thought, I spend time with God, praying, asking Him for guidance, asking Him for help. I ask Him to give me hope, to keep that spark, that flame, alive in my heart. I talk to God and tell Him how I’m feeling, I tell Him all I’m thinking. I tell Him all my greatest hopes and my deepest fears. Sometimes it is difficult to put those thoughts and feelings and hopes into words. But when it is, I think God can still see them, can still understand them. He knows what is in our hearts, even when we cannot find the words to express it. That’s one of the many amazing things about God and about faith. You have this divine, omnipresent Being that is with you no matter where you are, no matter what you are going through. You can talk to Him at any time, anywhere. He will always be there to listen. He will always be there to hear your deepest thoughts, your greatest desires, your tearful pleas, your cries for help, your prayers of gratitude. He is with us at our lowest lows and our highest highs. That is what makes faith so special. Because no matter what struggles you are going through, He will always walk beside you, He will always be there for you, to give you comfort, to give you peace.

Being self-conscious is a difficult challenge to overcome. Being in your own head about everything is a constant struggle, one which takes much subconscious self-restraint, patience, and practice to deal with. It is not something you can just shake off overnight. It takes time to figure out how to combat it, how to restrain it. I think we all struggle with such things to some degree, some of us more than others. Sometimes just talking about it helps us to get out of our own heads and gives us a valuable opportunity to process the thoughts that refuse to be quiet.

For those out there like myself, I know how difficult it can be to manage a self-conscious mind, to overthink so many things. But take comfort in knowing you are not alone, and that there are ways of dealing with it. Each of us are different, but with a listening ear, or indeed the power of faith, we can all get through the battles that take place in our own minds.