Dear Humans,

I understand that we all are selfish. We are prideful. Humans are savages when we feel threatened. We either attack or hide when we are in danger.

We hear the word quarantine and we automatically think of a worst-case scenario. But for those with anxiety disorders (at least with the ones that I know) are actually calm compared to the general population. Maybe its the fact that we know a thing or two about "worse case scenarios." Or perhaps, we over-analyze so much that we dig deeper into what is happening.

The media is manipulating the current "crisis." The real crisis is the fact that we are fighting over toilet paper. Seriously? All because of the fear of being "quarantined."

You know I believe that we have a misunderstanding about the situation. Because I know I did. For the last week and a half, my parents have been in Germany. Communication has been scarce between us as either they are busy, sleeping, or there was no Wi-Fi for them (although if there was an emergency I could have reached. my dad but it was his business trip).

To put it simply, they didn't know what was happening here in the US and we didn't really know what was going on with them.

Honestly, I didn't even know what was happening in the United States myself and I have lived my life as I have always done.

Only this time, I was living with way too much stress. It could have been the fact that my parents haven't the continent together without taking us along before. Maybe I recognized on a deeper level that something bad was happening or going to happen. I could have sensed the fact that everyone around me was going insane.

Mass hysteria. A condition affecting a group of persons, characterized by excitement or anxiety, irrational behavior or beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness.

In this instance, panicking over something that is compared to the flu. COVID-19 is not that bad. Health officials only ask that if you are not feeling well or feel like you have a cold, stay home. Self-quarantine yourself when you feel sick. That's what we should be doing any time we feel sick.

Why panic over the words self-quarantine (even though everyone misses the word self in there, I know I did for a small time period) when its normal to stay home when you feel sick. Or is this actually what we do when we feel sick? Do we go out blowing our noses and touching everything without a single thought that maybe we have the flu?

I work at a daycare and I know for a fact that parents let their kids go to school when they have a low-grade fever. Luckily, there were only five-seven reported cases of the flu during this flu season at my daycare. Compared to how many kids and staff members there are, that's actually pretty good. Plus, I haven't been sick since the end of this past summer or the beginning of fall. And what did I do? I quarantined (distanced) myself from my family and my pets, stayed in bed, and I made sure to clean/sanitize everything once I was feeling better. Shouldn't that be a normal thing to do?

The panic that has been going is irrational and with my anxiety, I know a thing or two about irrational fears.

The only reason Italy has closed its borders is to help prevent the spreading of the COVID-19 virus. A self-quarantine (distancing from other people) to help prevent the spreading of a simple virus.

Yes, it's a new strain. Yes, I understand new and unknown are scary words that can have unimaginable implications, but its a virus. The best way I learned to prevent the spread of a virus is by staying at home when you're sick. I come from a big family, I know what to do when one of us is sick - you distance yourself from the ill and take measures to prevent yourself from getting sick.

Truthfully, I haven't felt too well recently. No, I don't have any viruses. It's because of stress. I didn't realize how much low key panic I had picked up on from everyone around me until I hit my breaking point. My boss and the parents are concerned. I get that. I understand. Except, I didn't realize how much of their fear I was picked upon.

I reached my breaking point yesterday at work when I went on break and it took my manager to pull me aside to ask if I was okay for me to see how much stress I was dealing with.

I know it was stress (and lack of sleep) because once I sat down and relaxed, I took a few hour nap that helped so much. And after a 9-hour sleep last night, I woke up feeling much better than I have in a few weeks.

And my work decided to close this next week, so I have a week of rest to recharge and rest away from people who cause me stress, make my anxiety flare up, and I won't be exposed to any illnesses. Stress-induced illness included. When I hit my breaking point, I hit it bad.

I am self-quarantining myself for my health and that includes my mental health. It is my choice, I can go out and I plan to this week for my therapy appointment. I am not afraid of this world or of a virus, I am taking care of myself and my mental health.

So please, no more. No more acting like the world is coming to an end. No more being afraid to die. Ultimately, you aren't living. Laugh, enjoy friends and family, enjoy life. You don't need to be together in the same room to be connected. Social media and the internet are powerful tools, you just need to use them for positivity, not panic and fearful posts.

And as for me? I'm going to take some time to write. To do things that I haven't been able to do because of work.

After a good restful night, I realize for myself that there is nothing to fear or worry about. Aside from the fact that I haven't written anything in so long and I have been dying on the inside to finish one of my books. I got deadlines to meet!

So no more fearing outrageously for a virus when there is more in life to worry about.

Thank you for reading this far. I don't mean to preach out of righteousness, but I want to write out the words that have helped me in this time of panic.

Just wash your hands (for at least 20 seconds), don't touch your face, and stay home in bed if you feel sick. That's all we need to do right now.

Stay healthy and take care of your happiness in life!

Love,

An anxious human who is still trying to figure it all out

~MsPenguingirl1234.

Published: March 14, 2020.