STATE FACES TSUNAMI OF ISSUES FOR SUFFERERS
IRELAND should be braced for a tsunami of mental health issues in the wake of the coronavirus, frustrated parents have warned.
As the Covid-19 clouds start to clear, the state stands accused of failing to provide a functioning health service for those emerging from 100 days of what they say was hell.
With salons and saloons preparing to re-open, those with medical needs – unrelated to the virus –are at their wits’ end as stress levels soar.
Callers to RTÉ’s Liveline yesterday told horror stories of feeling shunned by the State, as doors to vital medical treatments for themselves and their loved ones remain shut.
What linked the callers was their collective dignity in dealing with the difficulties they are facing.
Veronica, whose son has been diagnosed with a personality disorder and requires therapy, said she is deeply fearful for his future.
‘If I could speak to [Health Minister] Simon Harris. I’d say people’s lives are at risk. I’m talking about mental health services. Why aren’t you opening them?’ she asked.
‘I don’t want my son to be a statistic. We all know how high the suicide rate is in this country.
‘After this crisis is over, there’ll be a tsunami of mental health problems with the trauma.’
Mary from Cavan is the sole carer for her 37-yearold daughter who is autistic, has a learning disability and is non-verbal. She told Liveline she has felt trapped since March.
She said: ‘Everything is opening up, sports, cinemas, public houses, it’s as if our children don’t count. They’re being ignored and pushed to one side.’
Her daughter attended a day centre in Carrick-on-Shannon and a respite centre before the lockdown. She has no idea when they will open again.
‘She takes her frustration out on me,’ she said. ‘She would hit out, get aggressive. It’s all taking a toll on me and my health. I’m not managing very well.
‘I feel like I’m trapped here with her. She’s (physically) strong; I’m getting weaker and older.’
Another caller, Ciara, was ‘devastated’ at her plight. She is undergoing IVF fertility treatment but it can’t resume until she gets the all-clear from a cervical cancer test.
She was due to undergo a test in March but it was cancelled and she has no idea when it will go ahead.
Without it, the IVF is on hold, yet ‘beauticians and hairdressers are opening up which feels wrong.’
‘People’s lives are at risk’ ‘It’s difficult to live with’
Róisín, 24, suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition.
The slightest thing, like a puff of wind, can trigger sustained discomfort. ‘It’s like an electric shock,’ she said, as she awaits an appointment with a pain specialist.
‘My mental health is suffering. I’m worried and scared the pain is going to strike again. It’s difficult to live with.’