‘I would struggle to leave the house so I’m loving lockdown’
Restrictions bring relief for woman with compulsive disorder
MENTAL health charities in Greater Manchester have reported unprecedented numbers of calls from people in need of help since the country went into lockdown over six weeks ago.
Anxiety around health, finances and isolation can all have an impact. But everyone is different.
And some people are finding that the slowing down in the pace of life is bringing unexpected relief.
Among them is a woman with obsessive compulsive disorder who the M.E.N. spoke to.
Before lockdown, it could take Kim up to an hour to gather the courage to leave her house in the morning.
The 33-year-old from Rochdale was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression and anxiety five years ago.
Leaving the house for her job at a call centre in Manchester meant a painful ritual of checking plug sockets, and locking doors - several times over.
Some days, Kim could stand at her front door for over half an hour to make sure it was locked.
Her obsessive thoughts sent her into a spiral of crippling depression and anxiety, meaning some days she didn’t want to leave the house at all.
But since the start of lockdown, and working from home, Kim has seen a surprising improvement in her mental health.
“I have OCD, depression and anxiety, so naturally I thought that lockdown would cause me to feel more anxious,” Kim said.
“Instead I feel better and it’s actually quite nice - I am enjoying lockdown so far.
“It got the point where I would struggle to even leave my house, and it was really bad for a long time.
“It made me depressed and anxious because I didn’t know what it was.
“In the past, I would have to psych myself up just to get on the tram.”
Kim started working from home around a week before the UK government announced strict restrictions on people’s movement.
After a couple of days, Kim noticed she was sleeping through the night - something she hadn’t been able to do for years. She said: “It has blown my mind that lockdown has made me less anxious.
“My OCD is still there and will always be there but the depression is a lot better and the anxiety has disappeared.
“I still get a bit anxious if I have to go out to the supermarket but other than that I am feeling okay. “I feel like a new person.
“I feel guilty saying it but it feels nice - this is the best I have felt in a very long time. I am getting back to the person I was before all this.”