A trauma psychologist has revealed the two reasons why Australia’s Covid lockdowns are much harder this time around.
Nearly 12million Australians in Greater Sydney, Southeast Queensland, Perth, Darwin and Alice Springs are currently locked down after Covid spread across the nation.
Clinical psychologist and trauma specialist Alexandra Howard said the latest lockdown is ‘particularly challenging’ due to ongoing financial and relationship issues, and the uncertainty around when the pandemic will end.
‘A lot of people paced themselves for 2020, and maybe not for 2021. The talk was all about ‘Covid normal’ and getting vaccinated … but now we don’t know when it will end,’ she told the ABC.
The feeling of depletion is often experienced in disaster-impacted communities, while the stresses associated with even ‘short’ traumas can go on for years, trauma specialist Alexandra Howard said
Psychologists say Australians are now getting reminded and triggered by the pandemic’s early days back in March 2020 (stock image)
Ms Howard, the director of disasters and public health emergencies at Phoenix Australia, said Australians are now getting reminded and triggered by the pandemic’s early days back in March 2020.
She said this was in part due to the constant 24-hour media cycle delivering generally negative Covid news.
Ms Howard said the second factor making the June/July 2021 lockdown even harder is dealing with the stress of prolonged financial and relationship issues.
‘There have been relationship stresses; people might be experiencing this lockdown as a single person or single parent for the first time. And everyone’s been separated from loved ones interstate or overseas for so long. They’ve missed milestone after milestone,’ she said.
Ms Howard said in some respect the country is experiencing ‘collective trauma’ that has left millions feeling demoralised and exhausted.
‘In the recent lockdown in Melbourne, people knew it was a short one, the numbers were low, but they were like, ‘I’m done. I’ve got nothing more to give. No more resources to draw on’,’ she said.
The feeling of depletion is often experienced in disaster-impacted communities, while the stresses associated with even ‘short’ traumas can go on for years.
Ms Howard said in some respect the country is experiencing ‘collective trauma’ that has left millions feeling demoralised and exhausted. Pictured: Sydney in lockdown on Wednesday
Ms Howard said the second factor making the June/July 2021 lockdown even harder is dealing with the stress of prolonged financial and relationship issues. Pictured: Sydney’s latest lockdown
About 12million Australians are currently under some form of lockdown restrictions after cases also broke out in Brisbane, Darwin and Perth.
South-east Queensland, Townsville and the nearby Palm Island and Magnetic Island on Tuesday entered a three-day lockdown from 6pm after the state recorded two new local coronavirus cases.
Darwin is shut down until at least Friday while Perth is in its own four-day circuit breaker with tough restrictions as of 12.01am on Tuesday.
In a late development on Monday night, two million people in Western Australia were plunged into the snap lockdown.
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