How has Covid 19 had an impact on your work?
When the Pandemic started, I started a collaboration with a group of people related to the healthcare field that started a Blog (Coronavirus en Positivo) in an online newspaper (Público). The project, under the name of ESCUCHADORAS DE VOCES (voice listeners), was initially going to focus exclusively on mental health, but with the pandemic, it transformed into a wider project that talked about health recommendations and topics related to COVID 19.
I made a drawing every day for 100 days, to illustrate the texts to be published on the blog. That greatly affected my work, since I had to work at a faster pace and interpret other people´s ideas instead of just my own. It was very challenging but it kept my mind active during the quarantine. Some of these illustrations, like those that I submitted for this project, were very autobiographic. They helped me channel my feelings and uncertainties, and also sometimes they soothed me when I felt lonesome or when I was experiencing some Kind of anxiety.
The first one, “Self Reflection” was done during the first weeks of the pandemic and accompanied a post that talked about the behavior of the people in mental health programs during the lockdown. This drawing is an introspective self-portrait that tried to offer hope and a positive view of the future when everything seemed dark like the coffee in the cup.
How are u coping with the lockdown and social isolation?
The second work that I submit it is titled “Distress”, it accompanied a text that talked about the distress data during the lockdown. It was done during the de-escalation process. I used that text as an inspiration, but the image is again a self-portrait or how I felt at the moment. I identified with those who suffered distress. After the lockdown, people in my country were allowed to start going out for walks and even meet other people keeping the proper measures, but I still had trouble leaving my house. I was scared, for a while, I think I had what it is called “The cabin syndrome”. I saw the world as an uncertain, dangerous, and hostile environment, and it took me some time to willingly leave my house to socialize or walk.
I know that, right now, a lot of people around the world are dealing with mental health problems. As an example, new data about mental health and suicide ideation during the month of June in the USA has recently been published, showing that it has significantly increased.
To all of you that are struggling, I want to tell you: You are not alone. Let´s talk about mental health, let´s also talk about suicide in a respectful and appropriate manner, WHO recommended communication as a prevention strategy. Let´s all work together to destroy the taboos and stigma that surround these matters.
How this pandemic affected you your family and your daily routine?
I lived through confinement on my own. Some of my close relatives lived nearby and the rest of my close family was confined further away. Sometimes it was hard not to be able to see them knowing that some of them were nearby. We stayed connected through video and phone calls. The situation even brought me closer to my cousins with whom I video chatted every day. The harder part for me was not being able to touch anybody for almost three months, and even when the confinement was eased in Spain, I still did not go near anyone, following the Health Ministry recommendations.
Kurdish:
چۆن ئەم پەتاییە کاریگەری لەسەر خێزانەکەت و ڕۆتینی ڕۆژانەت کردوە؟
من بە تەنها لە ناو کوڕینتین دەژیم هەندێک لە خزمە نزیکەکانم لەو نزیکانە دەژین و خزم و کەسە نزیکەکانیشم دوورتر کورینتین بوون. هەندێک جار زەحمەت بوو نەتوانرێت بیانبینین کە بزانن هەندێکیان لە نزیکی ئێمەن، بە پەیوەندی ڤیدیۆ و تەلەفۆنەوە پەیوەندی بە یەک دەکەین. بارودۆخەکە تەنانەت منی لە ئامۆزاکانم نزیک کردەوە کە هەموو ڕۆژێک بە ڤیدیۆ لەگەڵیان قسەم دەکرد . بەشی قورستربۆ من ئەوە نەبوو کە نزیکەی سێ مانگ بوو دەستم لە کەس نەدەدا و تەنانەت کاتێک لە ئیسپانیاش ئەو کورینتینە ئاسان کرا هێشتا لە کەس نزیک نەبوومەوە و بە پێی ڕاسپاردەکانی وەزارەتی تەندروستی.
Arabic:
كيف أثر هذا الوباء عليك عائلتك وروتينك اليومي؟
عشت من خلال كورينتين لوحدي. كان بعض أقاربي المقربين يعيشون في مكان قريب وبقية عائلتي المقربة كانوا أكثر ابتعاداً. في بعض الأحيان كان من الصعب عدم رؤيتهم وهم يعلمون أن بعضهم في مكان قريب. بقينا على اتصال من خلال مكالمات الفيديو والهاتف. حتى أن الوضع قربني من أبناء عمي الذين كنت أدردش معهم كل يوم. الجزء الأصعب بالنسبة لي هو عدم القدرة على لمس أي شخص لمدة ثلاثة أشهر تقريبًا ، وحتى عندما تم تخفيف الحبس في إسبانيا ، لم أكن حتى الآن قريبًا من أي شخص ، بعد توصيات وزارة الصحة
Veronica Montón Alegre, from Spain
Instagram: @alegreartmh
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