Covid has Disconnected Australian Families from Relatives Abroad...

Covid is a huge worry for every Australian with friends and family abroad. And, so many Australians do have friends and family residing in other countries.

They have not been able to visit: parents, children, spouses, grandparents, and other family members, for over two years now.

And, there is no immediate end in sight...

People with family on continents that have been hit especially hard like Europe, Africa, Asia, and America have been seriously impacted. They feel helpless.

They can't go and help, and they may be the only members of their family in Australia so they are unsupported here.

This is taking a huge toll on the mental health of the family members safe in here in Australia. As time goes by without any opportunity to visit their families abroad to re-establish close bonds, people are starting to feel distanced, and disconnected, from their families. And, because they are 'safe' here, people don't want to talk about the suffering loss of contact is causing them. Everyone has much bigger losses they say, and they hide the pain.

But, this is a painful ongoing grief. The grief of lost opportunities to visit, and to connect. They may have missed the opportunity to visit a sick or dying relative. They have also missed birthdays, weddings, graduations, engagements, and funerals. The unspoken grief of all these little losses manifests as anxiety, depression, anger, or emotionality.

So, if you have a friend or a colleague who has family abroad, please ask them how they are doing. They haven't been allowed to visit their family for two years now, and the Third Wave is rising. Please start the conversation to ask if they are they OK? This opens up an opportunity for them to talk about the the impact the disconnection is having on them. Being able to talk about loss validates the loss, and this really helps people to process the reality of what they are experiencing.

If you have been impacted yourself and would like help process your emotions, please contact me.