[yorkietalkjilly]

It's sort of burying the lead on this vital life-and-death subject but you characterized being given the scientific facts of our best medical minds by others as harassing, I was merely parroting you. Likely most don't see quoting the CDC and other experts on communicable diseases advice on mask-wearing as harassment of someone who deliberately chooses to go out among others w/out a mask out of fear of contagion spread. If you do, I am sorry you can't see I'm not trying to harass you personally but inform you and any readers better so that hopefully you'll self-quarantine and stay home if you cannot possibly bear a mask w/out losing consciousness or fainting. Otherwise, your reactions to mask-wearing may scare, discomfit you but won't kill you, but not wearing one may kill others.

Many others reading this thread could be easily sympathetic with your position and decide they are not so comfortable in a mask either, take medication for various mental conditions, don't like the closed-in feeling, breathing the warm air, their glasses steaming up, etc.,of mask wearing and decide not to wear one either. So bearing down on this issue could save lives as it's not really about us and our discomfort or our reactions but whether or not we might infect an innocent person with our germs if we choose to go out w/out masks. And suddenly maybe a family loses its mother or father, thanks to germs were unknowingly passed on.

I hurt that you are hurting and wish I could take a different course but this is vital to so many who must work to keep their jobs, keep their families afloat. And I do know that mental illness is very real, very disabling for many but stay home when you are not up to wearing a face-covering, at least give up your right to walk among us, just until we get a handle on how to stop this pandemic that is costing some their very lives, many, many others their livelihoods, ways to feed their kids. Please see that as bigger than yourself and your discomforts, however real, however awful to you. Find ways through your psychiatrist, counselors to modify your behavior, to cope better, stay away from harassing situations for the present and keep others safe. If your present providers are not helping you, seek out others who can. Keep pressing forward. But look beyond yourself on this one.

I sure hope if you, your family or your dogs have to have surgery that the surgeon and operating team are masked, gloved up, despite any discomfort, if for no other reason than to protect their patient from their germs.