Navigating any disability is hard, in a pandemic it’s impossible. There are times when I live with fear and feel unsafe. While we haven't been told Covid is gone, I shall continue to write about it. I have never felt so unsafe, as I do today.

The vulnerable are forgotten

The world is changed and with lifting restrictions, the vulnerable are forgotten. Society is now two-tier, those that can go out and live their lives and those who can’t. Living with autism, my life has changed considerably from pre-Covid days. With autism, in the pandemic, I live with fear and concerns for my health and wellbeing.

It's a challenge for some to get back into their lives

And while there is uncertainty for us all, as soon as we were given the go ahead after lockdown, the majority of people got back into their lives. For the rest of us that task continues to be a lot more challenging.

Covid is still here

There are little stats out there. No one is talking about Covid anymore, but there is still the threat of more mutations. The independent scientists are quiet, and it's difficult to convince those who choose not to be convinced, that they need to continue to deal with the virus. We all have to want to do the right thing to support, to wear masks, to protect ourselves, to protect the vulnerable.

I still continue to struggle

For me, with a mental and physical disability, as I continue to struggle, I have had to adapt my mental health to fit around the pandemic, I struggle and am not always comfortable with that. Whatever I do manage to do, I shall continue to mask up. Will you?

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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