The COVID Chronicles – 8

…C has spoken to experts who predict that those already subject to obsessive-compulsive disorders may become chronic “germaphobes.” Anxiety will be exacerbated among those who already suffer high anxiety levels. Antonis Kousoulis and colleagues published a review of existing evidence of the mental health impact from past epidemics and pandemics. They emphasise that the many mental health issues likely to arise from this pandemic must not be ignored… Continue reading

The COVID Chronicles – 11

…ory is telling. Aline has had a year full of grief. Determined to come face-to-face with her woes, she ordered dead butterflies on-line from specialist butterfly farms all over the world. They arrived carefully packed and completely in tact. She then tore them apart and crushed them letting the pieces fall on the light board. “This was a wonderful thing to do!” she told me. “It was therapeutic!”  Since speaking to Aline, a right-wing mob has taken… Continue reading

A Piece of Cake – 4

…isplayed by Buster but couldn’t help wondering just to what extent an iCare-Companion genuinely held these sentiments. Was it part of a routine after-sales customer-feel-good strategy? Buster continued, “What puts you in a very small minority of our customers, George, is that you seem to respect me as an individual and to have confidence in me even though you know that, in reality, you are interacting with the presenting face of a vast network of… Continue reading