I Thought I Would Thrive in Quarantine, I Did Not
As you all know, the world was introduced to a new virus called COVID-19. In 2020, cases were skyrocketing, and the world was forced to Quarantine. Only people deemed essential workers were allowed out. My dad was given a paper stating that he is an essential worker and that he’s allowed outside in the event that a cop pulled him over.
As an Autistic person, I spend a lot of time at home because the world is too overwhelming at times. I thought I would thrive in Quarantine, I did not.
It was nice at first. It gave me a valid reason to shut the world out and stay at home. Nobody would judge you because hey, there’s this new virus out there that’s killing people. For the first time, I lived in a world that didn’t judge you for not going out partying, drinking, getting drunk, and other things that people do when they go out. It was nice at first, being away from all the things that over stimulate me, and then the ADHD side of my Autistic brain became under stimulated. That’s when things took a turn.
I felt very under-stimulated. I was hearing the same ambience every day, and nothing ever changed. Nothing could ever change because we were not allowed to be outside! Sure, we could go to the grocery store to get “essential supplies”. We could go out to get medical attention, but that’s not the same thing, at all.
I never realized how much I needed stimulation, until I was not allowed to be, or to go… outside! Now here I was, desperate for socialization for the first time in my life. I needed someone to talk to. Anyone, anyone outside of the people that I live with, and I could not have that. I’m not proud of it, but I often broke quarantine to go on a short walk around my apartment complex. I needed to do something, anything to break up this monotonous prison that I was forced into. I found myself playing online games more than I ever had in my entire life, because that was the closest thing to socialization that I was ever going to get.
I thought I would thrive in Quarantine, I did not.
