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– When I put on a bandage, it doesn’t take many minutes before my body thinks I have an anxiety attack because I can’t breathe freely, says Claudia Christensen (44) from Denmark, to Dagbladet.
She lives with sequelae after childhood sexual abuse and has been diagnosed with PTSD.
– I have had an incredible number of anxiety attacks in my life, but after intense traumatic treatment for two years and several years of illness, I have finally had a fairly tolerable and stable life, he explains.
The Danish newspaper DR was the first to cover the case.
– Avoided purchases
As a result of the corona pandemic, there have been demands in Denmark for bandages in public places such as restaurants, cafes, shops, cultural and sports institutions and public transport. This has made Christensen’s daily life challenging.
– If I am going to use cognitive resources to deal with stress, I will not be able to concentrate or shop at the store. I have been reprimanded and told that I must remember a mask. That in itself triggers an old story, which can ruin the rest of my day, explains the 44-year-old.
As a result, she avoided shopping and made do with what was in the refrigerator. He also didn’t have a good experience when he had to buy a birthday present for his seven-year-old son.
HARD: – I have a hard time feeling bad, out of society or like the black sheep. It triggers the anxiety even more. Photo: Private.
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– I wanted to ask about something at the checkout, but there was a line and I was so stressed that I had to leave with a small gift that I bought in a hurry.
I found a solution
– It is important that we stop the “crown police”, where people on the bus can surprise other people who do not wear masks, says Anni Sørensen, from the Danish national association for the mentally disabled, to RD.
She notes that not everyone, especially people with a developmental disability, can defend themselves or explain why they are exempt from the requirement of a bandage. To avoid misunderstandings and conflicts, the organization has produced a poster that its members can attach to their clothing. Three weeks ago, Christensen received his own signal.
DIVORCED: Christensen finally got a signal, which means she doesn’t have to explain why she isn’t wearing a mask. Photo: Private.
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– It was a great relief! Now I am greeted with kindness and friendliness everywhere. People keep their distance, and so do I, he says.
Christensen says he knows several who have been affected by late-term sequelae and PTSD, who have been scolded in the checkout line for missing bandages, and must explain their incest story in the middle of the store.
– I would like the most vulnerable people to choose to go with signs, to indicate that they take care of themselves and the psyche.
Enter special rules
– Exemption card
In Norway, face masks are recommended in all public situations where it is not possible to maintain a distance of one meter. In Oslo, this is a requirement in case of congestion, but according to the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), some groups are exempt. This applies to children under 12 years of age and to those who for medical reasons cannot wear masks. An example is people who experience great mental strain from wearing a bandage.
– We have not received any specific inquiries on this matter, says Tove Gundersen, Secretary General of the Mental Health Council, to Dagbladet.
– But we know that there are people who for various reasons can have a great inconvenience when covering their nose and mouth, and who are exposed to reprimands and stares from the “crown police”.
GENERAL SECRETARY: Tove Gundersen. Photo: Liz Buer.
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Although Gundersen does not know if this is a widespread problem in Norway, he believes that there may be precautions and that there may be reasons to give this group some kind of documentation that they are exempt.
– I think that a visible mark or sign can be stigmatizing, but it might be an idea to have an exemption card readily available in your purse, or in your pocket that can be displayed if necessary, suggests the secretary general.
Groups that are exempt from sanitary napkins
For medical and other reasons, not everyone can wear a mask, including the following groups:
- Children under the age of 12 are not recommended to wear a mask.
- Children under 2 years of age are not recommended to wear a mask as it may prevent free breathing or free airways.
- People who are unconscious or have a reduced state of consciousness, or for other reasons, cannot remove the mouthpiece by themselves.
Other people who for medical or other reasons may be exempt from the use of bandages are, for example, people who:
- have chronic heart and / or lung disease
- disease or condition that results in impaired cognitive function, or where wearing a bandage becomes a major mental strain
- interact with people with hearing disabilities
Source: Fhi.no.
Ask for respect
– There are many different brands you can use, and we know some already do, Espen Rostrup Nakstad, assistant director of health, tells Dagbladet.
HEALTH DIRECTOR: Deputy Director of Health Espen Rostrup Nakstad. Photograph: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB
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As there is no national requirement for the use of masks in Norway, the Norwegian Health Directorate will not issue a recommendation on the use of such marks or signs.
– But we want to ask everyone to respect that there are people who for health reasons cannot wear masks, and young children should not wear masks, says Nakstad.
The Norwegian Health Directorate does not have an accurate description of how many people should not wear face masks for health reasons. But the assistant health director says this will generally apply to people who normally have trouble breathing due to heart or lung disease, or who have impaired cognitive function. People addicted to oral reading due to Hearing impairment may be another group, the same applies to those who suffer great mental strain from wearing bandages.
