This past week I have found it very difficult to function, as I am sure most of you who are listening to this podcast have found as well. So, I took some time off in order to focus a bit on some self care.

The entire world has been upended by a dark and invisible force. The great equalizer. A virus that is out of control and does not discriminate based on age, sexual identity, social status, political party, cultural background, educational level, race, or religious beliefs. It is replicating exponentially at an increasing pace, and there is currently no end in site.

It has pounded the stock market, decimated our livelihood, disrupted our lifestyles, separated friends and families, pushed us into survival mode unlike any other time in recent history, and has placed an enormous amount of stress on our hospitals and medical staff to the point they will now be forced to make life and death decisions as if they were on the front lines of a War. That means some people who die, will die due to lack of equipment, resources, and staff.

Those of us who have heeded the call to distance ourselves socially, shake our heads in disbelief when we watch those who just don’t seem to get it, continue to party en masse on beaches or go about business as usual, as if nothing is amiss. Numbers don’t lie and this virus is growing exponentially and will not stop growing until humans stop spreading it or there is a vaccine to treat it. That vaccine is a long way off. Denying the truth does not change the facts. And the facts of this particular virus means denial will kill people who could have been saved if the truth was just accepted as truth. There is an increasing probability that each one of us will know someone who is affected by this virus. Many of us will lose loved ones because of it. And there is currently only one way to get control of it, and that is by social distancing.

Yes, it is an inconvenience. Yes, it is a life disrupter. Yes, a lot of us may lose our livelihood because of it. But, if we don’t do it, we will continue to spread this virus and a lot of people will die because of that decision. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that on my conscience. We all need to play our part here for the good of everyone. If we don’t it will only get worse.

I have been tracking the number of cases and deaths through the CDC, Johns Hopkins, and the nCov2019 dashboard since the day the numbers began to post.  Not because I have some morbid desire to focus on doom and gloom in the world, but because I have always excelled at statistics and have an interest in exponential math. As the days progressed and the patterns of spread began to emerge and accelerate, I became increasingly alarmed. Granted, my added hyper-vigilance due to my PTSD tends to trigger those alarm bells much sooner than most, but these alarm bells were blaring and began to send my anxiety levels through the roof. The future looked bleak as the trajectory of infections continued to surge upward in the U.S. and most other countries outside of China.

When you look at those numbers with an exponential math mindset, the numbers become horrifying. The U.S. is currently on a trajectory that will move us past China’s numbers today or tomorrow, and we will be the country with the most infected individuals in the entire world. Our hospitals are already becoming stressed, and as the number of cases rise, the number of deaths will also begin to rise exponentially because we are overwhelmed. Yes, it’s bleak. Yes, it’s real. And no, it is not some hyped up fantasy of one political party to bring down another. Please people, stop throwing around conspiracy theories. This is a global emergency, not some spitting competition between those with sociopathic egos.

Last Monday, after the stock market took a huge hit, the number of U.S. cases began to surge, and the first mentions of social distancing began...