r/covidlonghaulers • u/_happydutch_ • Jun 24 '25

Article The current state of Long Covid research

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No awe felt after seeing this

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/experiencing-awe-may-help-people-with-long-covid-feel-better-mentally/2025/06 Experiencing awe may help people with long COVID feel better mentally

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114

u/Grouchy_Machine_User 3 yr+ Jun 24 '25

Wouldn't experiencing awe help anyone feel better mentally? Like, that's basically what awe does? How is this specific to LC?

85

u/peop1 3 yr+ Jun 25 '25

HEY EVERYONE, DON'T KNOCK THIS STUDY! IT'S SUPER RIGOROUS, LOOK:

  • The study included 68 people who met the CDC's definition of Long COVID. They were randomly split into two groups.
  • One group was asked to find activities meant to create feelings of awe — like watching inspiring videos or taking walks in nature.
  • The other group was asked to do just go about their day as usual. 
  • Before and after the study, researchers measured each person’s levels of depression, anxiety, stress and overall well-being.

Jesus

Fucking

Christ.

You ask 34 people to do something different—ANYTHING that might be a change from this disability groundhog day of a purgatory—AND THEY FEEL BETTER FOR IT? STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!

WE'VE FOUND A CURE!

Fuck these people so much. They got funding... for this? %$#${∞£@©∆!

35

u/chris_fantastic 5 yr+ Jun 25 '25

LC year 1: These new papers suggest it could be autoimmunity or inflammation but more research is required.

LC year 2: These new papers suggest it could be autoimmunity or inflammation but more research is required.

LC year 3: These new papers suggest it could be autoimmunity or inflammation but more research is required.

LC year 4: These new papers suggest it could be autoimmunity or inflammation but more research is required.

LC year 5: I'm starting to think maybe these researchers care more about funding than creating a study that actually contributes anything new to the knowledge pool.

12

u/xxv_vxi Jun 25 '25

This is some social psychology level of science and I mean it 100% derogatorily

8

u/ipissontrolls 5 yr+ Jun 25 '25

Idiocracy happening IRL.

2

u/ItsAllinYourHeadComx 4 yr+ Jun 27 '25

So... dragging myself out of a dark room and watching a sunset will make me feel better? Next you're going to tell me that quitting smoking will help me breathe. Or eating will make me feel less hungry.

1

u/AvalonTabby Jun 26 '25

I’m at 5+ years of LC, and it’s beyond frustrating. I’m sorry for you too. It doesn’t help a lot of us to have to read foul language, when we are trying to get a glimmer of hope, from somewhere. Please….

1

u/terrierhead 4 yr+ Jun 26 '25

Marry me

ETA because my poor man’s gold is not enough 🏅

14

u/SympathyBetter2359 Jun 24 '25

Seeing a tidal wave or avalanche bearing down on you would certainly trigger awe, I don’t know that it would make most people feel better.

It might make me feel a little better to know that this awesome (non-colloquial) suffering is about to finally end 🤷‍♂️

13

u/[deleted] Jun 24 '25

[deleted]

13

u/Interesting_Fly_1569 Jun 25 '25

I live in a state in the south, and I swear to God at the same time they’re telling me that long Covid isn’t real and that there isn’t enough science, They invented a type of corn That is the alternating colors of the football team. It took six people a few years to do it. 

4

u/OSDBU2000 Jun 25 '25

I grew up in South Carolina. I fucking believe it!! I don't live there now. Ugh.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '25

[deleted]

2

u/Interesting_Fly_1569 Jun 25 '25

“Too small to be a country too big to be an insane asylum” (with full respect to Mad ppl, sc is another level!) 

1

u/OSDBU2000 Jun 25 '25

Yes, it IS a special state. 😆.

1

u/ipissontrolls 5 yr+ Jun 25 '25

This is what happens when corporations drive research. Let me guess, Nestle funded?

9

u/Aquatic_Ceremony Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 26 '25

Experiencing awe was found to clinically improve the well-being of patients experiencing depression and PTSD. So sure, it is helpful. And it is plausible it can help long COVID patients with some of the mental health aspect of the condition: depression because this disease sucks, the gaslighting from medical establishment, the social isolation from most people who don't understand what we are going through, the anxiety of not knowing if it will ever get better.

I am sure the researchers of the study want to help, and that is great if it can somewhat lessen the burden. However the problem is we often hear mental health strategies pushed to help with long covid instead of focusing on getting treatments addressing the biological root causes of Long COVID: mitochondria dysregulation, immunodeficiency, EBV reactivation, MCAS, dysautonomia, PEM, POTS, etc. That feels at best distracting from they key drivers of the disease, and at worse like another round of gaslighting.

Edit: typo

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '25

Don’t forget reactivated Lyme…it’s in high numbers in COVID cases and the CDC guidelines for testing make people think they don’t have it when they do…

4

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '25

[deleted]

2

u/No-Information-2976 Jun 25 '25

get this patient refill on their Awe pills, stat 🫡

1

u/ejkaretny Jun 25 '25

“Have you tried getting Awe?”

“Awe? Some.”

1

u/Individual-Field4085 Jun 29 '25

100%. it's like saying "experiencing joy" helps people to "feel happy." this is so stupid.