Long-term effects of covid, the pandemic & lockdown

Gemma

It's now coming up to 4 years since the UK first went into lockdown during the covid-19 pandemic - can't believe it's been 4 years!

It was a hugely difficult time for many of us. We saw people struggling with their mental health and loneliness due to self-isolation and social distancing, anxiety about outbreaks and illness, stress caused by adjusting to new routines, financial and employment insecurity, relationship strains. It was a lot !

The team were having a chat about this and we wondered if anyone would feel comfy sharing if they are still feeling some long-term impacts of the covid pandemic/lockdowns?

Do you feel as though you're still feeling the effects of that time? (Whether that's the impact it's had on your physical/mental health, finances, social life, education, or relationships.)

We are looking to create some support content about the long-term impacts of covid and so it would be really interesting to hear your experiences and get an idea of the kinds of support that is needed. 💛

Amy22

I think for me covid had its ups and down's (also it brought me here actually in the year 2022 when covid was kind of still about but no as bad). For me during 2020, I was supposed to be finishing my year 13 in secondary school but ended not going back because of the severity and impact covid had on the UK. I found sometimes it quite oddly peaceful then especially in Summer as there was not many people about in shops, so it would be quieter and I woulden't be stressed out too much. Whereas now crowds kind of scare me. I also read a lot more during lockdown but now I have entered the world of work after doing 3 years (I think its 3 years) in college, I never have to time to really properly read or anything.

However, during the year 2021, my anxiety worsened especially in October 2020, I was 18 years now (now 22 this year) and I was on an art course but due to limited classes and help and stuff, I would copy drawings to learn. But I felt so bad. Also I had to search up the name of location we all had to draw in animation class using our imagination and I kind of cheated. I never got the chance to tell my teacher eventhough I needed to google the prompt but had to draw from my brain. I also had to have help from my mum in re-doing maths and we watched a youtube video to get the answers for a paper. I came clean to my maths tutor about me cheating and they told me that the papaer wasn't being marked properly anyway and I explained in a test I did at home during covid for maths, my mum had to sit down with me and help me. My tutor explained that if she knew I was so anxious in that test and stuff she would have done the same and that my mum was doing the right thing. But I felt like I cheated and this affected my mental health so so much. I have and still have so much hidden guilt from 2021, especially when I took part in inktober and the creator/artist was accused of plagarism and it caused this spiral inside of me to feel bad for everything I done. I started doing counselling online and using silvercloud but the therapy services were very limited and there wasn't enough time for me to properly get any benefit from them. No one would properly read my diary after the six months on silvercloud and it would be quite lonely on there.

2022, I started my creative media course in the hopes of starting afresh and new but my dad fell severly ill and had a serious infection in his hip which meant he was in hospital for nearly most the year until June/July when he came out. I had a habit of double checking my work and artwork a lot and referencing it to the point I missed out on things even basic things like eating and sleeping. My mum decided to take me back to the GP and I was referred for another mental health assessment where the assessor told me about TheMix and ever since I have been on here (since August 2022 I believe). I think if I wasn't sign posted to TheMix I think I would have got worse and woulden't be where I am today. I was also put onto medication, fluoxecetine (1 a day) which kinds of help. I still take fluoxetine now and it regulates my anxiety and depression/OCD symptoms a lot.

I think covid had a big impact on me and my family, moreover my dad who was in hospital in 2022 when covid was still hanging around and it kind of me made feel stressed.

Thanks for sharing this on here though @Gemma as I do feel like COVID-19 and lockdown had a massive impact on so many lives and young people in particular.