All around me people are saying "2020 has been a terrible year for everyone BeCuZ oF tHe PaNdEmIccccc".

And in my head, the pandemic doesn't really make a difference. My life was garbage before the pandemic, and it was garbage through the pandemic, and it will most likely be garbadge after the pandemic (sorry law of the attraction nuts).

The fact it's been a pandemic year hasn't had an impact on my mental health, because it was bad already.

How about you guys? Has your mental health had a hit this year in particular because of the C-word?

:-)... Doesn't really make a difference to me I'm probably on a slow decent into insanity anyway, the last 2 years I've been feeling worse overall than previous years, this year especially, not sure if the pandemic made it worse or it was going that way anyway.

I feel like I just about dragged myself through this year, not really looking forward to any more.

I did experience elevated anxiety levels in March and April due to the uncertainty of the situation (I also have GAD in addition to SAD) and I'm also kind of worried that I'll lose my job now that the economy is in the ****ter. So yea I think my mental health has been worse than it would be otherwise though not as bad as 2017 and 2018 which were terrible years for me. But I basically agree with you, my life is kind of **** regardless and will probably continue to be.

No actually, it's always been bad and on a downward trajectory but a lot of ****ty things have happened this year to my family but that's a separate thing. My memory is terrible but I think 2016-2017 was a bigger overall drop? Probably.

There is already a (pretty much identical) thread HERE

I think I've been more depressed this year. I'm not sure if the pandemic has played a big role in it. I guess in a way it has, as I've been home more often. And I'm already a big homebody. So it did make me feel stuck

it's been bad because I can deal with my living situation less and less and I dont have support from a gf. I've still had my friend though so it could be worse.

Under the circumstances, everything could have been much worse this year for me. My mental health has not been particularly bad under the circumstances and has been pretty much the same as it was before. Just ramped up in parallel with everything that's been going on this year. I have a bunch of stressful crap going on in my personal life on top of the pandemic so it's really just one thing piled on top of another. I still have food and family and shelter and that is certainly something to be grateful for.

It's actually been better and probably the least stressful year for me in a long while. With so many things on pause. Pandemic has been a great barrier to give me a break from the obligations, and not having the obligation to see people I have to see time to time normally. And when I am kind of stagnant for the most part, having everyone else paused and remain stagnant with you, it kind of relaxes me as well.

That said, it's still pretty awful seeing/knowing many people's lives in shambles or on the verge of it due to the pandemic. Personally myself, I am just grateful I am still working and the pandemic so far hasn't seem to be much of a threat to it surprisingly. On the socializing aspect, which majority society are struggling with primarily with this pandemic, I personally cannot relate to this at this point of my life. As pathetic as it is to say this, my lifestyle for years now has been very covid/pandemic friendly and compatible. If 70% of society lives like me, the covid virus will be having trouble sustaining.

I got dumped by my psychiatric nurse who said she could'nt justify her time on me anymore, she's half my age and hasn't lived,

I got referred to the social work department who came round, gave me two leaflets, and said that's it, your on your own now. pi55 a55 2020.

I'd agreet that the pandemic is not the sole reason why 2020 has been difficult. Sure, some freedoms were taken away from us but self-regulation didnt have to go away. To me, it feels like a culmination of everything and 2020 is like a terrible black licorice icing on an already dry, crumbly salty cake. This is the year to be rich and privileged, I can say that much.

I don't think its been any worse than the year before, something will always affect my mental health. it also depends on an individual and how they chose to handle 2020 and if they have other underlining mental health issues.

The pandemic had some interesting timing in my life, because my SA hit rock bottom and I ended up having to move back in with my parents about two or three months before COVID hit. So while COVID has impacted the types of things I can and can't do while trying to recover and become a functioning human again, my life really hasn't been affected all that much, because I didn't really have a whole lot of leaving-the-house type of obligations in the first place.
I just find it really funny that people are all like "waaaaaaaaaa pandemic" when my life had fallen apart for utterly unrelated reasons literally two months prior.

Not really. If anything my mental health has somewhat stabilized within 2020.

Pretty much since 2003, I've had a cloud of despair that shrouded my mental faculties but this year has been an improvement somewhat. I'm not a happy, go-lucky individual by any means but at least this year, I've had periods of temporary solace from my depressive thoughts. The thing about this year though is I've also had isolated days of depression that hit very hard not caused by the events of 2020 but more from stuff that I've always been dealing with.


This year has allowed me to figure out certain aspects of my life and in an odd way, I am grateful for that opportunity; still have a long way to go and I acknowledge that in the future, my mental stability could worsen.

Yeah my mental health has gotten worse during the pandemic. Increased panic attacks, anxiety and depression ever since March started. It's now December and it's not much better, I'm sure once it dies down it'll get a bit better, but the aftermath of the pandemic will probably put me back into another sad state.

I think the collective world mental health has taken a downturn with what various governments are doing to people and the overall fear narrative. For me things have been slightly worse but it's not all because of the pandemic stuff. It's just been another wasted year. I start each year believing that I can make some progress, but I can't totally blame the virus response for making zero progress. My job has been particularly stressful. I got a promotion I didn't ask for and am making more money than I have, but with that comes more pressure and consideration that I might make mistakes sometimes which hit me very hard.

When people say the pandemic is impacting everyone’s mental health I just want to run to the top of the highest mountain and scream at the top of my g*****n lungs “NO!!!! NOT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. STOP TRIVIALIZING PEOPLE WHO HAD ISSUES LONG BEFORE THE PANDEMIC!!!.” I refuse to let the pain of my years of isolation be invalidated by people who have no idea what true isolation is like, who have plenty of friends and relationships, but where the pandemic has put a SLIGHT DAMPER on their activities. It’s not the same thing as persistent, pre-pandemic isolation.

It certainly hasn't helped. For a long time I'd wake up thinking it was just a weird dream and it couldn't be real - the whole thing has definitely been quite a surreal experience and very frightening. The isolation, the fear of getting the virus itself, worrying about my wife etc.

As far as my mental health in general though - unfortunately I've had a lot worse than this, so it's been manageable.

This whole year has basically derailed any progress I've made. I'm starved of any socialization. And I'm pretty sure my vitamin D levels are ****ed.

I'm kinda with you on this one. Can't really say anything has changed for me. Still cringe at past mistakes. Still get depressed every now and then. Definitely lost motivation during this time but I can't really say I was entirely focused before either. As it has been, I'm still alone (living with parents but you get me).

Still can't get people to like me even remotely. Don't understand relationships. Still want something special. No clue how to be "normal".