Post-pandemic disorder: Are you afraid of the new normal?
After a year of living in lockdown, restrictions are finally being eased. Yet another threat is on the way, one psychologist warns…
When Boris Johnson announced his road map out of lockdown, it felt like the country cheered. This month marks a year of restrictions that locked us indoors, separated loved ones, closed businesses and turned life upside-down – all while thousands died.
Finally, life can return to normal. It’s time to breathe a sigh of relief, to celebrate and – you’d assume – to head straight out to the pub.
Yet, it doesn’t feel that way for everyone…
‘I feel a real conflict of emotions,’ says Sonal Keay.
‘On one hand, I can’t wait for everything to return to the way it was and to see family and friends. But I also feel anxious. Even now I get nervous if someone walks too close to me in the street.’
Sonal had never experienced anxiety before and, a former barrister, she was opposed to lockdown originally. ‘To me, it was a violation of our ultimate rights and freedoms,’ she explains. ‘Of course, as soon as I understood the severity of the situation, I knew it was something we had to do.’
The 41-year-old owner of ThisIsSilk.com settled into lockdown with her husband Steve and two children, seven and three, and followed the new rules to the letter.
Even last Summer, when the restrictions relaxed, she stayed away from public transport and restaurants.
And now that the end is ( hopefully) in sight, Sonal is experiencing a different sort of worry – that of going back to ‘normal’ life. ‘ When I see someone who isn’t wearing a mask, or one under their nose, I feel a mix of anxiety, panic and anger. I see the droplets of their breath, the way you do in the adverts, and am scanning their face for any sign of a temperature or illness.
‘Make-up used to be something I’d wear every day, part of my armour to face the world, but I’ve stopped wearing it in lockdown. The other day, I put it on and rather than feeling more confident, I felt far too self-aware. After spending so long apart and “invisible”, it’s hard to imagine relaxing in close contact with people outside of my household and being out in the real world again.’
This indicates something that Owen O’Kane, psychotherapist and former head of mental health in the NHS, suspects may be widely felt. A pandemic in itself – Post-Pandemic Stress Disorder, or PPSD.
‘I’ve worked in trauma for years and there will be people who come out of this pandemic with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder – the ICU staff who have witnessed countless people passing away, or those who have watched loved ones die in quite gruesome ways.
‘But there will also be people who come out of this year with smaller traumas. In a war, you see the bullets and the bombs; the pandemic has been invisible, but it has still threatened – and taken – many lives. The fact that it isn’t tangible may lead people to try to ignore their feelings.’
Yet, according to the bestselling author of Ten Times Happier, this is the last thing we should be doing. He argues that ignoring trauma means we’ll never process it and, therefore, we won’t get over it. This will lead to a population who will constantly play out these traumas as if they are still happening, which will impact all aspects of society.
The economy will be
‘Stay at home, keep two metres away… these ideas won’t fade overnight’
affected if people aren’t able to work, levels of alcoholism and drug abuse are likely to rise, as will domestic violence and eating disorders.
‘Of course, not everyone will come out of lockdown traumatised, but everyone will be impacted by the past year differently. Some people will be desperate to get “back to normal” but it will take a while to adjust. We’ve had the message hammered home to stay at home to save lives, to remain two metres away – those messages won’t just fade overnight.
‘This has not been a normal way to live but we’ve been doing it for a year.
‘And for those people who found lockdown suited them and felt a sense of security while being indoors, they are now being forced back into a reality that they don’t necessarily want. Although they will have had two parallel journeys, the impact may be similar.’
So what should we do now? Owen encourages us to talk. ‘By talking, whether that be privately or to a professional, we are processing what we have been through. And keep an eye on how you are feeling. You’re allowed a bad day but if, over a fortnight say, half or over half those days are bad days, you might want to seek support or help.
‘And take time to adjust to this reduction in restrictions, build up gradually.’
That is exactly what Sonal plans to do. ‘I won’t be the first person going to the cinema or to a restaurant. I will continue to wear my mask and shop at the quietest times.
‘I want to take it slowly and start by catching up with friends and family until
I feel more confident.’
Owen advises that society needs to be ready to deal with the impact of lockdown, now the end is in sight. ‘ We need to have robust mental health services in place, both in the NHS and at a company-wide level. Whenever I speak to employers now, I warn them that what they have in place at the moment will not be sufficient.’
However, he says, this can also be a new start. ‘Look at this time as a chance to rebuild your life. It’s not always about looking back, it’s about looking forward, seeing what the experience has taught you and how you can use that in a way to live your life more fully in a way that you want to.’
And, after a year often described as lost, there’s no denying we can’t wait to get back to living again – in whatever way works best for each of us.