Pandemic has driven Americans to depression and drinking, CDC says

[Nevilledog]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-is-devastating-americans-mental-health-cdc-says-170026332.html

WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has led to a marked deterioration in Americans’ mental health, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study made public on Thursday. That study, which surveyed 5,412 Americans, found that “40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition.”

According to the new study, 31 percent of respondents were suffering from symptoms of anxiety or depression; 26 percent experienced symptoms of traumatic disorder; 13 percent were using drugs or alcohol more heavily, or for the first time, to cope with the pandemic; and 11 percent had seriously contemplated suicide.

“Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse” mental health outcomes than other groups, the study concluded.

These findings represented levels of psychological distress higher relative to pre-pandemic levels. Anxiety symptoms tripled in incidence compared with the same period in 2019; the incidence of depression symptoms quadrupled. The rate of serious suicidal thoughts doubled in comparison to levels recorded in 2018.

*snip*

[murielm99]

1. No kidding.

I am feeling it. I have gained weight. I drink too much. I fight anxiety every day. And I am relatively secure financially!

If my husband was not here, if I was all alone, I would be going truly crazy.

It is hard to fight this. But we must.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. If you *aren't* depressed, you haven't been paying attention.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. Not necessarily.

Some of us don't watch the news all day. Which helps enormously.

And some of us are naturally more optimistic and upbeat than others.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. Good for you.

[llmart]

20. +1

I'm not depressed either. I'm not happy that we can't socialize more or travel much, but I have many interests and am fairly content with my life. This too shall pass.

I don't watch much TV either.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

22. It's my opinion that too much TV is at the heart

of a lot of the current depression. Especially keeping the news on all day.

[MrsMatt]

26. Hardly ever watch television

and am depressed.

YMMV.

[Raven]

3. It's not the pandemic, it's Trump.

[LisaL]

4. My feelings exactly.

[Alacritous Crier]

8. +1

[happybird]

9. I wasn't worried my Mom would die when just Dump was the problem.

[smirkymonkey]

24. I would agree. He is a very large part of it.

The feelings of hopelessness and impotent rage are entirely due to him.

[Leith]

28. The rest of the rethugs have done more than their part in this

I look at the whole lot of them and wonder what the eff happened.

[katmondoo]

5. My number one cause of depression is the Trumster, I hate what he has done and is doing to America

Next is the pandemic in end I believe it will kill me. Be hind all this misery is the TRUMPSTER himself.

[Initech]

7. Yup it's all connected! But all paths lead one way!

[Initech]

6. I've noticed that my mental health has been deteriorating since the pandemic started.

For me the weekends used to mean something. I could see my family / friends, go to a sports game or concert, or relax and go have some beers somewhere. Now every single day is literally the fucking same. Reruns, leftovers, and video games can only get you so far. It sucks beyond belief. I know that I am the most miserable that I've ever been in my entire life. I can imagine that others are going through the same things that I am.

[luvs2sing]

10. Yes to the depression and weight gain.

No to the alcohol. Alcohol has always been strictly a social accessory for me. I have a whole lot of wine sitting around here waiting for the day I can have dinner parties again.

I gained five pounds in the first month of lockdown. This week, I lost the last pound. Yay me!

Now..about that depression..

[CentralMass]

12. Same here. I had the depression anyway. Drinking wont help. I also gained some lbs. Working on that

[LizBeth]

11. It caused me to stop drinking. Isolating and not working, I do not have the money for booze.

[hlthe2b]

13. Trump and his response to pandemic FAR more than pandemic itself.

[BusyBeingBest]

14. Winter with continued isolation will be hard.

In my family we've been doing outside things since early spring--gardening, hiking, RV camping trips, getting ice cream, taking nice drives. Going to really blow chunks for those of us who get hit with cold and snow to not be able to do much outside.

[renate]

16. oh lordy, I hadn't even thought of that!

Stupid of me, I know.

I'm super introverted and don't miss any of that social stuff, but it's nice to just take a cup of tea outside in the mornings or walk the dog and see some sunlight. I hadn't thought yet about how we'll still be stuck at home when it's cold and snowy outside.

Damn it.

[MoonlitKnight]

18. I thought about the RV thing

But aren’t you concerned about when you have to dump tanks?

[Trailrider1951]

29. No problem dumping tanks

Wear gloves, and you only touch your own equipment, except for the handle on the water tap and the rinse hose. Dump, clean your equipment, stow it away, remove and discard gloves properly, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. No big deal. I just loved my RV before I sold it.

[BusyBeingBest]

30. No, my husband is in charge of that, and he wears gloves/brings disinfectant wipes

[Maru Kitteh]

21. Learn to enjoy/play in the cold and the snow any way you can.

It is now a survival technique. Snowshoeing, skiing, learning to build ice/snow sculpture, photography, ice fishing, horseback riding, sledding, snowmachining, bonfires, find a winter cabin rental.

Find a way to get outside. It's critical now more than ever to our health.

[MoonlitKnight]

17. They spelled Trump wrong

[Aristus]

23. "NO F*****G SH*T!" reply the people to the CDC.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

25. Trump affects my mental health more than the pandemic.

He's the biggest reason why the pandemic is so bad in the USA, of course, but I'd probably be less depressed if a WORSE virus had similar effects under more intelligent leadership. It would have to be worse to match the outcome of Trump's idiocy for Covid!

Being away from my former coworkers has been helpful to my mental health otherwise. It's torture for someone with my "continual learning" personality and high IQ to keep working in factories because that's apparently "who I am" now.

[Withywindle]

27. Lots of people have lost so many things that made them happy

I love live music in little clubs. Gone. I love gatherings with my friends and their friends and meeting new people. Gone. I love window-shopping and movie theaters and eating out once in a while. Gone. Even when my job was annoying, I liked my co-workers, I liked learning new things and ways to do it better, I liked most of the clients. Gone.

And I feel guilty even complaining about that because I'm luckier than so many people. I've got a safe roof over my head and enough to eat. My health so far (knock wood) is decent. Still, I know it's getting me down. Isolation just isn't good for me.