United States

Citizen

Covid allowed me to finally see how existentially lonely I am. I lost all of my capability to socialize and all of my friends. I don't talk to anyone but my family occasionally but I don't have any strong bonds with anyone. I did have a few online friends for a while but inevitably, I lost them as well. What hurts is that they don't even seem to care that we aren't friends anymore. Everything sucks. Nothing appeals to me anymore and I find myself in a cycle of loneliness and boredom. I went through the fright of seeing my sister's health decline due to covid. She has recovered, fortunately, but It's sad that I have to go through that anyway. I haven't been outside for a long time or socialized overall. I miss my old self. Why can't I go back? I just wish I had someone like I used to.

United Kingdom

Citizen

When the first lockdown occurred I thought it wasn’t going to be that bad but I started to lose friends and my grandad died but I he was to far to travel for the funeral so I became depressed and almost at the end of giving up my life. But, the email that saved me was a congratulations to being offered a place to UOB to study my dream course. it gave me reassurance that I will be okay and that I need to put my trust in God. Fast forward to this current lockdown, it hasn’t been easy especially feeling stressed and alone at home but this year I gained people to support me even when I am feeling at my worse and I know how to get back up when I’ve fallen down. I’ve just found out about this website and wanted to share that even at your lowest point in life you will feel alone but seek help even if it’s just for company; it’s better to be with someone then to feel and be alone X

United Kingdom

Citizen

I’m struggling here with family at home, wishing to die...

Alliston, Ontario, Canada

Essential Worker

After I split up with an abusive partner in 2017, I got my life together, found a job and emigrated to Canada, met someone and we are happily married, I started work for both the Canadian and British government and until Covid hit was very happy, had a full life, but when Covid happened, both my sister and I got it.

We were told to stay at home and isolate, we were both key workers but they had already had an outbreak at our workplace, but when Justin Trudeau got it also, life was difficult. we always thought we could carry on working especially with restrictions in place but that wasn't to be.

My sister was part of my bubble and so I stayed with her for quite some time.

When we fell ill, I missed my husband a lot and my son's and grand children also, and I couldn't get to see them.

My sister being so much older, got it first and she couldn't lie in bed, because every time she tried, she was coughing up blood, previously we had been told to stay at home and isolate and quarantine for 14 days but when I saw how ill she really was, I panicked and called our private healthcare, tried to explain to them, they said the same as government.

This was in the early days of the virus and I know it was in both countries before the end of 2019.

My sister died February 2nd 2020, the day she was born and I still can't believe she has gone due to the very people who wouldn't help, the people we worked for.

UK

Citizen

I miss my friend who died with Covid in May. She was such a special person to me. She lived a 100 miles from my home. But we saw each other several times a year. Listening to her on the phone from her home in her final days was difficult. I wanted to hold her hand, I wanted to give her some company and some comfort. I tried my very best to be cheery and kind and understanding. She had supported my family - therefore - in the end, not to be able to reciprocate was awful. But that was not to be, life has been thrown into all sorts of disarray. No final goodbye, no funeral, no celebration of her life. Just another statistic. I feel sad about that. But I am glad she was part of our lives for a long time and that we had shared something good over the years.

United Kingdom

Citizen

Some days I'm tearing my hair out, I feel I actually could do it, some days I'm insane with stress. A special needs child who can't cope with online learning, day after day of trying to satisfy the demands that an ADHD child has, where everything is on fast forward permanently, and there's NEVER enough to fill the gaps. Oh how I'd love some gaps. My own identity a thing of the past, not sure I will ever get it back. Grateful, very grateful, to all those caring for people who are ill and all those who are supporting the lockdown, delivery drivers, supermarket workers etc. But the relationships between parent(s) and children are going to be permanently changed by this, some lucky ones maybe for the better but a lot of us for the worse I'm sure. I'm not sure my child will ever like me again. I feel completely alone with the stress. There is no joy, just survival. This wasn't how I saw my life as a parent!

England

Citizen

Hello World,

I'm scared. I'm afraid to leave the house. I'm afraid to answer the door without a mask on. I get angry when I see people not wearing a mask and not social distancing. I'm tired of people saying they want things to "return to normal" because it isn't going to. It simply isn't ever going to be like it was and I'm not sure that's such a bad thing. They are wasting precious time and energy wishing for something that is irretrievable.

My husband is Asperger's and he is driving me nuts. He is always there. He always has a comment and it is always negative. He chips away at me day after day like a long slow drip on a stone. My best friend lives alone and she goes on and on and on about how hard it is now. I listen as she tells me how lucky I am to have someone as I sit there desperate for a moment's peace... and then I feel guilty for feeling that way.

I feel trapped by this horrible virus but I know things could be so much worse.

As my friend says, "I'm tired of this... but we all are, aren't we."

France

Citizen

Hello ,

Take Care of yourself

I love you

You Can do it

Happy Life , Aventure and see beautiful Sky today and another Day.

Don't forget your dream -L

Shrewsbury, shropshire

Healthcare Worker

Well guys, we've nearly been a year with covid-19. Just wow!

Looking back, i have had some special times made with my children this year. Being in lockdown has bought us all alot closer together, we have all made more time for each other. We have enjoyed the days out walking, and nights spent playing games.

Being a key worker, my children have had to continue at school so i can work.

Something which they have found very hard, due to friends not attending. But i think they have secretly been grateful for. It has kept their routine pretty similar to the norm, and they have been able to interact with people other than myself and my partner.

I am so very grateful for the teachers ensuring they are kept as safe as possible during these crazy times, and adapting to the "new school" days.

I am also grateful my children see us going to work everyday, and appreciate we are tired and exhausted wgen we return home.

But, keeling the talking around the dinner table, followed by a family fame each night keeps us sane. Planning a nice walk and movie each weekend, is keeping us sane. The small moments we catch up with family when lockdown allows & via Internet is so special now, when once was taken for granted.

Stay humble everyone, appreciate what you have 😍

New York

Citizen

To the English citizen now living in Canada who wrote this intro and more:

Uk

Citizen

Last march, I was very shocked and worried about the whole coivd situation having had it in January and it lasting over a month to get over. People in the UK didn't know back then that it was even in our country and so very little was done to help people who had it early because of no knowledge about the virus, but with all what the governement has to do, not just in making choices for covid but everything else and as always the final decisions made by the pm. its easy to see what a terrible and diffucult task they have in trying to please everyone as well keeping the country safe.

Keep your chin up, keep focussed on the positive, and when this is over, I'll visit as much as I can.

United Kingdom

Citizen

covid 19 negatively impacted my life. I am a financially independent person and with work being shut since the first lockdown my income has been very low. I understand that the furlough scheme was put in place to support us but it's not enough. On top of that I am a btec student who has been put at a disadvantage from other students. The government announced A level exams would be cancelled but didn't say anything about btecs. At this stage I was very anxious and nervous about the outcome of my grades so I stayed up revising non stop only for the government to announce that btecs would be cancelled with less that a weeks notice. I was relived but at the same time panicked because I don't want my grades to be based on my dedication to online learning as I find it very difficult to understand work over online lessons. I just hope that the grade I am awarded is fair and accurate so I have a chance at attending university. I strongly believe that if the government had been more vigilant and strict at the start of the pandemic then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation now as many other countries have been able to rid their citizens of the virus. Another thing I want to point out is how unjust boris johnson has been over the course of the pandemic, I am a Muslim and for us our eid was cancelled the night before and certain restrictions were set in place to ensure we couldn't celebrate, however boris allowed the restrictions to ease when Christmas came around ensuring families could meet and celebrate together. I am very disappointed with how the country is handling the pandemic. The government has not been able to protect us in this time of need.

UK

Citizen

I started last year relishing the challenge of working from home in the first lockdown, creating enough work for myself, and helping the children with their education. It was actually enjoyable to see all the family so much. By May I was running out of work to keep me occupied and have always felt too guilty to skive off work and fill my time with my hobbies. So I devised work that required being at work and started spending my time planning and recording tutorial videos at work.

Summer came and seemed okay, except my wife started becoming more and more withdrawn into a fantasy game on her phone. She finally accepted that she was addicted to this and stopped playing after several months, but by then, she was spending all her time in constant chat with someone she met in the game. We even managed a week of family holiday camping, but she spent the entire week on her phone. She seems unable to stop this, and is constantly thinking of him and texting. I’ve lost my wife, and she has said she would rather keep him than me. The enforced lockdowns meant she was not getting any other social interaction, and she has descended into this fantasy world which she doesn’t want to leave.

I’m distraught. She is going to leave me and the children, all over something that is a pipedream.

Now we’re in Lockdown 3 and she’s still under the same roof but living separately: it is immensely stressful and upsetting. My poor children too are stuck at home.

My future lies in tatters, with only my children to focus my attention on, and they will both have flown the nest in 3 years’ time. How does a 48 year old rebuild their life?