38. The Hidden Toll of “Normal” in the Aftermath of the Pandemic.

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The government says we are expected to return to “normal,” but what does that even mean?

For me, “normal” has come to feel like isolation, anxiety, stress, depression, anger, and family separation.

The damage to individual and family mental health is staggering, and I’m not sure I can ever get used to this new “normal.” I don’t want this. I’ve lost so much, not just personally but mentally as well.

Physically, I’ve suffered too, unable to access the medical help I needed, as priority was understandably given to handling the pandemic.

Over 150,000 people have died in the UK, but I believe four times that number has been mentally scarred by the fallout.

We need to address this, because the true toll on society is still unknown and far from over.