By Francisco Peyret
Three years ago, a pandemic invaded the world, causing uncertainty, insecurity, and a lot of pain. However, human beings seem to have an intrinsic device that allows them to quickly get rid of everything that causes pain, and all is easily forgotten. This is good because it allows us to move forward, trace new paths, and build illusion and dreams that motivate us to build new realities. This is very important because we live in a world of tremendous contrasts. The bad thing about not having a good social memory is we soon forget the causes that created our problems. Many investigations claim that COVID-19 had its origin in the environmental damage that we are causing to the planet. This is especially so during the last 30 years. We love being able to buy an Indian sauce at the corner supermarket, for example, but today we are paying the true price of what we consume. With the euphoria of end-of-the-year festivities, we celebrate the fact that we are at least still alive. But we need to feel cautious about the coming year, because 2023 seems to be shaping up to be complicated, at least economically.
One of the positive things for many is finding out that it is not necessary to spend so much time at the office. Work from home has made it possible to reduce travel times and spend more time with the family. For others, exercise and walks in the countryside became a rediscovery; tourism related to nature seems to have a promising future. Health and food is a priority for everyone, and family spending is focused on these items. But given the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, many families currently manage their expenses differently.
Unfortunately, this process has not been simple. People lost their businesses and jobs, and the lockdown during the pandemic was not a happy time at all for some. Many families lost loved ones, depression and anxiety fell upon millions of people around the globe, and there were the additional stresses of deeper indebtedness for businessmen and individuals. All these problems are still ongoing. We are currently entering what we Mexicans call the «January slope.»
According to the portal díainternacional.com, the origin of the saddest day of the year—Blue Monday—dates back to 2005. Psychologist Cliff Arnall developed a formula to find which was the worst day of the year, through an advertising campaign for the Sky Travel agency. He determined that the most depressing day of the year is the third Monday in January, which follows the excesses of December, family economics, and the frustrations of what has not been achieved. The formulas used by Arnall have been widely criticized and debated. However, it does not take a genius to infer that in January, whether due to the Christmas hangover, economic crises, or the weather, the community goes through difficult moments. The truth is we are going to face a difficult year, and we must consider how to deal with issues of depression and anxiety.
During the pandemic, mental illnesses increased more among women than men, and in young people more than in adults, according to a new report from the UN health agency. They consider the situation «a wake-up call.» The factors that led to higher levels of anxiety and depression were loneliness; fear of illness, suffering, and death (both one’s own and that of loved ones), pain after bereavement, and economic worries. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its document «Health at a Glance 2021,» published in November 2021, warned of the enormous impact that the pandemic has generated on mental health. They found more than double the levels of anxiety and depression compared to levels seen before the COVID-19, especially in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Without overdramatizing the situation, I believe we should not lose sight of these diseases. Special attention must be paid to young people who are facing a complicated generational panorama. Depression is a silent disease that often requires a lot of effort and time to eradicate. The pandemic has left us with many lessons. And it has given us signs that we must heed to build a better environment, both for family and community.
