Are You Feeling Anxiety Or Depression From The COVID-19 Pandemic?

Leave your experiences and questions in the comments here by March 10, and our experts will respond to as many as they can. (If you’re using a HuffPost mobile app, click on the quote icon at the bottom of your screen to see the comments.)

March 11 marks one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. For many people, this has been one of the most difficult years of their lives. Therapists have seen that mental health issues are magnified because of it. Social distancing has led to loneliness and isolation. The uncertainty of the future has triggered stress and anxiety. And many have grieved the loss of normalcy, and the loss of loved ones.

As a part of HuffPost’s Bent Not Broken series ― a project that explores the emotional effects of the pandemic ― we’re asking readers to share their experiences and questions about how a year of the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their mental health.

Have you experienced loneliness, burnout, anxiety or grief because of the pandemic? Are you worried about the long-term mental health effects? What questions do you have about taking care of your mental health after a year of such uncertainty?

Leave your experiences and questions in the comments here by March 10, and psychiatrist Dr. Jessica Gold and senior wellness editor Lindsay Holmes will respond to as many as they can. Check back on March 11 for their answers. (If you’re using a HuffPost mobile app, click on the quote icon at the bottom of your screen to see the comments.)

Note: Please avoid sharing personally identifiable health information about yourself or others in this thread, as these comments are public. And please be aware that any general advice provided here is no substitute for consulting your doctor or health care professional.

Dr. Jessi Gold is an Assistant Professor and Director of Wellness, Engagement, and Outreach in the Department of Psychiatry of Washington University in St Louis. She works clinically as an outpatient psychiatrist and specializes in the mental health of health care workers and college students. While she has published frequently via the more “traditional” methods of research papers and academic publications, she has also enjoyed teaching about mental health topics and decreasing stigma through writing regularly for various popular outlets.

Lindsay Holmes is the senior wellness editor at HuffPost, where she oversees the health content for HuffPost Life and writes about mental health. She was selected for a National Press Foundation mental health fellowship in 2016 and has participated in multiple panels on how mental health is covered in the media. She graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida and lives in New York.