This month marks the fifth anniversary of the UK being placed into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years on, The Mirror looks at how the traumatic ordeal changed our brains forever – and the hidden signs you’re still struggling with it
Five years ago, in March 2020, the entirety of the UK was placed into lockdown – just days after the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a worldwide pandemic. As the Covid-19 virus spread, schools, restaurants and shops were shut and people were told to stop non-essential contact and travel to help reduce the impact of the devastating virus.
Five years on, the effects of Covid-19 can still be felt today. Experts say the unprecedented global pandemic has left a huge legacy on people’s lives, including how they think and feel. As a new BBC documentary called Love and Loss: The Pandemic 5 Years On tonight explores the painful toll that the pandemic had on families who lost loved ones, here The Mirror takes a closer look at some of the ways our brains may have changed forever…
READ MORE: Mirror Covid lockdown survey reveals how people think pandemic changed their lives
Emotional numbness
According to certified psychologist Emily Johnson, the Covid-19 pandemic “has left behind a legacy of persistent issues” that people still face today. Among those is the coping mechanisms people have when faced with both positive and negative emotions.
“One of the subtle psychological damages of Covid-19 is emotional numbness as a coping mechanism for overwhelming anxiety,” says Emily, from Chosgo Hearing Aids (chosgohearing.com). “The effects of COVID-19 were so devastating that the majority resorted to going numb to adapt to the increased emotional response required to deal with the news. Unfortunately, this has desensitised the majority of people from not just negative emotions but also positive ones.”
As a result, Emly states that many people are “sleepwalking” through life. While they may put the sensation down to things such as depression or general life dissatisfaction, she says it could be a lasting effect of the pandemic. “People who are sleepwalking through life due to emotional numbness associated with the pandemic, more often than not feel disconnected from their emotions, sense of purpose, and even their environment,” Emily explains. “Signs to look out for include feeling detached from yourself and those around you. You just watch life pass by without engaging in it.”
Apathy
Emily adds that another sign she sees in people who have long Covid is apathy. “They simply don’t enjoy the things they used to enjoy pre-Covid. Some find it difficult to outwardly express emotion; they are simply uninterested or unfazed; they can’t experience joy, sadness, or anger, which leads to feeling empty,” she says.
However, others might experience this differently. She continues: “Others feel like there is an invisible wall that stops them from connecting with their friends, loved ones, and even new people. More often than not, these signs are mistaken for overall life dissatisfaction.”
Sense of unease
Throughout the Covid-19, there was a great deal of uncertainty due to the nature of the virus. Psychologist, sex and relationships advisor Barbara Santini, from Peaches and Screams (peachesandscreams.co.uk) says that this may have led individuals to exhibit a whole host of symptoms.
“The enduring impact manifests in diverse ways, often subtly. Many individuals continue to grapple with a persistent sense of unease, an increased sensitivity to social interactions, and a diminished sense of trust in their surroundings. This can translate into difficulties establishing new relationships, heightened irritability, or a tendency to avoid social situations entirely,” she says.
“Furthermore, there are symptoms that may not be readily recognised as pandemic related. For example, a consistent feeling of detachment, difficulty concentrating, or chronic fatigue could be lingering effects of the prolonged stress response. The brain, subjected to extended periods of uncertainty and fear, can undergo subtle changes that affect cognitive function and emotional regulation.”
‘Complicated grief’
For people who lost loved ones during the pandemic, lockdown made grieving even harder than usual. With attendance at funerals being limited and with some not having the ability to say their goodbyes, leading trauma and anxiety expert Chris Meaden from The Meaden Clinic (chrismeaden.com) says this added another layer of complexity to the grieving process.
“Grief during the pandemic was particularly cruel. So many people lost loved ones without warning – and without the ability to say goodbye properly. That lack of closure often leads to what we call ‘complicated grief’,” he says.
“I’ve worked with clients years later who still carry unresolved pain, guilt or even a sense of trauma around those losses. The pandemic didn’t allow for normal grieving, and that has long-term emotional consequences.”
Post-pandemic burnout
Five years may have passed since the first UK lockdown was announced, but Chris states that the burnout from that time is still very real. From comprehending rising death tolls to dealing with restrictions, he states that some people’s nervous systems still haven’t recovered from the emotional toll.
“We were exposed to a near-constant stream of negative news – death tolls, restrictions, fear messaging. That level of sustained stress rewires the nervous system. Many people now live with what I call ‘post-pandemic burnout’ – they’re exhausted, anxious, and disconnected from joy,” he explains.
“For some, the world still feels unsafe, and their bodies haven’t been able to switch out of survival mode. Years later, I still work with people struggling with the emotional aftershocks of the pandemic. Their minds may know it’s over – but their nervous systems haven’t caught up yet.”
According to Chris, symptoms of lingering trauma can include:
- Disturbed sleep or vivid dreams
- Heightened anxiety or persistent worry
- Avoidance of crowds or social situations
- Feeling emotionally numb or detached
- Sudden irritability or low tolerance for stress
- Compulsive behaviours (eg, cleaning, checking)
- Difficulty concentrating or feeling overwhelmed by decisions
- Lingering fear of illness or catching something
You can watch Love and Loss: The Pandemic 5 Years On on BBC one tonight (24 March) at 8:30pm