To a New Dawn: Letters of Solidarity Anthology

CJ, 17 Life in Lockdown: What Was It Like?

Life in lockdown was extremely stressful for me. I was constantly worrying about the near future: what will happen to others, and how will we recover from this. I have had medical appointments cancelled due to this deadly virus. Appointments that could have helped me and change my life. As a 17-year-old I shouldn’t be worrying about the internal problems I have. With the support I receive I should be feeling relaxed, right? Instead I’m always on edge about what’s going to happen next. Will I get my issues fixed? Do I have to wait another year? The stress was just constantly building up, weighing me down. Crying for most nights not knowing what to do. The lockdown felt like a lifetime not being able to see friends and family members.

Being isolated from the world made me feel depressed, outcast, forgotten. However, the lockdown did help bring my family and me a lot closer. We managed to bond, relate to each other and express ourselves. Despite the inner isolated feeling I had, I felt so happy being surrounded by my loving family. I felt gleeful, loved, and cared for. They supported me when I was feeling like I was low all the time.

The hardest part of lockdown was the breakup with my boyfriend of eight months. Not being able to see my friends, I felt so broken. I wasn’t able to do my regular 89