For Carole Brown, everything about entering a post-pandemic future causes her anxiety to spike. The thought of eating inside of a restaurant or going to a house party — even when people are fully vaccinated — gives her “heart palpitations,” she says.
Over the last several months, Brown says it’s been hard to navigate her anxiety and overall mental health.“I’m always the one who takes control and makes everybody safe… If you told me a year ago that this is the shape I would be in, I would have laughed,” she said.“I can’t imagine going to a concert again, I can’t imagine flying… I’ll probably wear a mask to travel and (when) in crowds.” Canadians reporting higher levels of anxiety, depression amid the pandemic Brown isn’t alone in these.