2020 Fatigue
2020 Fatigue
Diagnostic Code FU20.20
Diagnostic Criteria for 2020 Fatigue:
A. Recurrent episodes of "doomscrolling" on at least 1 social media platform, for a significant amount of time, on most or all days. Episodes of "doomscrolling" are characterized by the following:
Refreshing social media and online news to stay current on one or all of the following:
Latest natural disasters
Outbreaks of civil unrest
Pandemic death-tolls
Conspiracy theories
Political scandals
Economic uncertainty
Police brutality
Murder hornets
City-wide lockdowns
Beloved celebrity deaths
The latest on Karens
B. Pattern of pessimistic thinking on most or all days.
C. Feeling of grief in response to the loss or decrease of social interactions.
D. Longing for "the good ole' days"
E. Weight gain, otherwise known as packing on the 2020 20.
If you're experiencing 2020 Fatigue, you may benefit from taking the following actions:
Call up a friend or relative just to check in on them
Go for a hike
Create a healthy meal plan for the week with all new recipes
Follow positive accounts on social media
Meditate
Begin a gratitude journal
Start therapy...I'm currently accepting new clients!
Have a "Treat Yo Self" day.
The truth is, none of us know how the rest of 2020 is going to play out. The best any of us can do is cross our fingers and focus on what we can control. We can all take actions of kindness toward ourselves. We can be more gentle and compassionate toward ourselves. Sometimes this means we have to protect ourselves from unnecessary exposure to negativity and conflict.
In August the CDC published an article that found the following, "during June 2020, U.S. adults reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation."
Despite progress being made toward eliminating the stigma associated with mental health issues, my fear is that too many people continue to struggle in silence and isolation. Please don't let this be you. Reaching out to a therapist is a wonderful way to show kindness and care for oneself. While 2020 Fatigue isn't an actual mental health diagnosis the following are:
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Substance-Related Disorders
If you suspect yourself of struggling with any of these conditions, please reach out to a mental health provider today. Help is available and the world benefits by having the healthiest version of you in it.