Is this year the worst year of your life?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

It's a shit year, I think virtually everyone would agree. But is it the worst you have lived through?

I'm bored, frustrated, and because I am chronically ill and depend heavily on access to specialist doctors for time-sensitive treatments, have a constant level of background anxiety in case SHTF and my doctors are forced to cancel. However, for me it's not the worst period of my life to date.

What about you? I'm interested in different perspectives on this, as we all are coming to the situation from very different places.

No. I recognise I've been privileged and lucky. My job was and is relatively safe; the company I work for tends to do well when the economy is in difficulty.

2018 was one of the worst, for reasons I don't want to go into right now.

@Greenbks

Yes, I lost my son in February so I couldn’t give a toss about covid or anything else. I often wish I had non problems like the ppl you see on the news moan about like Christmas being cancelled or kids not being allowed out to play.

I haven’t complained since he died.

So sorry you're going through this. I cannot begin to imagine the pain you are feeling.

@Tigger85
I'm so sorry. I have no other words but I'm sorry.

No. My worst year was 1997 when I had three close friends/family members due, then my boyfriend. That was my annus horribilus.

This has been an annus difficultus, but not nearly as bad.

Oh @Greenbks - I'm so sorry for your loss.

My mum, who I adore, had a massive stroke. She is in rehab, I haven't seen her in 3 weeks as they tightened restrictions and now we can't go at all. We used to discuss literature, history, she is a woman of many words and now she has aphasia and can barely speak. Let alone the paralysis on her right side. My dad is a broken man from both the stroke and the visiting restrictions due to Covid

So yes. It's been the shittest year of my life so far,

@Greenbks

Not even close. Most of the 90s sucked for us so very badly that things this year have been plain, albeit tedious,in contrast.

Yes. I have been very depressed with lockdown, living on my own and having to work from home has been tough. The final straw was losing my beloved cat to an aggressive cancer. She was everywhere to me and would sit down my jumper all day (Sphynx cat so loved the warmth). I could carry her around like a baby kangaroo. Heart broken doesn't describe it .

@RaininSummer

Pink... I think I compartmentalise stuff and there is a big box labelled 'stuff I can't control' in my head and I do my best not to open it. Obviously doesn't work when it's something as hideous as the death of your child or other things as awful but works fine for general shit like Covid and the economy

I can see that just staying focused on day to day living is a positive thing, but honestly I can't shut out the fact that there are so many people going through hell right now. That's probably not very healthy. Or maybe it is, I don't know!

No it isn't and I worry that people are idolising the lives they had before and will have a massive slump when life returns to normal and they are disappointed.

Nope, no where near. Worst for me was probably 2009 - my mother had a heart attack, my marriage ended, my MIL was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and my STBXH was made redundant from the job he'd had for a decade. This all happened in the space of one month.

2020 has been fine for me. Boring as fuck, but I live on my own with no family and my partner lives 200 miles away, so I'm used to being on my own a lot. The ex H mentioned above has just helped me become debt free (caused by my own stupidity) by giving me a large interest free loan to be paid back at my convenience. It's the best news I've had since 2009 and a massive weight has been taken off my shoulders.

So global pandemic aside, 2020 has been positive for me.

No, it's not my worst year. As far as my personal life is concerned, it's been a good one. I met my boyfriend in the first week of the year so have spent the rest of this year falling in love (yuck, I know!!). My loved ones are all still happy and healthy and I'm in a very secure job (NHS), so I feel very very grateful for the hand I've been dealt this year. Obviously I've felt bored and frustrated and overworked at times but when I see how the year has been for a lot of other people I know I'm really fortunate.

@DevastatedandDistraught how awful

Not terrible for me personally but the affect on society is very upsetting. I Think we are in a middle class bubble as all of our friends are doing fine. But unemployment, food banks, people struggling with mental health and obviously covid related deaths .. all these are devastating.

Teen years were tough for me. I cried so much and felt suicidal at times. Feel those times are far behind me and i truly believe I won't feel like that again so I'm thankful for that.

It hasn't been a good year by any means but nowhere near my worst. 2018 and 2014 were pure hell for my family and 1994 & 1995 were pretty rubbish too.

2007 for me. A mentally ill relative tried to kill me.

No, most of my childhood was much much worse than this year has been.
DH Nan did die this year which was obviously upsetting but she was old and so expected. There’s been a load of people who have lost people before their time.
I think that people will always have terrible events happen, death, miscarriage, divorce, money issues, illnesses, crime, etc etc and I can only imagine that going through those during the pandemic has made things harder because you can’t attend funerals, partners can’t be with mothers in labour, or during miscarraige, people can’t visit loved ones gravely ill in hospital, redundancies and job uncertainty etc is harder this year as there’s not an abundance of other jobs. In previous years you weren’t competing with the thousands and thousands of other people who also have lost thier jobs.

It’s been my best year! I had my DD at the end of 2019 and have had most of this year on mat leave, just gone back to work.
Covid is shit but I’ve had an amazing year. I appreciate that’s unusual but I’ve loved it on the whole.

Yes. We sold up and moved house just before coronavirus. Moved house wanting our “happily ever after” and instead we lost jobs, and have new shit neighbours & got seriously ill (not covid).

Now we’ve sold and we have another house to buy (both took pay cuts in new jobs) - I am worried about the new neighbours being arseholes too.

I had a breakdown. My primary care for cancelled for 7 months so I became ill & bad shit just keeps happening to us.

Like Groundhog Day - but utter misery.

I want my health, I want to feel safe and relaxed at home and I want a new job that’s slightly higher pay. that’s all

I thought 2019 was shit - I spent most of it in hospital but in comparison to 2020 it was a wonderful year. Take me back.

Nope nowhere even close to my worst year. I've enjoyed being with my family more.

No way had far far worse ones

No, not at all. Lockdown has been shit but I have had much worse times due to illness and loss.

No

@Greenbks @Tigger85 @DevastatedandDistraught so sorry for your losses and Tigger so sorry your family and work are such horrible people, your story is one of the worst I have ever read on here, virtual hugs to you.