Venezuela: Blurred in despair

Blurred in despair is a long-term investigation of the psychological consequences of Venezuela’s crisis. Mental health of citizens is seriously compromised by a psychosocial trauma generated by the increasingly hostile life. And the mood of the country is full of sadness, anger and fear.

The crisis in Venezuela is more than numbers and lines. People in my country got lost in the need for survival. Medicine shortage, soaring inflation and over 20,000 murderers a year are the tragic statistics in Venezuela. But this collapse is not only a money issue. According to the “Emotional Map”, a research made by a Venezuelan university, the country seems to be in a collective depression, and the mental health of Venezuelans is compromised by the constant exposure to hostility and extreme circumstances. A colorful Caribbean nation that now looks gray as the society is floating in uncertainty for the future.

Blurred in despair started in 2015, when I first realized how the behavior of my fellow countrymen was changing, and the violence was present in more private spaces. Several studies say that Venezuelans are indeed changing. In an attempt to protect themselves from constant frustration, citizens are blocking their hopes and dreams, and have chosen to adapt to whatever the new circumstances are. When surviving is the most important thing, happiness becomes a blurry concept.