Grief and loss on so many levels -- from missing milestones such as birthdays and graduations to severe illness and death.
Difficult times made worse by the fear of an invisible, deadly enemy who strikes via the very air we breathe.
Such is the anxiety-ridden reality of living in the age of coronavirus for many people around the world. While some of us may be coping well right now, experts worry our emotional resilience will begin to fray as the threat of Covid-19 drags on.
"We're living constantly with a level of fear, a heightened state of arousal, much like Vietnam vets and Iraqi vets live with every day," said trauma counselor Jane Webber, a professor of counselor education at Kean University in New Jersey.
"And our sympathetic nervous system can only stay in that overwhelmed, almost frenetic state for so long before we crash," said Webber, who counseled survivors and families during 9/11's tragic aftermath.
"I call it 'chronic threat response' -- the continued state of being in a hyper-aroused survival mode," said trauma psychologist Shauna Springer, who has spent a decade working with military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD.
"Chronic threat response is an escalation of many of the same symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress -- sleep problems, floods of anxiety, irritability, difficulties concentrating and a hair-trigger startle response," Springer said.
What are some of the signs that our coping skills are becoming threadbare and our anxieties may turn dark and more dangerous?
Poor sleep
"When nightmares become a regular thing and our sleep quality is consistently bad, that is often the first sign that we may need to take action to improve our mental health," said Springer, author of a new book called "Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us."
Poor sleep is a double-edged sword: Not only does anxiety create poor sleep, a lack of quality sleep can lead to anxiety, stress and depression, a sort of circular impact. The good news is that exercise and practicing good sleep hygiene can often help get us back on track.
A focus on bad news
As we shelter in place, a focus on watching alarming media reports on the growth of the virus and the devastation to the economy is another warning flag, according to Springer.
"If we are spending our days soaking in this general anxiety and dread about what may happen, in a sort of foxhole waiting for bad news, that's another sign that things are getting into a more clinical range," she said.
"And there's the guilt of taking our feelings out on loved ones, which is likely to happen when you're in close quarters with people for a long time and you haven't adjusted to that."
Loss of interest and pleasure
An even more serious sign, Springer said, is when we lose the taste for connection to others and stop reaching out to friends and family.
"When we can't find pleasure in anything and we begin to feel numb rather than connecting with others and doing things we value or want to do with our lives, that's a sign that we may need help and support, she said.
Helplessness or crippling anxiety
If the current threat of Covid-19 has reawakened feelings of helplessness, such as in the face of violence at home, or from a loss of identity and purpose after being fired or furloughed from a job, that can also be a key sign of risk, experts said.
"An overwhelming feeling of helplessness is what often leads to trauma symptoms," Springer said. "Those of us who've been let go from a job can feel as if we've lost our identity, due to the absence of the roles and relationships that give our lives meaning, and therefore we feel helpless. We can be at risk."
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