The pandemic didn’t just pause life—it rewired an entire generation’s emotional baseline. For India’s Gen Z, growing up through lockdowns, uncertainty, and digital overload has left behind a new kind of exhaustion. Many young people are now turning to alcohol, vaping, and prescription drugs to cope with stress, burnout, and loneliness.

‘Before 2020, many Gen Z clients described anxiety as butterflies before exams. Now, it’s existential dread before breakfast,’ says Dr. Rita Mendonca, Founder and Head Psychologist at My Mind Gains, a government-registered mental health clinic and training hub in Mumbai. With over nine years of experience in youth mental health, she observes that today’s young adults are ‘digitally connected but emotionally isolated.’