On a street in Central Havana, Mayumis Nunez wakes up on an improvised bed in front of the building where she lived for years.Three weeks ago, part of the beautiful century-old structure collapsed, and it was declared uninhabitable. Since then, she has had nowhere else to spend the night.Sleeping out in the stifling summer heat leaves her exhausted, but what distresses her more is not knowing when or how this situation will end."Just imagine not having any rest. Knowing that it's one day, and another day and another day," says the 44-year-old.Every morning, she wakes up and climbs up to her damaged apartment to bathe, change clothes and get ready for work.Since Washington launched an energy blockade in January, living conditions have worsened markedly.Power cuts mean that water pumps grind to a halt. Gasoline shortages mean public buses have disappeared from now-deserted roads.
For millions of Cubans, getting water and food, getting around and even sleeping through the night have become daily challenges © YAMIL LAGE / AFP
For millions of Cubans, getting water and food, getting around and even sleeping through the night have become daily challenges.But beyond the material hardships, many describe a similar feeling: the impossibility of unplugging from their problems.The constant effort of solving today's problems has left no energy to think about tomorrow.'State of alert'At Havana's Calixto Garcia hospital, where a clinic specializing in stress management has operated for years, doctors say the crisis is increasingly reflected in patient visits.Sitting in a circle, students, retirees and professionals share similar worries: blackouts, economic hardship, relatives who have emigrated and plans put on hold.Among the participants is 29-year-old teaching student Claudia Sifredo.Like many young Cubans, she has postponed personal goals, including moving out of her parents' home, a dream she now considers beyond her reach."Everything is chaotic," she explains. "This current situation is so stressful and so uncertain that you don't even know how to get through the day."For now, she says, therapy has helped her focus on what she can control."I have to learn how to deal with this environment that I can't change right now."
