Isolation and Mental Health

January 21, 2021 

Winter has been here for a while. For many people and for most of our clients, long stretches of grey days on top of Covid Isolation brings a lot of extra challenges.  Some of us get snow and ice, which add more chores to short days–shoveling snow, scraping car windows, hunting down mittens, hats, and gear.  Where we once were turning to outdoor activities for healthy outlets, some days are too nasty for that. 

People, in general, want to be our best, all the time. I think that it is important to remember that we need different things at different times to thrive. I’m going to compare humans to dogs and then to plants for a second to explain this. 

Dogs are loyal creatures; they don’t need a lot to survive. Food, a warm dry place, and companionship. They’re pack animals. They live in groups. They eat in groups, run in groups, poop in groups (it’s true!), and play in groups. They also hide their pain as individuals. For a doggo in a pack, hiding pain is beneficial evolutionarily. You don’t want to slow your pack down. Hiding your struggle gets an animal through, it helps you to survive. 

Now plants, plants are simpler than dogs even, which is evident to even a two-year-old. Plants, in their natural habitats, when left to their own devices, have both active and dormant periods. In the spring and summer, they grow, blossom, and give fruit; in winter, they lose their leaves, go dormant and rest.  

So, what’s my point? Dogs, plants, people. 

This year has required humans to experience living in isolation; a way of life that hasn’t been practiced since the days when most people were farmers. Isolation wasn’t easy for humans then, either.  Arguably, it’s human nature to run in tribes and live in small groups.  People living in isolation have different reactions to it, but it’s generally recognized as disadvantageous and not optimal for well-being. Multiple sources note that isolation increases one’s risk of depression and anxiety 
 but isolation often isn’t a choice—especially not a preferred choice, such as in the current Coronavirus crisis.

Isolation is typically a result of advanced age (outliving one’s family and peers), physical location (living in a remote area), or a temporary condition (such as being in the hospital). Extended isolation for much of the population is a situation that is basically unprecedented in modern times. 

With this kind of longstanding social change (albeit temporary) and individuals already experiencing conditions such as PTSD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and other mental health conditions, it is imperative for clients to take very good care of themselves during this time. It’s normal to feel off right now. It isn’t beneficial to hide pain from yourself or from the people that you interact with daily, though many things in our culture teach us to do just that.  It is not weakness but strength that encourages our clients to learn about themselves and their whole health and well-being. Healing is a private thing that happens in stages, and it can be achieved no matter what is going on in life.

We offer a number of options that can help you learn to connect better with others, even when we are all separated. 

Waji offers a variety of practitioners and treatments, including Waji, our patent-pending PTSD/phobia treatment, and we are happy to assist you with any care needs during this time. 

Be Well,

Amber
Patient Success Manager