Isolation and the Effect it has on our Mental Health
During these tough times, a lot of us find ourselves in not-so ideal situations. The most prevalent kind being self-isolation. This pandemic has forced us to stay home and for some of us, this means staying in pure isolation. To break the chain, and to prevent infecting others, this seems the right way to go. But, like everything, even isolating can seem daunting, at times.
Some people might think that staying in isolation can't be all that bad. After all, it gives you time to watch Netflix, sleep, read a book, organise your room etc, but only a person in the situation can actually quite tell you what’s really going on. Not being able to converse with others in the house, walk around and get fresh air, meet your friends, step out for your basic necessities, and instead being limited to the four walls of your room can actually be shattering for your mental health.
Sometimes you might feel really anxious due to the sudden realm of loneliness hitting you. The paranoia of you having Covid-19, or you running the risk of having it might contribute to your anxiousness as well. You could, at times, overthink about how this pandemic could take over you, your family and your loved ones; and thoughts like these can temporarily put you in a very dark place.
The psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic may vary from a panic behaviour or collective hysteria to pervasive feelings of hopelessness and desperation which are associated with negative outcomes including suicidal behaviour. COVID-19 multiplied by forced quarantine to combat COVID-19 applied by nationwide lockdowns can produce acute panic, anxiety, obsessive behaviours, hoarding, paranoia, and depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the long run. These have also been fueled by an "INFOdemic" spread via different platforms of social media. So much negativity and worse than that; so much false news being spread around social media is slowly killing people’s mental state of mind. Not only social media but the media, in general, tends to focus on bad news, which internally triggers us as well. It kills positivity and leaves us mentally exhausted.
Which is why helping someone who is isolating can be particularly important right now.
HOW TO SUPPORT SOMEBODY IN ISOLATION
Stay in touch with them virtually: Call or video call them frequently to check on them and let them know they'll be fine. Pump them up with positivity and help them stay optimistic.
Send them food — preferably homemade immunity-boosting food. Send them cards, or flowers or anything else that you have in mind, but do so with the utmost safety.
Occasionally drop off essentials like groceries and medicines.
Connect to them on social media.
Keep them informed: While you don't want to make someone who is isolated feel more alarmed than necessary about the situation of the world, being a source of reliable information could help to dispel any myths that they may be subject to through social media.