The topic of social isolation is a very broad concept and we can focus in describing the phenomenon on many levels - exactly as many types of this isolation are. The vast majority of causes have their origin already in childhood, so the problem usually lies very deeply and remedying this dangerous condition is associated with a complicated and long process of psychotherapy, as complex as a human being ... i.e. very. In today's post I would like to deal with a special type of social isolation, namely forced isolation. This is the state we are in now fighting the current coronavirus pandemic situation. The vast majority of us have locked ourselves in our enclaves, driven by a search for a sense of security.
Action "breeds" reaction
Such limitation of interpersonal contacts brings a whole range of responses of our organisms to new conditions. Usually these are not positive answers. Simply put, our mood decreases. Why? Because we are social beings and our brains are adapted to life in society. They process information given to us by others and then they feel "best". That's how our brains work all the time, analyze information (even when we sleep), so the more they have to "work", the better they manifest - for example, in our mood. An example of the function of continuous analysis of the brain, let's be the research carried out at the University of Munich on the so-called Deprection chamber. That is, chambers in pure white in which there are no incoming sounds or images. The brain, devoid of external stimuli, begins to fill the void with images it has created. In the waking state, this body processes countless information. As many as 10 million data bits per second are transmitted from the retina of the human eye! And suddenly we take everything away from him.
The results of this experiment have clearly shown why these types of torture used by various regimes are among the most violent. Of course, through this example I wanted to sketch you a nice, short principle of the functioning of our "computers". Memories, previously depressed mood, popularly and colloquially called "depression" is only a mild form in people "with a stronger mental structure". In other cases, real depression, which is a genuine disease entity, may occur. We see, therefore, how important it is in the current state of limiting stimuli through isolation to counteract this phenomenon as much as possible.
Isolation and the world
We see in the media a large number of messages as this natural human need for contact manifests itself in actions. People going out to the balconies at a certain time and clapping for a few minutes in gratitude to our knights in shiny smocks is a great way to maintain important social ties. Recently, I read a very interesting account - a great, very creative idea of one resident in Argentina, who as a personal trainer decided to train on the balcony with his neighbors. Each participant followed his instructions as part of exercises on his balcony. I really liked this idea, as a very comprehensive form of full benefits for our bodies, which brings physical activity but also for these social bonds. Imagine a picture in which the whole block on the balconies performs squats … it had to cause a wave of common smiles :). Such integration is crucial during this period.
Man - a social being, a family being
In his unlimited creativity and the need for closeness, man tries to be as close to society as possible. We must also take into account the aspect of loved ones - the family. After all, we miss them the most. Fortunately, technology comes to our aid. Skype, Talky, Messanger or other audiovisual applications are now at a premium. Let's use them as an "extension" of direct contact with a loved one, eg. We can "place" the webcam in the kitchen and cook together. Maybe the media will not convey the smell or taste of the specialty we make, but we can always say to the person from behind the screen: "mmm how good!" Let's take care of each other, because this "damn thing" will end sometime.
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