How Long Term Social Isolation Creates Self-Harming Physiological Changes in the Brain
In an incredibly insightful Ted-Ed lesson written by renowned psychiatrist Terry Kupers and directed by Camille Bovey, narrator Addison Anderson explains how long term social isolation creates self-harming physiological changes in the brain.
Everyone needs time to themselves, and peaceful solitude has stress-relieving benefits. But being alone takes on an entirely different dimension when it creeps up or is forced upon you. When that's the case, the effects can be surprisingly extensive. And though different people experience distinct effects at different times, symptoms tend to become more severe and persistent the longer one's isolated.
The effects of social isolation are profoundly detrimental to an individual's sense of self and impact their interactions with others.
Social interactions and meaningful activities are essential for emotional stability. ... So, when someone's deprived of those kinds of communication and tasks, their sense of identity and reality becomes threatened. Their thoughts spiral and their impulses take the reins, setting the stage for depression, obsessions, suicidal ideation, and, for some, delusions and hallucinations.
This phenomenon, which is specifically with forceful isolation, as in prisons, can grow worse when the person also suffers from mental health issues.
...solitary confinement is harmful to everyone, but many who've experienced it have pre-existing mental health disorders, which it only exacerbates. ... People who have gone through solitary confinement are three times more likely to show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. And they commonly report experiencing shifts in their personalities, increased anxiety and paranoia in otherwise ordinary situations, and difficulty concentrating and connecting with others.
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