Do you find life kind of creeps up on you at times?
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the global pandemic, I thought about how I felt last year at this time. Newly retired, I was already dealing with the isolation of being at home alone after the stimulation of my workplace. Then came social isolation. Not only could I not volunteer, which was my retirement sanity plan, but I couldn’t shop or go to church in the same way. I couldn’t go anywhere!
However, we all wanted to “flatten the curve” and do our part, so we wore masks and stayed away from others (even my precious grandchildren) and got through the winter and spring.Walking around the lake near us, looking for signs of spring kept me from
spiralling into pity. Each tiny bit of colour encouraged me and I took pictures and posted them. Whatever works! The weather improved and some restrictions were lifted. Church functioned at 30% and we met outside in larger groups and the flowers in my garden put on a spectacular show.
As fall approached, the numbers climbed. Naturally, we were indoors more, and some of us just couldn’t resist a few extra family and friends at Thanksgiving gatherings. (Don’t get me started on that!) The weather was doing what it does in the late fall–getting darker and greyer and more depressing. Restrictions began again. We were locked down. We were done but the pandemic wasn’t.
Did you know that loneliness and social isolation can kill?
Mental effects
We long knew that social isolation was a bad thing, until it became a good thing to prevent covid-19. So we closed the schools and had children learn online, but depression and other mental illnesses skyrocketed. And our elders? Those living in care were sent to their rooms, told their families couldn’t visit and saw staff go from friendly helpers to frightened zombies in protective garb. Their meals were delivered on trays and they were never encouraged to go beyond those four walls. For weeks and weeks.
Those living independently had their travel plans cancelled, all the activities they attended put on hold and even their weekly hairdo was no longer possible. The Bridge club, the choir, church activities–gone.
This led to:
- depression
- poorer cognitive function and more dementia
- more substance abuse and overeating
- suicide
Physical Effects
We are connected. What happens in our social situation affects our emotions. Our emotions affect our physical bodies in ways we may not realize. When we talk health, it has to be a whole picture.
I am recovering from surgery. My body is going through tremendous changes and working hard as I try to heal. I’ve had a friend helping me all week, and others are waiting in the wings, so the loneliness and isolation I felt previously has abated. In spite of pain and all that goes with my situation, emotionally I’m in the best place I have been in months. Yet, I cry if I drop something, and I frequently drop things. Complex creatures, aren’t we?
Physical effects of isolation and loneliness are:
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- obesity
- depression
- cognitive decline and increased tendency to develop Alzheimer’s 1.
Scary, right? But knowing the facts means we can address it and look for ways to reach out to our elders, not only to end the isolation, but to draw from their rich reserves to bless our lives.
Next week: Loneliness and isolation aren’t the same, but can change the pathways in our brains and what cells do!
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1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks