The ripple of unintended effects on our psyche

Solitary confinement is considered the worst possible punishment in maximum security prisons.

Multiple psychiatry journals have proven that getting thrown in the hole can cause an array of mental disorders, as well as provoke an already existing mental disorder in a prisoner, causing more trauma and symptoms than criminals would have experienced in general population.

In short, people would rather hang out with rapists, drug dealers and murderers than be alone.

Because they know, somewhere deep inside their bones, that social isolation creates a ripple of unintended effects on the psyche.

Human beings are not built to be by themselves for extended periods of time. Loneliness truly is the most common ailment of the modern world.

Now, the argument against this is that when you’re alone, nobody can hurt you. Which is absolutely true. But it’s only true to the extent that you can’t hurt yourself. And all of us can hurt ourselves. Hell, most wounds are self inflicted.

Perhaps, then, it’s a question of which pain is worse. Because it’s going to hurt no matter what.

Seinfeld once said that our blessing in life is when we find the torture we’re comfortable with.

So which would we rather have? The pain of numbness that comes from isolating ourselves, or the pain of vulnerability that comes from extending ourselves?

Think of it like the difference between improv comedy and standup comedy. Impov is about saying yes and supporting the team and playing well with others. Standup is about putting people down and being independent and doing whatever you want in spite of others.

Both are risky, both are difficult. But the funny thing is, you rarely hear stories about the improv comedy team that was found dead in a hotel room because of a drug overdose and depression related suicide. That mostly happens to standups.

Because their career is the equivalent of solitary confinement with one hour of sunlight a day.

Look, life is hard no matter what. But we can’t carry the difficulty on our own, and being alone in it will only intensify it.

Isolation is a terrible punishment that you inflict on yourself. Reach out before the ripple of unintended effects takes your psyche down a path from which there is no coming back.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s the longest you’ve gone without leaving the house?