Could you feel “ ” but not “supplied”? Neurologist explains how we deal with self - promotion!

COVID-19's pandemic is taking on a freak development worldwide, forcing millions of people to adopt a strange and lonely new way of life. There are only hypothetical estimates of how long this period of isolation will last.

More than a week in my isolation, my apartment began to feel like a prison. Suddenly, I was under house arrest and sentence was indefinite. I already felt deep, alone! My mind began to retake: Will I really not see my family or friends for over a year? Will I see them again?

I started feeling symptoms. My throat felt tight and scratched. I couldn't breathe. I was sick? As it turned out, I wasn't experiencing symptoms of coronary; panic was that according to social neuroscientist Dr. Stephanie Capioppo, a natural response to the stress caused by my brain.

The worst thing that we can do as humans is imagine a future we're alone in,” she told me over the phone. Dr. Cacioppo, director of Brain Dynamics Lab at the Pritzker Medical School, studies the effects of love and loneliness in the brain. She, along with her late husband Dr. John has found that the physical state of being alone actually has very little to do with the deceased alone. Their study compares loneliness to a biological signal, such as thirst or hunger.

“Vetmia is not a pathology,” said Dr. Capioppo. “It's just an external signal from our body that something is wrong with our environment. ”

Like hunger or thirst, if loneliness is left unresolved, it can have serious consequences. Simply being with other people, she says, won't make you feel less alone. If you gather lonely people, they will hate each other after a few minutes,” she said.

That, ironically, loneliness can make you deeply unfriendly. According to Dr. Cacicpo, sustainable loneliness activates a brain evasion mechanism, which means that you are more likely to be skeptical and skeptical of others. Loneliness does not only play “truk” in mind, but can also affect our physical health: even in a world without pandemic, chronic loneliness increases the risk of an early death by 26 per cent.

But how can someone remove loneliness and all its side effects when they're in isolation? According to Dr. Capioppo, new ways to regain control should be sought. What we've found in research is that a sense of control is essential to a person's mind,” she said. “But things with COVID-19 evolve so quickly; The instructions we have today may not work next week ... So we are in a really scary situation for our minds. ”

The first thing we have to do is not let our mind wander towards the future,” she said. “Now you can control your environment” ) the food you decide to eat, the clothes you choose to wear. “This gives you a sense of stability. ”

“The breathing is really important,” she said. “Breathing in and out in three-second blocks gives us a meaning now.” If you sometimes find yourself in a spiral of stress thinking about the future, she recommends pronounce your name out loud as a way to focus your thoughts. The “seems very meaningless, but try to do it,” she said. You will stop your mind from wandering about the negative thoughts of the future. ”

As the Internet offers images of people who experience all kinds of symptoms, you can find yourself becoming more alert, examining your body for the slightest change: Is my throat sick? Are these seasonal allergies or the beginning of something worse? This process is normal, even beneficial. The challenge is to manage anxiety created by such uncertainty.

After my stress spray, I've used Dr. Capioppo and I have found the greatest success in achieving my concentration in the last 48 hours. My happiest days, with more normal feelings, are the ones where I have a program. I was surprised at how many small plans a virtual exercise class, a new dinner recipe, have made a significant difference in my life.

The best way to get rid of the dangerous effects of loneliness is social media interaction. Get in touch with someone, text them, and give them love through virtuality, I believe by now we're used to doing it pretty well!

As long as your brain realizes this is temporary, we're one step ahead! ”