18 Apr 2020

Ever wondered how being separated from other people and your environment feels like?

We have come to appreciate that humans are hardwired to interact with others, especially during times of distress.

Consequently, socialisation, as one of the characteristics of society, dictates human behaviour so that it becomes meaningful in group norms and in turn learn the reciprocal responses of the society.

The recent outbreak of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has seen a lot of people being separated from their families and the society as a result of suspected cases of having contracted the coronavirus, which has forced countries to go on extreme social distancing and lockdown.  

One can only imagine what those who have been isolated or quarantined are going through unaccompanied.

It would seem they need emotional support so that they do not become anxious and fail in the process to grasp how they can cope.

The situation becomes so depressing that most individuals feel retreating to isolation, away from their friends, families and colleagues, amounts to torture and exacerbates chances of mental breakdown.

On the other hand, isolation is said to increase risks of mental health issues such as depression, dementia, social anxiety and low self-esteem.

Again, isolation and mental health issues can also interact with one another in a feedback loop.

To unpack this, BOPA interviewed Jwaneng Town Council’ senior social welfare officer, Ms Kebaneilwe Leselamose on how those in isolation can cope with the situation in the event they encountered some challenges.

Ms Leselamose argued that it would be amiss to deny that indeed the current  extreme social distancing period and isolation would affect some people mentally.

“There is no doubt about that. Even though we have not registered any cases of people in such a state in Jwaneng, we provided counselling sessions to our employees to help them cope with the current status quo,” she said.

However, she appealed to people to seek professional advice as soon as they experienced any signs of stress, which she said could either be hidden or obvious.

“Some of the signs of stress include too much fatigue that requires one to sleep constantly. One can also have a short temper such that they get annoyed by even the smallest of things, and some people may suddenly develop a tendency to become too talkative,” she said.

Also, she said loss of appetite could also be a sign that someone was not mentally coping with isolation.

Thus, she advised people not to be casual when they noticed such signs because they could develop into serious ailments such as hypertension if not attended to.

Further, she said such mental effects from isolation could be prevented or dealt with through various coping mechanisms.

“People in isolation are encouraged to do activities that make them happy, such as reading a book or magazine to relax the mind, or physical exercises to relax the body and drive out fatigue and muscle tension,” she said.

She added that where people were on extreme social distancing as a family, they could play games, but mindful of precautionary measures as advised by the heath personnel.

“Playing also helps one to forget their problems and refreshes the mind and body,” she said.

Ms Leselamose also said as a town council, they were looking into engaging, telephonically, those in need of counselling.

“We plan to have social workers on our toll free number to help people and where the need arises we would physically check on clients at their homes. People are encouraged to reach our counselling professionals at 0600 800 785 if need arises,” she said. ENDS