Anyone can become isolated, and there is no doubt that many people have faced forced social isolation during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Much of the isolation experienced at this time has been physical, with people restricted in their ability to meet with others in person.

Isolation is characterized as:

• Spending extended periods of time alone

• A lack of important social or professional relationships

• Limited or superficial contact with others

• An overwhelming feeling of loneliness

Emotional isolation can also occur as a result of social isolation. Emotional isolation occurs when someone is unwilling or unable to share their emotions with other people. Rather than discussing their own thoughts and feelings, these people will turn conversations onto those of others, or even change the topic onto one of the much more superficial matters so that they don’t have to engage in an emotional conversation. Unfortunately, bottling emotions up is extremely unhealthy with many people letting them build to a point where they have no choice but to manifest in a series of potentially dangerous behaviors – such as excessive alcohol consumption, or taking drugs. Bottling up your emotions can even lead to an increased risk of serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain forms of cancer.  

Fortunately, counseling is still available at the present time. Many therapists have adapted their sessions to meet the needs of individuals at this challenging time and depending on the restrictions in your area, your counseling may be socially-distant and in person, or carried out over the phone or video call.
 

Here are some of the ways in which counseling is beneficial during periods of isolation.
 

Acceptance of your emotions

One of the first things that your counselor will do is to support you in accepting and embracing your current emotions. All too often people feel pressure to suppress the way that they feel. This is often because they fear being seen as weak or vulnerable, or because they value their privacy and don’t like to let others in. However, embracing emotions rather than suppressing them has been shown to be invaluable in learning to cope with them. Your counselor will have a range of techniques that they can use to help you to identify and accept each emotion in turn so that you can talk about them rather than bottling them up.
 

Listening with an unbiased ear

Sometimes people who are isolated just need someone impartial to listen to them. Counseling is not necessarily always about looking for solutions for problems together but listening to you verbalize your thoughts so that you can make sense of them and come to your own conclusions. This can also help you to see other perspectives of your situation, which in turn makes it easier to cope with.
 

Encouragement to maintain channels of communication

Keeping connected is essential during this difficult time. If you have felt isolated, you may have withdrawn from others even further. This is a fairly natural defense mechanism, but one that can exacerbate your loneliness, and that is difficult to come back from. Your counselor can work with you to help you maintain channels of communication with those around you – be they family, friends, or co-workers.
 

Focusing on things you enjoy

Prolonged periods of isolation can lead to depression, and if this happens, activities that you once took pleasure in may hold no interest for you at all. Falling into depression often leads to spiraling behavior where negative thoughts overwhelm you and it can be difficult to pull yourself out of the cycle that you have become trapped in. Your counselor can help you to remember simple things that you enjoy and that are still possible at this time. They could even support you in finding new hobbies and experiences that enable you to spend quality time focusing on yourself.

If you’d like more information about the benefits of counseling during isolation, or if you are lonely and would like some help and support, don’t hesitate to speak to our compassionate and knowledgeable team.